In a Facebook post on 16 June 2020, Vassilis Mangos announced that: “I am in hospital with 6 or 7 fractured ribs and a contusion of the liver and gall bladder. I was beaten and tortured by police officers.” He linked to various videos and photos of a demonstration held on Sunday 18 June.
He explained that he had not initially been part of the protest but, passing by, had stopped to join in. He alleged that, because he is a frequent attendee of protests and is known to the police officers who often police protests, he was immediately targeted upon sight and beaten ‘mercilessly’ until he couldn’t breathe as a result of the injuries to his ribs.
Despite his screams of pain and distress, he was handcuffed and taken to the police station, beaten further and verbally abused along the way. In the police station, he alleges, his ordeal continued as he was further beaten and verbally abused, and his requests for medical assistance denied, as well as his requests for water. He also asked for the names of some of the officers involved, explaining that he was going to file a complaint, a request that was met with laughter and more abuse. He was later released without charge, feeling ‘half dead’, and unable to move or call an ambulance. He was aided by a group of youths who took him home and called an ambulance. See the complaint and the facebook post here.
For further details, and audiovisual material supporting the allegations, see 1, 2, 3, 4. Almost a month after the incident Vassilis Mangos was found dead in his home, with reports stating that the death was caused by an acute pulmonary edema caused by an overdose of legal and illegal substances (see 1, 2).
Following the alleged incident, disciplinary and criminal proceedings were initiated against some police officers (see 1, 2, 3, especially pages 64-67, and 4, 5, 6, 7). According to the press, (see 1, 2) a case was also filed against the already deceased Vassilis Mangos. More about the incident and what followed, as well as the general course (disciplinary/ criminal) of the case can be found in 1, 2, 3 and 4.
In a state governed by the rule of law, the police authorities must be governed by certain principles, including the principle of legality, the principle of proportionality, the prohibition of the abuse of police power and the respect for and protection of human rights.
The powers of the police authorities and the conduct to be displayed by them in the performance of their duties are regulated, inter alia, by Decree 141/1991 and Decree 254/2004.
Although the police may use force to enforce the law, this does not mean that all use of preventive or repressive force by the police is lawful. On the contrary, the arbitrary use of the power to use force, and police action in excess of legal limits is a dangerous phenomenon for a democracy. It should be noted that when incidents of police violence or arbitrary conduct are reported, these should be investigated fully and effectively.
The complaint made by Vassilis Mangos in June 2020 describes behavior on the part of the police officers that is outside the legal limits. The shortcomings and irregularities identified by the Ombudsman in the annual report of 2021 in the disciplinary proceedings that took place in this case raise doubts as to whether allegations of police violence are investigated effectively and/or whether due responsibility is attributed to the persons involved.
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