Greece: Immigrants 'pressured into retracting claims'

A group of Pakistani immigrants who claim they were kidnapped by authorities in Greece and interrogated about last year’s July 7 London bombings have alleged they were threatened and later offered bribes to retract official complaints.

Five of the immigrants said they had come under “strong pressure” from Pakistani embassy officials and members of the Pakistani community to withdraw their complaints and said they were also offered money and help with obtaining long-term work permits in return.

The governments of Greece, Pakistan and Britain have all denied the allegations they were involved in the immigrants’ alleged detention for several days in Athens and the northern city of Ioannina.

The London bombings killed 56 people after suicide bombings on three tube trains and a bus.