- 17 34. As for the Athens police stations of Omonia and Alexander Street Headquarters (7th floor), the conditions of detention remain totally unacceptable. At Omonia Police Station, 33 persons were being held in four cells18 containing 27 concrete plinths; access to natural light was minimal and there was no artificial lighting in the cells, only in the corridor. The one functioning toilet and shower were insufficient for the needs. As was the case in the past, many persons had been held in these conditions for more than three months and several as long as seven or eight months without ever having left the detention area; there was no access to outdoor exercise. Similarly poor conditions prevailed at Alexander Street Headquarters where 46 persons were being detained, many of whom had been held for three or four months at the time of the visit, in nine cells (each measuring approximately 12m²)19. The sanitary facilities were in a state of disrepair and hygiene was poor. The delegation also found that at Omonia Police Station, persons were being detained for periods of up to three weeks in the second floor holding cell (a room of some 20m² containing only a narrow wooden bench running the length of three walls). Such a state of affairs should be ended forthwith. At Athens Elefsinas Police Station, six irregular migrants were held in a cell equipped a single plinth for three persons; three detainees were sleeping on mattresses on the floor. The cell was dark, with minimal access to natural light, poor ventilation and artificial lighting; no activities were provided and there was no access to outdoor exercise. One person had been held in these conditions for five months at the time of the visit. 35. The Amfissa and Lamia police transfer holding centres were both being used to hold irregular migrants for prolonged periods lasting several months, when they had been designed for layovers of a few hours for criminal suspects being brought to court. Both detention areas were located in a converted garage space. As elsewhere, problems of hygiene were in evidence with a lack of cleaning products available, as well as no access to outdoor exercise, no activities and no information on how long the detention would last. No improvements had been made to the Amfissa centre since the CPT’s previous visit in September 2009. At Tripoli police station, the delegation met 15 Afghanis, ten of whom were minors, who were being held in a cell measuring 38m². The children had not been provided with a change of clothes since their rescue at sea a week earlier; several did not possess any footwear and most were visibly suffering from the cold. The cell in which they were being held was filthy and malodorous; no hygiene products were provided. Further, no time out-of-cell was offered. Two of the juveniles were sick but they had not received any medical care. In addition, the detainees complained that they had not been provided with any information on their situation or permitted to access their belongings. Such lack of care for a vulnerable group of unaccompanied minors is totally unacceptable. 36. As regards the Sparta Special holding facility, the CPT was surprised to find this notified 40-bed, fully equipped centre (beds made up with sheets and blankets) was consistently not in use, when irregular migrants were being held in appalling conditions in other parts of Greece, including in the nearby town of Tripoli. The CPT would like to be informed of the reasons why this centre was not in use despite the overcrowding in other centres. 18 19 One of the four cells was apparently fumigated the day before the delegation’s visit, during which time the detainees were re-located to the adjoining three cells, which were only separated by bars. The registers showed that numbers often went above 70 and in early December 2010 had risen to above 120.