21 longer being detained, all participants that being handcuffed felt degrading. As Adil interviewed were male. shared, The CCAC was inaugurated in late 2021 and “Police put us in handcuffs, and it was the worst started its official operation in August 2022. day of my life. We felt humiliated and treated as Unlike the new CCACs on Leros and Samos, the criminals...we didn’t know why we wore handcuffs Kos CCAC was built around the existing RIC or what we were accused of.” Farouq shared the and PRDC. Therefore, the physical structure of same sentiment, explaining that being the PRDC remains essentially unchanged since handcuffed from Leros to Kos was “humiliating the first report was published; however, new because everyone could see us, so we felt were being facilities were constructed inside the PRDC as a treated like criminals.” part of the CCAC construction, including In addition to being handcuffed on the way to recreational facilities, a dining area, and accommodation containers. At the time this update was published though, those new facilities were not yet in use. Kos from Leros, one participant also told Equal Rights that he was handcuffed when going to a doctor’s appointment outside of the PRDC. Although not all participants reported being 1. Carceral environment and ill treatment by police handcuffed when taken to external In the November 2021 report, several it clear that — when used — handcuffs are participants shared their belief that the PRDC experienced degrading and humiliating tool was a carceral environment,55 a belief that that cause detained asylum seekers to feel like remained true among this year’s participants. criminals, contributing to the impression of a Detained persons interviewed for this report carceral environment. shared that they had the impression of a ii. Maltreatment by police carceral environment as a direct result of police behaviour and maltreatment. Such maltreatment included police use of handcuffs on detained persons, verbal and physical aggression, and the requirement that detained persons break their phone cameras. appointments, participants’ testimonies make Reports about police misconduct this year were similar to the experiences described by participants in the November 2021 report.57 This year's participants shared that the police inflicted various forms of maltreatment on detained persons, including verbal and i. Use of handcuffs physical aggression. As observed in the November 2021 report,56 the First, police continue to be verbally aggressive police continue to inconsistently handcuff with detained persons.58 Adil recounted that detained persons when transferring them to when he was being transferred from Leros to and from the PRDC and to and from external Kos, appointments. Specifically, five participants shared that they were put into handcuffs when transferred from Leros to the Kos PRDC and 55 56 Detained and Forgotten, supra note 3, at 45-47. Detained and Forgotten, supra note 3, at 45. “The commander on the boat was threatening people, warning us to be quiet and to not make any 57 58 Detained and Forgotten, supra note 3, at 46. Detained and Forgotten, supra note 3, at 46. ‘Still detained and forgotten’ – Update on Detention Policies, Practices, and Conditions on Kos 2022/23