employer, a police officer themselves, to be paid what they were owed for their work. Instead, the employer had called the police, who, as reported by the victim, threatened them and other employees with the use of a firearm upon arriving.1074 Regarding 2023, the RVRN recorded a total of 158 incidents of racist violence, 89 of which concerned migrants, refugees and asylum applicants on account of their ethnic origin, religion or color. In the majority of these incidents, the victims were men (112 men, 32 women), while in 5 incidents the victims were both men and women. With regard to the main nationalities, 19 victims were from Pakistan, 11 victims were from Syria, 7 from Soudan and 6 from Siera Leone. In 22 incidents, the racist violence took place inside Reception and Identification Centres or Detention Centres and 1 incident occurred inside a refugee / migrant community space. In 50 incidents, minors were also among the victims. 1075 Two of the incidents occurred during 2023 and reported by the United Against Racism and the Racist Threat Movement (ΚΕΕΡΦΑ), concerned attacks against migrant workers – one of which at the victim’s workplace– in the broader area of Athens on 15 June and 9 July 2023 respectively. In both cases, the victims were both verbally and physically attacked, with the Movement attributing the attacks to the “whetted appetite” of fascist groups, after the entry of the far-right Spartans party in the Greek Parliament, following the summer national elections.1076 A month later, in August 2023, a young Pakistani national was found dead in another area of Athens, which has been known as an area where migrant workers are frequently attacked by fascist groups. The perpetrators of the act, four Greek nationals aged between 18 and 20 years, were apprehended by the police, which in a relevant announcement seems to have concluded the motive behind the act was the perpetrators’ intention to rob the victim. Yet, elements of the incident, such as the victims’ belongings, including their phone, being found next to their body instead of being taken, or the mode of the attack (stabbing, including at the victim’s heart), which was reminiscent of the racist-motivated murders of Shahzad Luqman and Pavlos Fyssas, have raised questions over the perpetrators’ actual motive.1077 Lastly, in the same month, amidst one of the most devastating fires in recent memory that broke out in the region of Evros, a noticeable increase in racist speech and calls to relevant action against refugees and migrants broke out in social media, strengthened by statements made even by representatives of the Greek parliament, who tried to attribute the cause of the fires to the actions of people on the move. As reported, several ‘self-appointed sheriffs’ took it upon themselves to manage what they perceived as the problem, and started patrolling the area and arresting migrants, while publicising their actions via social media.1078 Amidst this rise of racist-motivated vigilantism, the most well-known incident concerns the actions of three residents of Evros, who virtually abducted a total of 13 third country nationals, forcibly placing them in a trolley, pillorying them, and posting videos of the act in which highly derogatory language is used to describe the captives (“pieces”). The perpetrators were apprehended and prosecuted on a number of grounds, while in December, the competent Prosecutor recommended for the perpetrators to be prosecuted on the basis of a racist-motivated crime. The 13 former captives were acquitted as they were found to be in no way linked to acts of arson of forest land, albeit the Prosecutor recommended their prosecution on grounds of illegal entry.1079 Commenting on the incident, in a 25 August announcement,1080 the RVRN inter alia expressed its concern over the non-isolated nature of such incidents, while flagging the “deteriorating climate against refugees and migrants in the political and public discourse”. On this point, it is worth recalling that in an August parliamentary debate, the Greek Prime Minister also alluded to the potential implication of third country nationals in the raging Evros fires, stating that "It is sort of (περίπου) certain that the cause of the fire in Evros is man-made" and that "It is sort of (περίπου) certain that this fire started on routes used by illegal 1074 1075 1076 1077 1078 1079 1080 Ibid. pp. 24-26. RVRN, Annual Report 2023, April 2024, available in Greek here, p.5-9. In.gr, KEERFA: Denounces racist fascist attacks on migrant workers in Sepolia and Peristeri, 10 July 2023, available in Greek at: https://tinyurl.com/khvkbm6f. In.gr, The murder of a 25-year-old Pakistani man was solved - 4 young men were arrested, 19 August 2023, available in Greek at: https://tinyurl.com/bde3snsw and Murder of Shiraz Shaftar: Who killed the migrant worker from Pakistan in Perissos?, 18 August 2023, available in Greek at: https://tinyurl.com/4289dytw. Kathimerini, Evros: Fires burn for the tenth day, vigilantism takes root, 28 August 2023, available in Greek at: https://tinyurl.com/34uvvfyk. EfSyn, Evros: Prosecutor's proposal on racist crime for the "sheriffs" and exoneration for the migrants, 12 December 2023, available in Greek at: https://tinyurl.com/5a6fw57w. RVRN, Racist Violence Recording Network expresses serious concern over escalating targeting of refugees and migrants, 25 August 2023, available at: https://tinyurl.com/3x6canzj. 200