Politie mag Griekse universiteiten weer in

Nieuws | de redactie

25 augustus 2011 | Griekenland heeft de wet die politieagenten er van weerhoudt universiteiten te betreden geschrapt. Voor het eerst in 35 hebben socialisten en conservatieven overeenstemming bereikt over afschaffing van de wet.

Until recently, the police was not allowed to enter universityproperty even if they were in the middle of chasing down criminaloffenders. Exceptions were only granted after a series ofbureaucratic measures.

Greece was the only country in the world featuring such a law.It was created after the fall of the Greek military regime in 1974and was meant to protect individuals from prosecution for politicalreasons.

Between 1967 and 1974 Greece was governed by a military juntaled by Colonel Georgios Papadopoulos. On the 17th November 1973,Papadopoulos sent security forces including a tank to crush astudent uprising at the National Technical University of Athenskilling 24 protestors.

No asylum, no austerity

In the past months, however, criminals had repeatedly takenadvantage of this law during the protests against the Greekausterity measures, Greek officials stated.

Giorgos Papandreou, Greek’s Prime Minister from the SocialistParty, therefore agreed with the conservative opposition party toabolish the law. It was the first time in 35 years that they agreedon voting together.

The austerity measures, by contrast, are continuously opposed bythe Conservatives despite calls from the European Union to showpolitical unity in times of financial turmoil and the Greek debtcrisis.