This report from the Greek Council for Refugees (GCR) contributes to an existing body of extensive evidence of the Greek state’s illegal pushbacks practice, by providing particularly detailed descriptions of eleven pushback cases at the Evros border region and the Aegean islands, and two cases of pullbacks by the Turkish authorities in Evros. All cases included in this report are legally represented by GCR and submitted before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and / or the Greek Public Prosecutor. These testimonies, which all share very similar descriptions of what people had to endure during a pushback operation, offer a disturbing insight into the organized and systematic nature of these illegal practices. The report also describes how the Greek state intimidates, stigmatizes and criminalizes human rights defenders who support pushback victims. We highlight statements of senior Greek politicians wherein they link NGOs, including the Greek Council for Refugees, to smuggler networks, accuse them of cooperation with Turkey, assert that said NGOs are undermining Greek national sovereignty, and label them enemies of the state. These false accusations have created a repressive environment wherein the support for asylum seekers and their rights has become incredibly difficult. 2 © Greek Council for Refugees 2023 Drafted by December 2022, published March 2023 Report authored by Alkistis Agrafioti Chatzigianni and Kleio Nikolopoulou. The authors acknowledge the valuable contributions of the GCR lawyers and translators who have supported the cases presented in the report. This report has been funded by OXFAM Novib. For further information on the issues raised in this report please email Kostas Vlachopoulos: k.vlachopoulos@gcr.gr This publication is copyright but the text may be used free of charge for the purposes of advocacy, campaigning, education, and research, provided that the source is acknowledged in full. The copyright holder requests that all such use be registered with them for impact assessment purposes Cover Photo: InTime / Αργύρης Μακρής AT EUROPE’S BORDERS: BETWEEN IMPUNITY AND CRIMINALIZATION