Senior DIAS officer relieved of duties
A screen grab from a video posted on social media shows a police officer hitting a man in the Athens suburb of Nea Smyrni on Sunday afternoon.
A senior officer of the police’s rapid response DIAS squad in charge of an operation which led to a violent incident in the Athens suburb of Nea Smyrni on March 7 has been relieved of his duties.
One member of the first 10-man DIAS unit that was dispatched to make spot checks has already been suspended for using excessive force against a 29-year-old resident who took issue with police officers fining two families for allegedly being out of their homes without the proper authorization.
The officers had claimed that they only used force after coming under attack by some 30 locals who disagreed with the checks. Their claim was corroborated by witnesses.
