Counterterrorism Policy and Legislation in Greece

Abstract

Greece’s geopolitical position in the heart of the Mediterranean has offered a base for terrorist activity since 1960s. Greece’s counterterrorism geographic challenge lies in the fact that it is a mountainous country surrounded by numerous sparse islands and located between Albania, FYROM, Bulgaria, Turkey, and North African countries. For decades, the combination between the geography of Greece and the lax border controls has allowed for various terrorist activities by both international and domestic organizations. During the 1960s it was reported that terrorist agents associated with middle-eastern terrorist organizations were operating or receiving training and logistical support in Greece (Ciment 2015). From 1970s, homegrown terrorism emerged as a new threat to Greek and foreign interests and has been a long-standing issue for Greek governments; the recent arrest and trial of members of the infamous “17 November” group shed light into the inefficiencies of the legal framework and lack of policy initiatives in the fields of both prevention and repression. However, counterterrorism legislation and policies in Greece have been fast evolving since 2000. This chapter presents and critically analyzes all domestic legislative measures, including the highly controversial 2015 legislative decree aimed at placing under house arrest disabled convicted terrorists, and policy and institutional efforts in the fight against terrorism.