861487
Testimony- Testimony collected by
- Border Violence Monitoring Network
- Date and location recorded
- 22nd March 2023, Border Violence Monitoring Network
- Detention centre related
- Detention Centre Country
- Greece 3
- Duration of detention
- 6 - 12 months
- Nationality
- Pakistan
- Age
- 30
- Gender
- Male
- LGBTQI
- No answer
- Type of arrest
- Mass/sweep
- Why was the respondent detained?
- Unknown to respondent
- Detained before?
- Unknown
- Was the respondent informed of the duration of detention?
- No
- Did the respondent experience any violence?
- Witnessed
- Type of violence experienced
- Physical violence
- Tazer/electroshock
- Was the respondent forced to sign documents?
- Yes, in Greek
- Did the respondent have access to translation?
- No
- Did the respondent have access to medical aid?
- No
- Did the respondent have access to NGOs?
- Unknown
- Did the respondent have access to legal support?
- Unknown
- Did the respondent apply for asylum?
- No, but expressed
- Appealed?
- Unknown
- Number detained in cell
- 7
- Number detainees sharing WC
- Unknown
- Hygiene rating
- Very poor
- Type of cell
- Room, shared
- Had access to phone?
- Yes, own
- Had access to WiFi?
- No
- Ventilation
- Unknown
- Participated in hunger strike / protest?
- Unknown
- Had conflicts with other detainees?
- Witnessed
- Meal quality
- Very poor
- Meal quantity
- 3 per day, in PRDC
- Had access to water?
- Tap
- Had access to outdoor space?
- More than 2h per day
- Had access to educational resources?
- Unknown
- Had access to religious space?
- Unknown
- Had access to electricity?
- Unknown
- Had access to bed?
- Shared
- Had access to laundry?
- Unknown
- Had access to toilet articles?
- Unknown
- Had access to mattress?
- Unknown
- Narrative
The respondent is 30 years old and is from Pakistan. He was apprehended close to Athens, detained for just under 13 months at multiple sites, and subsequently deported to Pakistan. Initially he was detained for 74 days at Marousi Police Station, where he was held with 11 other people in a dark and unclean basement room. The respondent had his fingerprints taken and was pressured into signing documents written in Greek which he did not understand, and no translator was provided. The respondent explained: “[The officers] gave us papers or documents for signature, they said that you have to do it right now. If we asked them questions, they said you have to sign, don’t ask questions from us.” He was transferred to Amygdaleza PRDC and held in a dark and cramped container room with seven other people, which was guarded by an officer wearing a blue uniform at all times. Some detainees had to share beds. The conditions in the container and toilets were reportedly “extremely dirty.” Food was provided three times a day but was described as unfresh. Detainees reportedly had to drink water from bathrooms as drinking water was not provided by the authorities. The respondent requested to see a doctor while detained at Amygdaleza but was denied access by staff. After this, he was transferred to Corinth PRDC, where he was detained in a “totally locked” room with 11 other people and only let out for four hours per day. There was reportedly an officer wearing a blue uniform outside the locked room at all times. The room was dirty including cockroaches and bed bugs, and the respondent reported that: “Nobody came for cleaning, and we didn’t have anything to clean [the room] ourselves.” No drinking water was provided to detainees at Corinth. Incidents of violence against detainees were reported, including officers using “an electric stick” to beat detainees inside the container room. The respondent witnessed up to nine or 10 officers beating one individual at the same time. He further explained that beatings were sometimes inflicted following conflicts between detainees at Corinth.