968124
Testimony- Testimony collected by
- Border Violence Monitoring Network
- Date and location recorded
- 10th June 2024, Thessaloniki, Greece
- Detention centre related
- Detention Centre Country
- Greece 3
- Duration of detention
- 6 - 12 months
- Nationality
- Egypt
- Age
- 44
- Gender
- Male
- LGBTQI
- No answer
- Type of arrest
- Individual
- Why was the respondent detained?
- Unknown to respondent
- Detained before?
- No
- Was the respondent informed of the duration of detention?
- No
- Did the respondent experience any violence?
- Yes, in a PRDC
- Type of violence experienced
- Destruction of personal property
- Food deprivation
- Forced medication
- Medical neglect
- Was the respondent forced to sign documents?
- Unknown
- Did the respondent have access to translation?
- No
- Did the respondent have access to medical aid?
- No
- Did the respondent have access to NGOs?
- Yes, over the phone
- Did the respondent have access to legal support?
- No
- Did the respondent apply for asylum?
- No, but expressed
- Appealed?
- Not applicable
- Number detained in cell
- 10+
- Number detainees sharing WC
- Unknown
- Hygiene rating
- Very poor
- Type of cell
- Isobox/container, shared
- Had access to phone?
- Yes, without camera
- Had access to WiFi?
- Unknown
- Ventilation
- Unknown
- Participated in hunger strike / protest?
- Yes
- Had conflicts with other detainees?
- Unknown
- Meal quality
- Unknown
- Meal quantity
- 2 per day, in PRDC
- Had access to water?
- Unknown
- Had access to outdoor space?
- Yes, limited space
- Had access to educational resources?
- Unknown
- Had access to religious space?
- Unknown
- Had access to electricity?
- Limited
- Had access to bed?
- Shared
- Had access to laundry?
- Shared
- Had access to toilet articles?
- Unknown
- Had access to mattress?
- Unknown
- Narrative
The respondent is a 44-year-old man from Egypt. The respondent reported being arrested at the Athens airport on 27th June 2023 roughly half an hour following his arrival in Greece. He was then detained for a period of 17 days at Amygdaleza Pre-Removal Detention Centre (PRDC). He reported that the authorities in Athens airport and Amygdaleza did not acknowledge his request for asylum on multiple occasions. “[I]t was clear since day one that I am a political refugee and that I want to apply for asylum in Greece, but they didn’t listen to me at all [...]”. He was subsequently transferred to Paranesti Pre-Removal Detention Centre (PRDC) for a further period of detention, which his testimony focused on. The respondent reported that his phone camera was smashed on arrival at Paranesti by the authorities. The living conditions in the PRDC were described as severely detrimental to the respondent’s psychological and physical health. The respondent reported his room to be “terrible in the inside” with “lots, lots of insects”. He also reported that due to the location of his container within the facility and the system of food distribution by the authorities, he received less food compared with other detainees. The respondent himself participated in two hunger strikes during the detention period and witnessed detainees inflicting self-harm to their bodies. He reported that he “s[aw] people trying to hang themselves nearly every day”, “stab themselves with knives and also shaving razors”, “start just ruining their body, and blood in front of people”. Despite suffering from a severe medical issue, the respondent was reportedly denied medical care, reporting that the authorities told him that they could not provide him with medicine because it is expensive and he would have to purchase it himself. The respondent concluded by saying that the conditions in the facility were better for detainees with money, stating: “they can buy stuff from the market and clean for themselves and everything”.