- 11 A list of the national authorities and organisations met by the delegation is set out in
Appendix II to this report.
6.
The cooperation received during the visit by the CPT’s delegation from the Greek central
authorities, as well as from the management and staff in the establishments visited was, with a few
exceptions, very good. The delegation had rapid access to the places of detention visited, was able
to speak in private with those persons with whom it wanted to meet and was provided with access to
the information it required to carry out its task.
The CPT wishes to express its appreciation for the assistance provided to its delegation in
the course the visit by the liaison officers from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Justice and the
Interior and Administrative Reconstruction (hereafter “Ministry of the Interior”).
7.
As regards the few exceptions, it was regrettable that on two occasions (18 and 23 April)
law enforcement officials working on the 11th and 12th floors of the Hellenic Police Headquarters at
Alexander Street (GADA) in Athens attempted to mislead the CPT’s delegation and impede it from
gaining access to 15 small holding cells. On the first occasion, it took more than one hour to gain
access to the detention area, which was concealed and labelled as a toilet (“WC”).
The delegation also came across a specific request made by the Prison Board of Nafplio
Prison concerning the transfer of 69 prisoners “in view of the CPT’s planned visit to our prison”.
The transfer was approved by the Ministry of Justice and supervisory prosecutor. The prisoners
identified for transfer were, according to the Director of the Prison, the most problematic, with long
sentences and generally considered a threat to the good order of the prison. Consequently, in the
week prior to the delegation’s visit to this establishment, 29 prisoners from that list left the prison.
The CPT considers that the main reason for the precipitous transfer of these prisoners was to
mislead its delegation or conceal the real situation at Nafplio Prison from it.
The CPT trusts that the Greek authorities will take the necessary steps to ensure that
in future no attempts will be made to impede access to detention facilities or mask the real
situation by transferring detained persons out of an establishment due to the Committee
having notified in advance of its intention to visit that particular establishment.
8.
Reference should also be made to the initial impediments put forward by the Athens Public
Prosecutor’s Office in enabling the delegation to consult and take notes on specific files relating to
the investigation of allegations of ill-treatment by police officers. However, once the scope of the
Committee’s mandate under Article 8 of the Convention was clearly explained, access was granted
to the files and cooperation improved.
Examining the effectiveness of investigations into allegations of ill-treatment of persons
deprived of their liberty is an important aspect of the Committee’s work and it is necessary for
prosecutors and judges to be fully aware of the CPT’s mandate and of their duty to cooperate with
the Committee.
The CPT trusts that the Greek authorities will ensure – through the appropriate
channels – that prosecutors and judges fully understand the Committee’s mandate and their
duty to cooperate with the CPT.
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