The respondent is a 40 year-old man from Afghanistan with a German residence permit. He was apprehended at the Greek-Macedonian border because he was driving a family without documents. He was charged with smuggling and then reportedly taken to an unknown detention site located about thirty minutes by car from the Greek-Macedonian border. Within the facility, the respondent reportedly stayed locked in a toilet for 38-40 hours without food or water or ventilation and was forced to sign documents in a language that he could not understand, without translation being offered. The respondent was then transferred to Kilkis police station. At Kilkis police station, the respondent reportedly was not provided with food or water, rather he was given 5.80 EUR a day to buy food and drink. While at the police station, the respondent was reportedly the victim of physical violence perpetrated by officers who he identified as Greek police, who reportedly used a baton to physically abuse him. The respondent fainted due to the severity of the beatings that he received and was subsequently taken to a hospital by the police, however he did not receive adequate support there. After returning to Kilkis police station, the respondent reportedly had a meeting with a prosecutor, during which no effective translation was provided. Following the meeting, the respondent was reportedly taken to Diavata prison, where he was held for eight months. After that, the respondent was transferred first to Kassandra prison , then to Vatopedi police station and subsequently to Paranesti Pre-Removal Detention Centre (PRDC). The respondent was reportedly detained in Paranesti for almost two months. Upon arrival in this facility, the respondent was reportedly subjected to verbal abuse and forced undressing, by officers working there who he identified as police. The detention conditions were described as inhumane and degrading (“worse than jail”), with lots of cockroaches in the sleeping areas and very low quality of food.

The respondent added: “We do not want refugees to have these experiences like I had in Drama, and also I hope this does not happen to any human, not only in Greece but all over the world.”