authorities of their restranding on an islet, once again requesting their rescue, access to reception, identification and asylum procedures, as well as compliance with the ECtHR’s relevant interim measures decision, already granted since the first time they entered Greece and extended.60 On 29 April, the Court also granted interim measures for the group of the 12 Syrian refugees, including three children, who were stranded on the same islet. However, according to asylum seekers’ testimonies (shared with GCR on 3 May while in Turkey), the following happened on 30 April, around 11 a.m.: People were still on the islet with no search and rescue operation by the Greek authorities. Vehicles appeared at the Greek river bank. The asylum seekers announced their presence and asked urgently for help. They were extremely afraid, distressed, thirsty and hungry. The Greek authorities threw in the river a motor boat that was not able to reach the group. The asylum seekers desperately tried to reach the boat, but to no avail. After 2 hours, at around 13:00, the Greek authorities left. Involvement of the Turkish authorities on the islet and violent pullback to Turkey: Subsequently, three Turkish nationals in military uniforms appeared on the islet, while seven more were hiding in the trees. The Turkish uniformed men started violently pushing the people towards the river using tree trunks, while beating them and pointing weapons and knives. Once on the Turkish side of the river bank, the asylum seekers were transported with a vehicle to a Turkish informal detention site, where they were separated by gender, and children remained with their mothers. According to survivors’ information provided to GCR, some of the male refugees of the group were maltreated by the Turkish authorities and several women were sexually assaulted. The asylum seekers remained detained from 30 April until 2 May. The Turkish authorities gradually started releasing the asylum seekers of this group. It remains unknown at the time of writing if all the members of this group have been released or if they are still detained. II. Pushed back with the use of firearms before being violently pulled back Date of arrival: 10 May 2022 Date of ECtHR’s interim measures: 11 May, 13 May and 16 May 2022 for different groups Date of pushback & pullback operations: 14 May 2022 Relevant application(s) before ECtHR: A.D. and others v. Greece *Relevant interim measures: S.S. and Others v. Greece - 29 April 202261 , A.D. and Others v. Greece- 19 April 202262, F.R. and Others v. Greece - 11 May 202263 On 29 April, the ECtHR decided to prolong the interim measures previously indicated until 13 May in respect of the 28 Applicants who allegedly re-entered the Greek territory. On the same day, the Court also granted interim measures for the group of the 12 Syrian refugees, amongst whom 3 children, who were also stranded on the same islet (S.S. and Others v. Greece case – Application no: 21039/22). 60 61 ECtHR, Application no.21039/22. 62 ECtHR, Application no 18940/22. 63 ECtHR, Application no 23128/22. AT EUROPE’S BORDERS: BETWEEN IMPUNITY AND CRIMINALIZATION 33