Unmasking ‘Solidarity Now’: A Decade of Deceit and Hostility

My persistent efforts to obtain legal aid and essential support in Greece persist amidst unresolved captivity conditions. These efforts included in-person visits to ‘SolidarityNow’ offices in December 2023 and twice in April 2024, which unfortunately mirrored the outcomes of previous engagements with similar organizations.

My visit on December 28th, 2023, following a decade of disregarded correspondences, involved a protracted, unexplained wait and culminated in the discovery of intentional deletion of my communications from their system. Consequently, I opted to file a formal complaint. Nevertheless, their staff not only attempted to dismiss me but also concealed complaint forms, which were located behind the entrance. Despite my unawareness of the forms’ location, and without any guidance from the staff—who denied their existence—one even suggested an informal written note instead of using the official form.

During my attempt to address the intentional erasure of my prior communications with the staff, I even encountered unprovoked aggressive behavior from visiting individuals, possibly premeditated. My visit the previous afternoon—when the staff claimed closure and dismissed me—paired with their general demeanor and obstructive tactics against those seeking assistance, suggests this confrontation was orchestrated to intimidate me against future visits and requests for assistance.

Upon communicating to the receptionist—an Arab woman in her thirties—my concerns about numerous unanswered emails, she initially indicated the absence of any correspondence from me. After demonstrating numerous email attempts on my mobile phone, she requested I resend an email. Upon doing so, she immediately acknowledged its arrival, suggesting prior emails had been purged from their system.

Upon my insistence on lodging a formal complaint and requesting to speak with a responsible party, the receptionist summoned a junior lawyer. Rather than addressing my concerns, the lawyer inconsiderately advised my return at a later date, despite their open status and ample remaining business hours. Upon questioning the deletion of my emails from their system, the lawyer exited abruptly, neglecting to respond. Upon calling her attention as she descended the stairs, “Ms. Lawyer, I am talking to you. Why are you leaving?” She halted momentarily and feigned ignorance of my previous question, responding with, “What do you want?”

Undeterred by her earlier suggestion to depart, I reminded her of her obligations at ‘SolidarityNow’, pressing my need to lodge a formal complaint. She then recommended that I write it down, yet upon my request for an official form, she declared none existed. Persistent, I questioned her avoidance; she initially denied such intention but, confronted with her own directive—“You have to go and come back another day”—and queried why, she deflected, attributing the deferral to the absence of the director, stating, “Because our director is not here today.”

Despite this, when I persisted in requesting a formal complaint form, she offered another excuse, citing an external appointment and instructing me to speak with another lawyer. Upon inquiring about the other lawyer’s name, her response seemed either evasive or feigned misunderstanding, as she claimed, “I am not obligated to give you my name.” She then proceeded to leave the building, essentially ignoring my questions and evidently prioritizing her supposed off-site meeting—assuming it was job-related—over her professional responsibilities at ‘SolidarityNow’.

Upon my immediate return to the entrance, within a few steps, I inquired about the other attorney’s whereabouts among the individuals present. Instead of answering, they sidestepped my query, disputing my right to document the unfolding events, declaring, “You cannot do this,” and turned their back to me. Confronting me once more, they repeated, “You are not allowed to do that.” In return, I pointed out their arbitrary actions, “You do as you please; when people send you emails, you delete them. I showed you my emails, yet you deny having seen them.”

Despite my repeated requests, one of the young respondents continued to ignore my inquiries and, when pressed for their absent lawyer, dismissively asked, “For What?” Upon declaring my intent yet again to file a formal complaint, the second individual offered a blank piece of paper instead of a complaint form which, I was told, did not exist. Further requests to speak with the absent lawyer were met with identical responses. In the interim, the receptionist was engaged elsewhere, not attending to my concerns.

Waiting at the entrance for a response to my inquiries proved futile, prompting me to approach another individual to reiterate my need to see the other lawyer. She, however, instructed me to leave, using my documentation efforts as a pretext, and neglected my repeated requests to see the lawyer. Subsequently, the Arab receptionist, while conversing on the phone—possibly receiving directions—fetched a complaint form from behind the entrance and handed it to me, succinctly indicating, “This is the complaint form.”

Following an hour’s insistence, I was finally provided with a complaint form, illustrating the apparent incompetence and evasion tactics employed by the staff who delayed this straightforward task and initially denied the form’s existence. Upon reviewing the form, I observed a unique email address listed. Inquiring if emails to this address were accessible to prior correspondents, an Arab visitor hindered my inquiry. Subsequently, a young employee—later identified as the second lawyer by the Arab receptionist—provided evasive responses instead of clarification. Ultimately, the Arab receptionist confirmed emails sent to that address would not be seen by them.

At this juncture, an altercation ensued with the aforementioned Arab individual previously meddling in my matters, coinciding with my attempts to question the attorney on the deletion of my communications from their system. The lawyer, more so than her peers, elusively declined to respond and threatened police involvement for intimidation. Despite the chaos, I remained composed, resulting in no harm or damage. Subsequently, the facility’s doors were shut, admitting others while excluding me alone.

In my search for a pen to complete my complaint form, none were at hand, necessitating a buzzer call to summon someone from behind the solid, un-windowed door. Concurrently, as the Arab receptionist responded, the assailant fled, possibly following internal counsel. Repeated queries for a writing instrument were met with delayed recognition, until the receptionist conceded and subsequently provided one before abruptly sealing the door once more.

The complaint form provided insufficient space for detailing my grievances, accommodating merely a brief paragraph. My attempt to complete it was interrupted by the arrival of the Police who expedited the process without allowing me to obtain a confirmed duplicate from the two staff members, who briefed the Police on the situation in Greek—a language beyond my comprehension—and persisted in their presence as I was subsequently escorted away upon submission of the completed form into the suggestion box.

On the way out, the officers engaged in xenophobic and disparaging communication, warning me not to return and threateningly remarking, “Leave our country now and don’t come back here.” Fortuitously, the encounter did not culminate in a trip to the Police Station, which would have likely resulted in further detention or spurious prosecution. Instead, upon arrival at their Patrol Car, I was released.

Owing to spatial constraints on the complaint form, coupled with the subsequent incidents of assault and Police intimidation, it was impractical to encapsulate all the requisite details therein. Consequently, further elaboration was provided via an email sent the following day to the designated address, to ensure comprehensive conveyance of my complaint. Regrettably, despite multiple follow-up correspondences, my attempts elicited no response, compelling a subsequent visit to the organization on April 05th, 2024.

Sub-Office Re-visit – Friday, April 05th, 2024:

Upon arrival, as I attempted to communicate, a young female employee, quickly joined by a similarly-aged male colleague, interfered with my efforts to document the situation before I could articulate my request. Despite the interference, I sought an immediate audience with Coordinator Valia Andrakakou. During this interaction, with my camera’s view partly obstructed by the aforementioned male, an older male—a lawyer employed there—approached us at the entrance corridor.

Yet, upon my attempt to engage the elder man, the young woman intervened again, obstructing my camera with her hand and a white paper. Reacting, I gently moved her hand aside, declaring, “You are committing crimes against Refugees in this country,” and repeated my intention to converse with their Coordinator, invoking her name. They glanced around, seemingly in search, but after briefly consulting among themselves in Greek, the man faced me, initially speaking in Greek, then switching to English at my behest, informing me of their Coordinator’s absence and advising a return on the following Monday.

This is one of the tactics these organizations deploy in this country in their dealings with Refugees: repeatedly turning you away until you abandon your search, or, more troublingly, insidiously shuttling you between agencies where you encounter the same cycle, resulting only in lost time and significant exhaustion, without ever obtaining substantial support.

Fortunately, my note included various other contacts besides the coordinator’s name. Being aware of their dubious machinations, I bypassed the offer to revisit the following Monday. Instead, I sought an immediate audience with their General Manager, Marilyn Polena. The senior employee informed me she was only accessible at their headquarters, not at the current office. Similarly, subsequent requests to meet Deputy General Manager, Fay Koutzoukou, and Communications Manager, Valia Savvidou, were met with identical assertions, stating, “They are all at our headquarters.”

Upon requesting their Headquarters’ address, the man first consented to disclose it but then retracted, opting not to reveal it and evading my query by creating an unnecessary distraction, suggesting to locate it on their website while concurrently attempting to interfere with my phone’s recording. Upon indicating my lack of internet access, and after deflecting his attempt to touch my phone, he threatened to summon the Police on the grounds of my recording.

In recounting their prior call to the authorities, I declared, “Previously, you made an unnecessary call to the police. Despite your pledge to aid refugees, my decade-long pleas for assistance have been ignored. Now, I am compelled to bring this to light. You are perpetrating violations against refugees, neglecting and dismissing those in dire need of assistance.” In response, conceding their transgressions, and pointing at my camera, he admitted, “This may be our crime, yet you now commit another by exposing my personal data.” Refuting his assertion, I firmly contested, “I am merely disclosing your treatment of refugees in this country.”

The man feigned ignorance of my assertions, once again diverging from the topic by claiming, “I am a lawyer here. I am doing nothing. I don’t know you.” I responded by pointing out, “If you had seen my emails, you would know me.” His nonsensical retort articulated as, “I have not received any emails. You never sent an email to me,” while instructing staff to call the Police. In light of his denial of email receipt, I clarified that my emails were indeed sent to ‘SolidarityNow’ and persisted in requesting the headquarters’ address, which he refused to provide, insisting, “No address, and you stay here, you don’t go, because we call the Police now.”

In response to the man’s repeated threat of police involvement, I reiterated my need to speak with the manager. His reply, “After we go to the Police,” prompted my question, “Go to the Police for what?” Pointing at my camera, he accused, “This is illegal.” I dismissed this, citing my unanswered emails over four months and demanding to know why they had not replied. Though he acknowledged a possible oversight, he deemed my evidence irrelevant, a point on which I stood firm, stressing the need for dialogue with the director or, failing that, the address of the headquarters.

The man responded, "No, I am not obliged to give you anything. You will wait for the Police here.” Subsequently, instructing his colleagues, “Don’t let him go.” I retorted, “You are not responding to emails, and you’re intimidating those who visit.” He dismissively commented, “This is your frustration,” ignoring the cause. Challenging his stance, I inquired, “For how many years should one tolerate frustration? 10 years?” He simply replied, “I don’t know.” I further questioned, “How much effort is required to send an email?”

Subsequently, the man absurdly suggested, “This is not the right way.” Retreating to gesture towards the suggestion box, I questioned, “I submitted a complaint here, placed it in this box and emailed it to you four months ago. Where is the response?” Ignoring my inquiry, he fixated on my recording and erroneously claimed it was illegal. I disputed his assertion and asked for his identification, “May I have your name?” He declined to provide it, replying, “No, you don’t have the right to have anything. You have my face here,” indicating my camera.

In response, I remarked, “You don’t understand why I am recording this.” He sharply retorted, “I don’t want to understand you.” To which I countered, “You don’t want to understand? I have sent communications via email.” He interrupted again, insisting, “I don’t want to understand you. You never sent anything to me. I don’t want to hear anything from you, completely nothing.” I asserted, “I sent communications to ‘SolidarityNow’. Aren’t you assisting refugees? I’m a refugee seeking support here.” Yet, he viciously accused me of being a criminal for my documentation endeavors, to which I responded, “No, you are the criminals here, exploiting everything for your benefit and intimidating refugees.”

Subsequently, the man uttered additional phrases in Greek and offered succinct clarifications in English about my recordings. As I endeavored to ascertain the headquarters’ location, pleading with the other staff at the entrance, “Somebody provide me with the address of the headquarters,” no one responded. Meanwhile, the man amidst instructing a female employee in Greek to seal the entrance, concurrently exerted force to coerce me inside, firmly grasping my hand and insisting, “Come inside. You don’t go. We called the Police.” Despite not seeking to depart and still soliciting the headquarters’ address, the man, failing to confine me inside, directed other staff to secure the lower entrance, effectively barring my exit should I opt to leave. After reasserting, “You don’t go,” he finally retreated inside, leaving me stationed at the entrance.

Although for the last time I asked again whether anyone would be providing me with the address of their headquarters, despite my persistence, nobody answered. Recognizing the futility of my stay without receiving the address, and to avoid handing an advantage to them or risk police confrontation and potential legal troubles, I opted to leave, intending to locate the headquarters’ address online upon finding a Wi-Fi connection and to reach their office before the end of working hours to discuss matters directly with their director or manager.

Functioning as intermediaries for both the government and EU states, they routinely intimidate refugees with ease, disregarding our basic rights and employing the country’s fascist Police to conduct their dirty work with total impunity. They describe Greece as the “front-line,” a veiled reference to their undeclared war against asylum seekers in Europe, affecting even those involuntarily here, revealing their disdainful ethos. Even those unwilling to stay are not exempt from their brutality; stripped of belongings, unjustly persecuted for a decade, and subjected to years of famine-like conditions, they aim to coerce us into servitude or letting hunger take our lives, not even letting us leave.

This is the ugly place, with extremely ill-natured and animalistic people, a perilous destination where numerous individuals with limited information frequently endanger their lives, leaving their native lands, often needlessly, in a futile quest for safety, oblivious to the grim realities that await them. Ultimately, it is the people smugglers, purported humanitarian organizations such as the one in question, and governments that reap the most benefit from this situation, rather than the vulnerable people in search of protection—a stark contradiction to the principles of humanity.

Headquarters’ Visit — Friday, April 05th, 2024:

After locating the headquarters address and the optimal route, I embarked towards their offices, necessitating two bus transfers and roughly an hour’s journey, concluding approximately one kilometer from the UNHCR office. Despite the absence of conspicuous signage next to the entrance, their moniker was discernible on the Buzzer directory alongside other tenants, facilitating identification. Despite this, the intercom replied solely in Greek and with no immediate human response, I gained entry with delay.

Their office was situated on the building’s second floor with a conspicuous sign by the buzzer. Upon ringing, the door unlocked, requiring a push to gain entry into the office. Inside, initially I encountered a woman in her thirties who, upon my inquiry for Coordinator Valia Andrakakou, informed me that Ms. Andrakakou was instead at the other location. Subsequently, she briefly excused herself to fetch a pre-written note, evidently prepared for my redirected arrival from the other office, which had also advised of the coordinator’s absence, thereby attempting to perpetuate a frustrating and vicious cycle of referrals that I was all too familiar with.

Despite my polite explanation of being directed there from the other office, the woman insisted that the coordinator was unavailable at the headquarters, prompting me to inquire about the other staff, first asking for manager Marilyn Polena. She then initially affirmed Marilyn’s presence but after asking for my name, the nature of my visit, as well as the referent from the preceding office, momentarily excused herself to consult her desk, but she was called into the office next to us, wherein she engaged in a lengthy discussion in Greek, prompting me to inquire whether the other individual was the manager. The individual while indicating she wasn’t the manager, similarly after requesting the purpose of my visit, and subsequent to my explanation, declared the manager’s absence, stating she was out on an appointment.

Upon inquiring about her specific whereabouts, she vaguely mentioned “another office.” Despite indicating that her colleague implied the manager’s availability, she stood firm. Consequently, I requested a discussion with the deputy manager, Fay Koutzoukou, to which she slightly altered her response, “She is on leave.” In pursuit of the communication manager, Valia Savvidou, she replied with a hint of mocking laughter, “She is not here either,” and generalized that, “Everyone had appointments, meetings, or annual leave.” My questioning of the veracity of her statements was met with denial.

Subsequently, I motioned towards the first woman and inquired, “Could you confirm please whether the manager, Marilyn Polena, is here or not?” Her reply was, “She works here, but today she isn’t here.” Turning back to the other person, I asked if it might be possible to schedule a meeting with the manager, and who could facilitate this. After a moment of contemplation and checking her notebook, she posed the question, “Appointment! On what subject?” I expeditiously explained, “I need to discuss the unaddressed communications and grievances I have submitted earlier.”

Upon recognizing my request, the woman sought my contact details, despite the pre-existing record of emails sent over the years, evidencing the provision of such information. She professed ignorance of my identity and contact information, reflecting the organization’s negligence in managing refugee affairs. Complying, I provided the requested information on her notebook and expressed my wish to meet the Coordinator or General Manager. After reviewing the details, she could not confirm an appointment but promised to consult the calendar. Subsequently, I sought confirmation of her role and title in arranging the meeting.

After she identified herself as the financial director, I clarified that my request should be addressed by the communication manager. However, her response was inconsequential: “No, because, I don’t know her schedule.” To ensure understanding, I repeated my request to speak with the communication manager, specifying Valia Savvidou by name, stating the matter was outside her purview. Acknowledging her role did not encompass such tasks, she indicated the communication manager’s absence and assured me, “I will pass this on and we are going to call you back to arrange something or to discuss.”

Upon inquiring about her name, she introduced herself as “Eva Stefanaki,” and wrote it down at my request. As our exchange neared its conclusion, I wondered who would be contacting me. She clarified, “I will inform colleagues, and someone from our office will call you. I’m unsure if it’ll be me as it’s not within my responsibilities, but rest assured, we will be in touch to determine the next steps."

Subsequently, I emphasized, “This is urgent. When should I be expecting a call?” She inquired about the urgency, and I noted it was already detailed in my earlier complaint. She then indicated uncertainty due to a busy period and meeting schedules. I objected, seeking a clearer response, asking, “Should I return tomorrow?” She noted the next day was Saturday and the office would be closed, prompting me to suggest Monday instead.

Nevertheless, she reiterated her lack of awareness of other people’s availability, stating, “I don’t know. Because, we have a lot of people that are not here, they have meetings in other areas and I don’t have everyone’s schedule.” I countered, “Without access to the schedule, how can you confirm their availability?” She vaguely responded, “No, I don’t have everyone’s schedule.” Persisting, I stated, “Yet, you assert they are occupied. You are assuming.” With a chuckle, she replied, “I am aware they’re absent today. What do you mean?” I answered, “I’m facing an emergency. I was directed here from the other office, and now you are making excuses, suggesting they’re too busy, without even knowing their schedules.”

Subsequent to her reiteration, “They are not here today,” I insisted on an acceptable timeframe to expect a response, either by email or phone call. She acknowledged and stated, “Next week, someone from our office will call you, though I am uncertain whether it will be Marilyn, Valia, or another colleague.” As I was departing, I inquired about the other lady’s role and learned she was a financial officer in her section. Inquiring about the possibility of engaging with someone from the communication department, she stated that no one was available. Finally, I acquired her email address, bid them farewell, and departed with the expectation of future communication from their side.

Headquarters’ Re-Visit — Friday, April 12th, 2024:

Nevertheless, as no communication was forthcoming from their end, I sent a reminder on April 10th, 2024, as follow-up on the email chain concerning my complaint, but ultimately resorting to using an alternative email address due to an apparent block on my primary one which similarly went unanswered, compelling another visit to their headquarters on Friday, April 12th, 2024. Arriving during working hours, I found the doors unattended at both the second and third-floor offices, leaving me with no recourse but to leave without having spoken to anyone.

Despite this, an email arrived the evening of that very day—a tacit admission of their knowledge of my additional visit and presence at their headquarters, which went unacknowledged at the time. Their email, purporting to address my initial inquiries and subsequent complaints, neglected the crucial issues, offering excuses and denying assistance. I sent a succinct reply the following Monday—evident from the included screenshot—and copied to the UNHCR, in keeping with previously shared communications from other organizations. Yet, they persist in neglecting my urgent situation and maintaining their covert war against my decade-long plight for Justice and Freedom in pursuit of sinister political objectives.

Enclosed are video recordings from their reception center events dated December 28th, 2023, and April 05th, 2024, in addition to footage from their headquarters on April 05th, 2024, and my subsequent follow-up visit on April 12th, 2024.

Conclusions:

Amidst the formidable challenges that have beset my life in Greece throughout the previous ten years, I respectfully request institutions, corporations, entities, or philanthropic individuals endowed with ample fiscal means to give due attention to my predicament and consider endorsing my Fundraising initiative as outlined. Your benevolent contribution would significantly aid in alleviating the persistent hardships I endeavor to overcome.

“Donate now to support a Refugee directly.”?

Contributions of any magnitude are instrumental in effecting change. Continued monetary assistance is profoundly appreciated.

Additionally, it is essential to expedite the initiative’s progress by disseminating key information via platforms like social media, email, and SMS. Your commitment to fostering participation in this commendable endeavor is deeply appreciated.

Moreover, your endorsement of my online petition, coupled with aid in expanding its reach, would substantially contribute to the endeavor’s accomplishment.

Sign the Petition here.

Should you deem yourself sufficiently equipped to partake in advancing this righteous endeavor, your engagement would signify unity within the disproportionately arduous fight for justice and freedom that has persisted unyieldingly for the last decade.

Furthermore, given the continuing detrimental events in Greece, I implore members of the press to collaborate in raising awareness about this matter, thereby upholding fundamental legal and ethical standards in the face of deleterious accounts.

In conclusion, I extend profound gratitude and earnestly solicit your judicious determination regarding this critical issue, with the anticipation that it will significantly contribute to the betterment of our common humanity.

Your immediate action is required.

Hostage of Europe / Anwar Nillufary

Published: Saturday, June 22nd, 2024