21 only because of their own good behaviour or more until my entire phone was broken.” physical condition, demonstrating that asylum The lack of a camera and phone causes many seekers believe police use of physical aggression is conditional on their actions. As Soloman shared, “Because we didn’t cause any problems, the police did not use aggression.” problems for clients as explained in the second edition of this report, including impeding: legal representation, ability for clients to translate documents, and their ability to communicate 3. Broken Phone Cameras with their family — all of which contribute to Consistent with the last two reports, police significant continued to implement a policy that individuals must have their phone camera broken before residing in the PRDC, a policy that contributes to the carceral environment and lack of access to the outside world.42 Over the last two years — including during this reporting period — Equal Rights has observed that while police maintain they have individuals in detention break their own phone cameras, participants sometimes report psychological distress among individuals in the PRDC.44 Jamal, who had not told his family he was in detention, shared, “Every now and then my kids say they want to speak with me on the camera, but I cannot. I try to find reasons why I can’t open the camera to talk to them...but I cannot tell them why there is no camera.” B. Inadequate Quantity and Quality Food otherwise. As a result, phone cameras are either In the second edition of this report, Equal broken by participants or by police. In either Rights observed that the quantity of food case, the policy is coercive and results in appeared to have been reduced since the first significant mental distress for individuals in edition of this report, the quality of food detention. provided was inadequate, and that the Although Equal Rights was informed in a meeting with authorities during this reporting period that this policy would end, participants interviewed after this meeting continued to report they were required to break their phone cameras upon entering the PRDC. Equal Rights still has not been granted access to the circular police in the PRDC explain justifies this provision of food was thus insufficient to meet the basic needs of individuals in the PRDC.45 This observation remained true throughout the duration of this report and, with regards to quantity, seemed to worsen this year: the food provided to individuals in detention was inadequate in terms of quantity, quality, and nutritional value. practice, despite repeated requests.43 Haytham In line with the previous two reports, the lack of explained the procedure of having to break his provision of sufficient food continues to pose phone camera. He described, “They brought me serious challenges for individuals in detention, a nail and hammer and asked me to break the and based on participants’ testimonies and camera. The police kept saying to hit the camera client interactions Equal Rights considered the Detained and Forgotten, supra note 1, at 46-47; Still Detained and Forgotten, supra note 2, at 22-23. Still Detained and Forgotten, supra note 2, at 22. 44 Ibid. at 23. 45 Ibid. at 23-25. 42 43 ‘Still detained and forgotten’ – Update on Detention Policies, Practices, and Conditions on Kos 2023/24