Psychological harm In interpreting Article 7, the Human Rights Committee has recognised that “The prohibition in Article 7 relates not only to acts that cause physical pain but also to acts that cause mental suffering to the victim.”51 In addition, Article 3 of the ECHR incorporates both physical and mental suffering, and where: ‘treatment humiliates or debases an individual, showing a lack of respect for, or diminishing his or her human dignity, or arouses feelings of fear, anguish or inferiority capable of breaking an individual’s moral and physical resistance, it may be characterised as degrading and also falls within the prohibition of Article 3’.52 BVMN has identified that at least 45% of testimonies report psychological harm, and respondents consistently expressed fear or severe mental ill-health as a result of: the poor conditions of detention, lack of information provided to detainees regarding their detention decisions leaving them in an information void, lack of access to recreational activities and the general impacts of being deprived of liberty, as well as their treatment by detention staff, who reportedly employed intimidation and humiliation tactics, degrading use of language, threats of physical violence or total neglect. Psychological torment, humiliation and self harm Due to severe neglect, humiliation and psychological deterioration of detainees particularly for those who are held in PRDCs for extended periods of time - several respondents referenced the practice of self-harm, sometimes as an attempt to receive medical attention. As a result of medical care not being sufficiently provided in detention - unless in the case of an emergency or for critical cases - respondents explained that it was not uncommon for people to worsen their injuries or deliberately harm themselves to access a hospital. Suicide has also been reported across detention centres in Greece for many years.53 Respondent 20, Morocco. Detained in Paranesti PRDC. Some people just cut their bodies but they don’t do anything to them. So, they don’t support them with mental issues or psychological issues, all these things. Respondent 24, Algeria. Detained in Paranesti PRDC. They treat everyone inside the same. In the mental issue or health issue. Only in the case someone beat himself, to cut his body with a knife or something like that. But I am old, I am 37 and I dont want to cut myself like that or something. So they respond only in this case, when someone cut/beat himself. Respondent 22, Egypt. Detained in Corinth PRDC. It must be really tough condition in order for them to take it seriously. There is a doctor but the highest thing he gonna do he will give me something to calm you. So people beat themselves in order to be taken to the hospital. So probably they damage themselves. So that’s why they take them to the hospital. Respondent 5, Pakistan. Detained in Amygdaleza PRDC. I’m very tense and feeling so much depressed because you know, I was there since many months ... I was very depressed to be there. Cause I wanted to have ... freedom Respondent 20, Morocco. Detained in Paranesti PRDC. Because most of these people were like using pills and drugs, so they need these things inside, so… and the pressure that they are in, all this stress… after they start to beat themselves. [And is the police- they are not doing anything about this they are just letting this– ?] Watching. Respondent 11, Iraq. Detained in Amygdaleza PRDC. Like you cannot enter the toilet, and be comfortable doing what you want to do. For example, when you enter the cops say you have one minute, 59, 58 and as sure as you’re one minute finished, even if you didn’t finish what you are doing, he opens the door and he takes you out from the toilet. This toilet can not, it’s outside from the room in the jail, it’s the jail toilet and the jail only open 3 times, 9 o’clock in the morning, 1 o’clock afternoon and at 12 o’clock at night and you can not, if you ask the police in another time in order to go to the toilet and to do your things, he say ‘no, do it on yourself’. The general treatment of people in detention reportedly contributed extensively to mental ill health. Respondents expressed their difficulties sleeping, the legal limbo and lack of understanding regarding their future, the lack of access to psychological care and unhygienic conditions as strong contributing factors to their psychological suffering. This, as well as the behaviour and treatment of detention staff, resulted in reports of severe mental ill health. Some testimonies specifically detailed incidents of manipulative 15