Two cops face torture charges
An internal police investigation into the alleged beatings and torture of Afghan immigrants before Christmas by officers at an Athens precinct has identified two policemen as being involved in the incidents, sources said yesterday. Human rights groups alleged on December 21 that officers from Aghios Pandeleimon police station in central Athens had tortured dozens of Afghan immigrants, subjecting them to beatings and mock executions, and photographing them naked during interrogation. The Attica police force launched an investigation immediately and is now poised to suspend one officer and a special guard and to launch disciplinary proceedings against them after judging that they played a part in the alleged incidents. The pair are likely to be discharged from the force if found guilty, police sources said. Chief public prosecutor Dimitris Papagelopoulso is also investigating the matter. Meanwhile, Attica police are conducting a separate probe into claims that a Bangladeshi migrant was abused by officers in the capital’s Bournazi Square on Tuesday.
