Page 24 of 46 Several other NGOs working in migration said press outlets fabricated similar stories involving money laundering-related investigations. On June 12, Lawlor tweeted that “leaks of such investigations” were “commonly used to smear human rights defenders.” On March 17, the Greek Council for Refugees and the Hellenic League for Human Rights sent a joint letter to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, the UN special rapporteur on the rights of migrants, the commissioner for human rights of the Council of Europe, and the European commissioner for migration and home affairs, describing “the demonization of civil society organizations active in the field of refugee protection” and “the misuse of criminal provisions” against those “who bring to light the numerous pushback allegations and/or appeal to justice on behalf of the victims.” In July the European Commission described the country’s civic space as “downgraded from narrowed to obstructed,” citing the pressure faced by civil society organizations working with refugees and asylum seekers. Government Human Rights Bodies: The Office of the Ombudsperson, a state body considered independent and effective, investigated complaints of human rights abuses by individuals. Five deputy ombudspersons dealt with human rights, children’s rights, citizen-state relations, health and social welfare, and quality-of-life problems. The office received adequate Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2023 United States Department of State • Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor