The respondent is a 44-year-old Algerian man who arrived in Greece in 2019, and was cumulatively detained for nearly three years during the six years he spent within the country, in various facilities, including Paranesti and Xanthi PRDCs, and the Special Holding Facility of the Thessaloniki Aliens Police Directorate.

He was reportedly apprehended in June 2024 and taken, first, to an unknown police station and, then, to the Paranesti PRDC, where he remained for roughly one year. Upon arrival in the Paranesti PRDC in June 2024, the respondent stated that he was not informed about the duration of his detention. Reportedly, the only way detainees could estimate how long they might be held was by observing the arrival of new groups of detainees. Further, the respondent mentioned that no translator was provided to assist him when signing papers upon his entry into the detention centre. While he was informed of the type of document he was signing, he stated that its contents were not explained to him. He also remembered that the documents included a section designated for a translator’s signature. The respondent reported suspecting that a forged signature may have been added in place of a translator’s. In the Paranesti PRDC, the respondent reported being taken to a container of approximately 50 square metres along with four other Egyptians and four other Algerians. The respondent reported that detainees were provided with food once daily, typically around midday. Additional food items were available for purchase through a system referred to as “the market”. The respondent described the meals served as being of very poor quality and often undercooked. The items sold through the market were described as second-rate, with prices up to four times higher than those in regular outside markets. As a result, detainees who could not afford to buy from the market often had to rely on others, asking if they had any leftover food, as the provided meals were insufficient. No free legal assistance was provided within the facility and phone cameras were smashed before entering the Paranesti PRDC. Reportedly, detainees needed to clean for the spaces on their own and once every month they reportedly received one bottle of soap, which was also not enough.