Thread by @alarm_phone

🆘 Relatives informed us about a group stranded on an islet on #Evros river. The position they sent shows the people on #Greek territory. On the phone, the border guard station of #Soufli promised a quick rescue. We have no direct contact with the group & hope help is on its way!

The officer on duty of the border guard station in #Soufli told us on the phone that they have sent a team to the location but could not find the people. In the past, this line was used to cover up #pushbacks. We are worried - where are these people?

The people called us directly today & appear to be on the Greek bank of #Evros river. They report they are ~40 people incl. 10 children & 16 women, many with serious medical conditions. They say that 2 persons went missing during a #pushback & a woman could give birth any moment.

🆘 The group is still at the #Evros river. They say that some men/boys were stripped off their clothes & beaten and that the pregnant woman & her kids were evacuated towards #Greece by unknown people in civilian clothing. Border guards in Soufli didn't confirm that.

Rescue now!

The people are still exposed to the rough conditions of the #Evros river. They reported that a 10 year-old child got bitten by something in his sleep and is now in bad condition. They wrote us:

"We understand that we are on the river bank from the Greek direction...

when the Greek border guards come, we go back a little bit by their order...and the Turks are the same issue, they say go there...
Arresting us from the Turkish side, they will deport us to Syria and imprison us. The boy is in a bad condition and 112 did not help us in any way."

We have updated @hellenicpolice, @UNHCRGreece and other organizations with all positions we received from the group & all medical conditions reported to us.

The people just told us: "No one has come to us. We have been here for 13 days".

We called several #Greek borderguard stations who claimed to have searched but not found them, even though the group hasn't moved. Stop this non-assistance, rescue now!

Still no rescue arrived! The people are tired after 13 days in rough conditions & repeated attacks by #Turkish and #Greek authorities. Their distress call has been forwarded to @hellenicpolice, @Frontex and many others. You are all responsible if lives are lost!

About an hour ago, the people reported “large movement of Greek border guards" in the area where they are stranded. They say they are afraid. We hope the purpose of this mobilisation is to provide assistance & eventually rescue the group & not to further terrorise them.

The people told us that yesterday night, Greek forces approached them, took bags & phones, attacked them physically & removed 4 people from the group. The rest of the group is still stuck in the same place & urgently calling for help as their situation is getting worse every day!

The @ECHR_CEDH granted Interim Measures acc. to #Rule39 for this group! The decision states that #Greece must provide food, water & adequate medical care. Meanwhile the situation on the ground gets worse. The people reported that a small child is vomiting blood.

The people sent the following message:
1/We are located on a small island in Greek territory and have sent our location many times to all organizations

*We are displaced from our country because we are persecuted in it. We crossed the Turkish border to cross into Greece

2/*We have many medical conditions, we have people with a respiratory disease...we have heart patients...and there is a person with kidneys...and there is a child with a disability. And there are blood pressure patients and there is a person who was a cancer patient.

3/And we have Infants. There is a person with fractures and bruises, as a result of the Greek border guards assaulting us. There are young people and the elderly. Yes, of course, these people need health care, because their medicines have run out, and everyone on the island

4/has rashes now. No medical assistance has been provided by any party and we need medical attention.
We do not have any medical documents or papers. You can come to us for a medical examination and check our health conditions. While we were on the island, we had a skin rash.

5/The tips of the fingers and toes were cracked from the cold. And some cases of diarrhea.

*In the event that we are returned to Turkey, they will imprison us for several weeks or months. Then after that they will deport us to Syria and hand us over to the Syrian government.

6/After that, we will face death and certain imprisonment.. There are no documents, but this is confirmed.

We have great confidence in you and in the judiciary to solve our pending problem for more than 15 days in the freezing cold without the minimum necessities of life.

7/We do not have food or drink. We drink water from the river, and this was the cause of many cases of intestinal colic.
And cases of diarrhea..we had a pregnant woman and her children with us. A boat came and took them and we do not know their fate.

8/Yesterday masked people stormed and kidnapped 4 young men and assaulted us and we do not know their fate..we need help as soon as possible..
We don't have too much phone charge possible at any moment our connection is interrupted.

Help us

🔴How long will #Greece continue to ignore the orders of @ECHR_CEDH?

Despite Interim Measures granted, the group did not receive any medical assistance and is still neglected by the responsible authorities. This non-assistance must end immediately!