- 14 II. FACTS FOUND DURING THE VISIT AND ACTION PROPOSED A. Treatment of criminal suspects detained by the police 1. Preliminary remarks 12. The treatment of criminal suspects detained by law enforcement officials in Greece has been a long-standing concern of the CPT since its first visit to the country in 1993. Regrettably, despite overwhelming indications to the contrary, the authorities have to date consistently refused to consider that ill-treatment is a serious problem in Greece and have not taken the required action to implement the Committee’s recommendations and combat this phenomenon. It is high time for the Greek authorities to acknowledge their responsibilities and to take resolute action to address this matter. 13. In the course of the 2015 visit, the CPT’s delegation reviewed both the treatment of criminal suspects deprived of their liberty by the police and the practical application of safeguards in place to prevent ill-treatment. For this purpose, a number of regional police headquarters and stations under the authority of the Ministry of the Interior were visited, certain of them for the first time.3 It also interviewed recently admitted remand prisoners in relation to their treatment by the police. A specific focus of the visit was to look into the effectiveness of investigations concerning allegations of ill-treatment by law enforcement officials. To that end, the delegation held consultations with the Internal Affairs Directorate of the Hellenic Police and examined a number of investigative files at the Athens Public Prosecutor’s office. 14. The legal framework governing police custody in Greece has remained unchanged since the CPT’s last periodic visit in 2013. Criminal suspects were usually presented before a public prosecutor within 24 hours and referred to a judge within the subsequent three-day time-limit required by law.4 In addition, persons remanded in custody were no longer systematically held for prolonged periods in police stations. This is a positive development. 3 4 Namely Kalamata and Sindos (Thessaloniki) Police Stations, as well as the detention cells on the 11th and 12th floors of Alexander Street Police Headquarters. See the report on the CPT’s 2013 visit: CPT/Inf (2014) 27, paragraph 13. Upon application by the person, or in exceptional circumstances, this time-limit can be extended by two more days.