571815
Testimony- Testimony collected by
- Border Violence Monitoring Network
- Date and location recorded
- 2022, Thessaloniki, Northern Greece
- Detention centre related
- Detention Centre Country
- Greece 2
- Duration of detention
- Less than 1 month
- Nationality
- Syria
- Age
- 35
- Gender
- Male
- LGBTQI
- No answer
- Type of arrest
- Mass/sweep
- Why was the respondent detained?
- Undocumented
- Detained before?
- Yes, in a police station
- Was the respondent informed of the duration of detention?
- No
- Did the respondent experience any violence?
- Yes
- Type of violence experienced
- Unknown
- Was the respondent forced to sign documents?
- Unknown
- Did the respondent have access to translation?
- Yes
- Did the respondent have access to medical aid?
- Yes, limited
- Did the respondent have access to NGOs?
- Unknown
- Did the respondent have access to legal support?
- Private lawyer
- Did the respondent apply for asylum?
- Yes
- Appealed?
- No
- Number detained in cell
- Unknown
- Number detainees sharing WC
- Unknown
- Hygiene rating
- Low quality
- Type of cell
- Unknown
- Had access to phone?
- Yes, own
- Had access to WiFi?
- No
- Ventilation
- Unknown
- Participated in hunger strike / protest?
- Unknown
- Had conflicts with other detainees?
- Unknown
- Meal quality
- Very poor
- Meal quantity
- 1 per day, in PRDC
- Had access to water?
- Unknown
- Had access to outdoor space?
- Yes
- Had access to educational resources?
- Unknown
- Had access to religious space?
- Unknown
- Had access to electricity?
- Unknown
- Had access to bed?
- Yes
- Had access to laundry?
- Manual
- Had access to toilet articles?
- Unknown
- Had access to mattress?
- Yes
- Narrative
The respondent is 35 years old and is from Syria. He was apprehended when he approached Didymoteicho police station to claim asylum. He was held in the police station for 1-2 hours, before being taken to an outpost of another small police station in a village close by for two days, where the police took his details. He was not provided with any information and reported that the police were rude and violent. However, he was subsequently transferred to Fylakio RIC. In Fylakio, he was provided with a translator, and stayed in container rooms. He was provided with low quality food and felt he was treated as if he was not human, yet did not complain out of fear of being pushed back to Turkey. He reported that Fylakio was relatively empty, and other people being held there were from Kurdistan, Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan. He had his phone returned to him, so was able to contact his lawyer who supported him with the asylum procedure. Despite seeing an actor which he assumed was an NGO present, he reported that they only supported minors. The police were reportedly racist, although not violent in Fylakio