A SYRIAN refugee who was killed at the Greek-Turkish border in March was probably shot by a Greek soldier, a British-based team of researchers has found. 

Mohammed al-Arab, 22 and from Aleppo, was shot in the neck on March 2 as he attempted to cross into EU member state Greece along with thousands of other asylum-seekers after Turkey opened its borders to them.

Witnesses alleged that he was shot by Greek soldiers, who first fired plastic bullets before switching to live ammunition. This was dismissed by Athens as “fake news.” 

However, Forensic Architecture, a research group based at Goldsmiths University in London, carried out a three-month investigation and said today that its evidence “strongly suggests” that the Syrian man was killed by a group of Greek soldiers stationed nearby. 

The group based its findings on analysis of mobile phone recordings and witness testimonies. In a video recorded as part of Forensic Architecture’s investigation, a witness to Mr Arab’s shooting says: “They were all army, no police. 

“Camouflaged with [military] vests and masks. They saw him [Mr Arab] collapse and they didn’t try to help. Instead, they kept shooting.”

The team also analysed the sound profile of bullets fired in the air minutes before Mr Arab was shot. Audio experts found the sound signature to be consistent with a G3As rifle, a weapon used by the Greek military.

The Syrian man was among thousands of people who rushed the border in February and March after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared that his country’s security forces would no longer prevent crossings. 

The Greek government deployed large numbers of soldiers along the border in response. 

The report comes amid growing concern at reports of illegal pushbacks at Europe’s borders, which have been repeatedly publicised by campaign groups.

Refugee Rights Europe, a British-based monitoring charity, has warned that these are happening daily along Europe’s land and sea borders, yet the European Commission has failed to condemn them. 

Executive director Marta Welander told the Morning Star: “The continued failure of the European Commission to call out member states for their unlawful practices to date has allowed pushbacks and rights violations at [the] border to continue and has arguably encouraged additional heavy-handed deterrence tactics to be carried out by certain states. 

“Taking firm action against Greece in light of the killing of al-Arab would be an important step towards ensuring that state violence at borders, perpetrated against people seeking safety in Europe, is brought to a halt.”