ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Embassy staff in Greece continues to coordinate closely with the Greek authorities, local police, lawyer and Mrs. Hamdani (Mona Khan) as all efforts are being made for her early release while following local laws and procedures.
According to the information received here through diplomatic channel, it came to the Embassy’s notice that Mrs. Syeda Maimoona Hamdani (a.k.a. Mona Khan) holder of Pakistani Passport No. A6277063 was apprehended on 24 May 2024 by the local authorities in Greece and was detained in a police station at Katerini (around 430 kms from Athens in North eastern Greece). The mission immediately established contact with Mrs. Hamdani and associated individuals.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs formally sought exact details of the matter. The consular access was also sought. Subsequently, the Embassy staff was dispatched from Athens to visit the city where she was apprehended to ascertain the facts of the case at first hand and to offer all possible facilitation.
The embassy team met with Mrs. Hamdani, the local police authorities and lawyers. It came to know that Mrs. Syeda Maimoon Hamdani arrived in Greece with Qatar Airlines on 22 May 2024 with her eight-year-old son. On 24 May, she left her son in Athens with some acquaintance and herself took the train to Katerini at 0800 hours and arrived at 1200 hours. Since she intended to join a hiking group for mountaineering, she was picked by the guide from the train station to go to the hiking group meeting point in Litohoro.
There was a police checkpoint where she was separated from the group by police for further checking. Subsequently, she was taken to Litohoro police station where she was searched and told that her visa needed to be checked. After 45 minutes, she was shifted to Pieria Police Headquarters in Katerini, where she is currently detained.
Mrs Hamdani was informed that she is in the list of unwanted persons in Greece (National List of Undesirable Foreigners). She was fingerprinted and her photo was taken. She has been detained by the police authorities and her options are as follows: forced deportation by police where she will be escorted to airport in custody or provisional release with instructions to leave Greece in case she volunteers to go back.
The Mission has arranged a lawyer for legal advice and to present her case to the authorities for her release. The proceedings are expected to be held on May 27 (Monday). As per initial information, provisions of Law 4251/2014 of the Ministry of Public Order provide rules regarding the National list of Undesirable Foreigners (EKANA).
In practice, there are two types of lists: the National, in which the National List of Undesirable Foreigners is included and the European List of undesirable persons of the Schengen Information System (SIS). The National List is created and controlled by the Ministry of Public Order in Greece.
An unwanted foreign is included to the List because of the need for measures and/ or the implementation of measures for the expulsion of a foreigner in order to prevent the entry or re-entry of a person who has been excluded from the country.
The criteria for the entry and the removal of foreigners who have entered the National List are determined by joint decision of the Ministries of Interior, Public Administration and Decentralization, Justice and Public Order.
According to the Greek law, the Greek National List of Undesirable Foreigners includes the following categories: Foreigners deported after judicial or administrative decision of the country, foreigners whose presence in Greek territory is a threat to national or public security or public order. One such threat is the case that there is evidence against a foreigner that he committed a serious crime or there is evidence that the foreigner is driven to commit such an act.
The Mission staff continues to coordinate closely with the Greek authorities, local police, lawyer and Mrs. Hamdani as all efforts are being made for her early release while following local laws and procedures.
