No sackings over brutality

Government stands by public order minister on video of police beatings

The government yesterday gave its full backing to Public Order Minister Vyron Polydoras despite opposition calls for him to step down following the airing of a video showing a policeman beating two Albanian detainees at Omonia police station in central Athens.

Alternate government spokesman Evangelos Antonaros said Polydoras had the full support of Premier Costas Karamanlis and denied that cases of police brutality had been more frequent since New Democracy came to power.

PASOK and Synaspismos Left Coalition both called for Polydoras’s resignation. The minister asked for more time.

“We are fighting to create a better police force with complete respect for human rights and democratic law,” said Polydoras.

However, in an interview with Ta Nea newspaper, Polydoras wondered: “What am I doing in a department with scoundrels?”

The video shows a plainclothes police sergeant slapping, kicking and striking the detainees with a stick and making them slap each other. He was suspended along with two other officers who can be heard on the video, which was filmed on a mobile phone last June.

The chief of Omonia precinct has also been suspended.

A judicial investigation has been launched into the incident, which is also being examined by the police internal affairs department.

The lawyer of the unnamed 30-year-old sergeant told Kathimerini that his client had lost his head because the two detainees had allegedly beaten a woman to steal her bag and then verbally abused their victim when they were brought in for questioning.

“My client asks the forgiveness of the Greek Police and society,” said lawyer Stathis Karydomatis. “But we should not forget that this is a decorated police officer who is doing a difficult job and working at one of the country’s most difficult precincts.”

The Albanian Foreign Ministry issued a statement expressing “deep indignation” at the video, labeling the incident “racist, degrading and unacceptable.” It called on the Greek authorities to prosecute those responsible.