SYRIZA claims increase in state repression on International Day Against Policy Brutality

"The increase in state repression and police violence is growing and intensifying along with people's awareness of the visibly resounding failure of New Democracy's 'executive' state," said main opposition SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance's deputy head for justice issues, Irene Agathopoulou, in a message for International Day Against Police Brutality on Monday.

She cited figures released by the Citizens' Ombudsman of a 75 pct increase in reports of police violence during the last year, asserting that the police had for a year "beaten, stripped and exercised every form of violence and sexual harassment," while blatantly "violating every shred of individual, social and political rights".

Agathopoulou said that Citizen Protection Minister Michalis Chrisochoidis and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis were mainly to blame for this state of affairs, which was opposed by the majority of the citizens and the police force.