4.22. H. (16), from Afghanistan Incident 1: 67 “It was around midnight. When I finally managed to enter in the port, the “commandos” saw me. I saw three motorcycles with two “com- “I arrived in Greece seven months ago and I mandos” on each one of them. I climbed back have spent six months here in Patras. I had a on the fence to get off the port area. When I deportation order from Evros, where I was first had just managed to reach the top of the three arrested. I never applied for asylum. I suffer meters fence, one of the “commandos” pushed from asthma. I cannot breathe well these days. me from the back and I fell down and hit my In Patras I am having a very bad time. I am head. I remember my friend shouting: ‘He is far away from my family. Whatever bad things dead! Call an ambulance!’ But the “comman- could ever happen to me, they are found in Pados” replied with insults: ‘fuck you! Go to hell!’ tras. I wish the police did not beat us. I canShortly after, I fainted away. I do not remember not sleep at all. At night, the police come and anything. My friend told me later on that while wake us up, shouting, kicking and beating us I was unconscious, one of the “commandos” with their batons. If we do not wake up, they stepped over me with his motorcycle. A 15 ye- just slap us. They insult us badly. In the best ars old friend of mine picked me up and called cases, they just call us “malakas”. When they an ambulance. He was later arrested and im- wake us up during night, some of us have falprisoned. I was brought to Rio’s Hospital. I len through the deep holes in the factory floor was in a coma for seven days. When I woke and broken their arms and legs. The “commanup, I asked the interpreter from Praksis, who dos” force us to jump in the sea. It happened was sitting next to me, for some food. I told three times to me. There is one police officer, him I had not eaten anything since yesterday. who we call “the bald one”. He is the worst! He then explained to me that I had been in a Every time he catches us, he beats us badly. coma for a week. I stayed in the hospital for Then there is another officer, who usually coanother nine days. mes with him. We call him “minor”. He looks Upon release from Rio’s Hospital, Praksis refer- very young. They always come on a motorcycred me to a reception centre. I had to under- le. The “minor’ learns from the “bald one”. He go an operation in a hospital in Katechaki, in also beats us badly.” “They then sat on his back, as if they were riding a horse, for some minutes.“ Athens. I stayed for a month in Athens. Until Incident 1: today, I cannot really sleep. My wounds may “One night, I went to the new port with a friend have healed from outside, but not from inside. of mine. It was late at night, probably six I have started going back to the new port. I months ago. There was no one else around. We have nothing to fear anymore. My fear is gone. hid ourselves inside a box in a truck. A “comWhat else could happen to me?” mando” found us and pulled us out. At first, he did not beat us. We were taken to the port perimeter, by the fence. When we were almost outside the port area, he pushed us, and three other officers arrived. I tried to leave the port by climbing over the first fence. They pushed me and I fell down. I hurt my foot. When I fell from the fence, the officers came after me and want us to get wet up to the head. I was stepchased me. One was on his motorcycle and he ping on some stones in the sea. After approxistopped next to me and kicked me. I fell again. mately ten minutes, they ordered us to come This officer was very big. While I was lying on out of the water. The three “commandos” beat the ground, he put his foot on my back. Another us all. We were shivering. They beat us again officer arrived on his motorcycle. They started for some more minutes and then shouted to beating me together, punching and kicking us: ‘fyge malaka’. We came back to the factory, me. I got a very strong punch on my chest and so that we could dry our clothes and get some I could not breathe anymore. They also beat rest.” me with their batons on my ribs. They were shouting things in Greek I could not under- Incident 4: stand. I was terrified. I could not understand “This happened a couple of months ago. It was anything. They were beating me constantly for late at night and I was in the port. Every time more than ten minutes. A police patrol car ar- the “commandos” find us hiding in a truck, rived. Another two officers stepped out. They they force us to jump into the water. This time I also beat me. Among them, there was also the was alone. There were two “commandos”. One “bald” one. He wears glasses. Four police of- of them forced me to jump into the sea; the ficers kept on kicking me as if I were a football. other beat me when I came out of the water. I was shouting that I still had my deportation They beat me all over. They do not look where order with me and I was an underaged. Only they are beating you. They just beat. They do then they let me go. My friend came to help me not care if they hit you on the head. They aland he was arrested, as he was an adult. They ways beat in groups. Many of my friends have “deported” him to Athens. Next morning I went been beaten on the heads!” to Praksis to see a doctor. I could not walk for a Incident 5: month. I was in a lot of pain.” “It was 20 days ago, around 3 a.m. It was very windy. We were at the port, six of us, hiding at Incident 2: “It happened a month ago, at night. I was in the the back of the containers. Six “commandos” new port, by the entrance, next to the wall. I came and my friends ran away. They caught was alone. Suddenly I saw some others run- me together with a friend of mine. Four of the ning, so I started running, too. Then I noticed “commandos” grabbed my friend and started that the one running next to me was a police beating him all over, with batons and kicks. officer, the “minor”. When he noticed me, he His back was all black from the bruises. The started chasing me for about 60-70metres. He other “commandos” were running after me, could not catch me, but he took a large stone trying to catch me. I ran towards the sea, tryand threw it at me. It hit me on my back. My ing to escape from them. I found a mud puddle and stayed there, with the water up to my back was aching me for a week.” knees. I was thinking they would not want to wet themselves. At first, they did not enter Incident 3: “About five months ago, I was in the port when and they started throwing stones at me, trying a “commando” saw me together with three to make me come out. I did not come out, so friends of mine. Then two others joined him. they came in. They started punching me. I got He threatened us with a baton, as if he would three punches and I got dizzy. They grabbed my beat us and then shouted to us in a very ter- hood and dragged me to where my friend was. rifying way “kato, kato!”, pointing with his They used so much force that my hoody was baton at the sea. I cannot swim, but I did not torn off. They kept on beating me, kicking and want to be beaten up, so I jumped into the wa- punching me. Then they undressed me and ter. My friends also jumped. We did it because left me in my underwear. They even took my we were afraid. I was afraid. I was wet and try- shoes. Then they let me go. Someone from the ing to hold from a small rock. He beat me in my local TV-channel saw me and called for an amhand, so that I could not hold anymore. They bulance. 67 Interview held on April 3, 2012 in Patras 42 43