© Giorgos Moutafis Degrading and abusive behaviour No person under any form of detention or imprisonment shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. No circumstance whatever may be invoked as a justification for torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Principle 6, UN Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment Patients complained to MSF teams about degrading and abusive behaviour of police and other detention center staff, saying that they verbally abused them and were indifferent to their needs. MSF team members also witnessed at times police staff being verbally abusive towards the migrants. Another example of degrading behaviour towards the migrants was the fact that detention centers’ staff often threw supplies to migrants during distributions instead of handing them out. Patients also complained about physical violence by the coast guard or the police during or following their arrest in different parts of the country, including cases of ill treatment within the detention centers. These allegations are consistent with findings mentioned in the reports of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.37 14