45
bb) Mental Health
for any known diagnosed conditions. 183 ,184 The
Legal Framework
Court held, that the psychological condition of
EU and Greek asylum law specifically require
detainees needs to be assessed properly by tak-
that asylum seekers in reception services, as
ing into account the individual’s health and the
well as detained asylum seekers, receive “essen-
effect of the manner of detention on him or her.
tial treatment for… serious mental disor-
It has recognised that detainees with mental
ders”.”179
disorders are more vulnerable than ordinary de-
Further, those temporarily held in quarantine
are legally entitled to appropriate psychological
support under European human rights law. The
Court has consistently held that Article 3
ECHR180 requires states to ensure that the mental well-being of prisoners is adequately secured. 181 Under current jurisprudence, states
tainees, and that certain requirements of prison
life pose a greater risk that their health will suffer.185 It is essential that proper treatment for the
problem is diagnosed, and suitable medical supervision is provided.186 It is not enough for such
detainees to be examined and a diagnosis
made.187
must assess (and diagnose) the psychological
Lastly, the CPT has explicitly emphasized that
conditions of those it intends to quarantine and
those being temporarily held in quarantine
therefore detain–with a recognition that deten-
should have access to appropriate psychological
tion often poses a greater risk to vulnerable in-
support.188
dividuals
182
–and it must provide those
quarantined with proper and timely treatment
Art. 19 Directive 2013/33/EU. See also Art.17 Directive 2013/33/EU; Art.51(7), 59(1) Law 4939/2022 (“The competent authorities shall ensure that: (a) the applicants are provided with adequate medical care during their detention; “The competent Authority “shall…provide applicants with an adequate standard of living that…protects their… mental health, with a view to
respect for human dignity. The same standard of living is ensured in the case of detainees”).
180
Mental Health related questions may also arise regarding Art. 2 ECHR (prevention of suicide). Furthermore, the conditions
in which a person suffering from a mental disorder receives treatment are also relevant in assessing the lawfulness of his or her
detention within the meaning of Art. 5 ECHR, See ECtHR, Judgement of 31 January 2019, 18052/11, Rooman v. Belgium, para 194,
208.
181
ECtHR, Judgement of 20 January 2009, 28300/06, Sławomir Musiał v. Poland, para. 87.
182
ECtHR, Judgment of 31 January 2019, 18052/11, Rooman v. Belgium, para. 145. Note also that the state’s assessment of a person’s situation must include the person’s vulnerability, including their inability to complain coherently or at all about how they
are affected by any particular treatment. ECtHR, Judgment of 26 April 2016, 10511/10, Murray v. the Netherlands, para. 106; See
also, ECtHR, Judgment of 24 September 1992, 10533/83, Herczegfalvy v. Austria, para. 82, ECtHR, Judgment of 30 July 1998,
61/1997/845/1051, Aerts v. Belgium, para. 66.
183
Ibid at para. 106; ECtHR, Judgement of 12 February 2008, 34151/14, Pankiewicz v. Poland, 2008, para. 45; ECtHR, Judgement
of 31 January 2019, 18052/11, Rooman v. Belgium, para. 209.
184
An absence of a comprehensive therapeutic strategy aimed at treating a detainee with mental health issues may amount to
“therapeutic abandonment” in breach of Art. 3 ECHR. See: ECtHR, Judgement of 21 January 2020, 34602/16, Strazimiri v. Albania, 2020, para. 108-112. The Court has applied the above principles to the treatment of various mental health issues suffered
by detainees, including those with posttraumatic stress disorder–a condition prevalent amongst the asylum seeker population
arriving to the Greek islands. See: 3 ECtHR, Judgement of 14 September 2007, Novak v. Croatia.
185
ECtHR, Judgement of 31 January 2019, 18052/11, Rooman v. Belgium, para. 145.
186
Ibid para. 106.
187
Ibid.
188
The CPT has emphasized that those being temporarily held in quarantine should have access to appropriate psychological
support, CPT, Advice of the Subcommittee to States parties and national preventive mechanisms relating to the coronavirus
disease (COVID-19) pandemic, CAT/ OP/10, 7 April 2020, Para: 10c-g, available at: https://docstore.ohchr.org/SelfServices/FilesHandler.ashx?enc=6QkG1d%2FPPRiCAqhKb7yhsmnkWj9nPReIXF38sJVEmObdzmiBYGgm3PXKqylC2G2PUWDXdX0OI2hmAdD6KRvyvSpo42iJRGE9tktijgv9DAc%3D; States are required to adequately secure the
mental health and well-being of detainees within their custody, see ECtHR, Judgment of 20 January 2009, 28300/06, Sławomir
Musiał v. Poland, para. 87.
179
‘Quarantine of Asylum Seeker’ – A legal classification of the quarantine practice on Chios