The murder of Muhammad Kamran Ashiq, a Pakistani national who had lived in Greece for most of his life at the hands of the police— in Agios Panteleimonas Police Station (in Athens) on the 21st of September— once again exposed the most blatant and brutal reality of systemic violence and racism in Greece.
His death, caused by police beatings, was not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern of abuse and impunity. Every day, migrants and people of colour are being terrorized and chased by the police out in the streets while facing similar violence inside the Greek police stations, where they are taken out of sight, beaten, tortured, and sometimes killed by police officers who exercise their excessive authority unchecked.
This brutality reflects the deep-rooted racism embedded in the state apparatus. From the violent and deadly pushbacks at the borders, where migrants are being kidnapped and illegally forced back into dangerous conditions, to the exploitation of migrant workers, Greece’s racist system extends across institutions. Police violence is not the only form of oppression — indifferent bureaucracies, exploitative employers, and a society that too often looks the other way hold up these oppressions.
The death of Muhammad Kamran Ashiq symbolizes more than a singular act of violence. It is a reminder of the everyday racism and violence that is normalized and perpetuated. Migrants are treated as disposable, denied dignity, and subjected to violence that the mass media usually ignores. This silence, combined with police impunity, enables these ongoing horrors.
We refuse to remain silent in the face of such inhumanity. We will speak up against these police brutality atrocities and the entire system of racism and oppression. We will stand in solidarity with the victims of state violence and demand justice and accountability. We will continue to pray and fight against police brutality, as this is also a fight against the racism that underpins it and against a system that continues to oppress and dehumanize.
