563348
Testimony- Testimony collected by
- Border Violence Monitoring Network
- Date and location recorded
- 11th April 2023, Thessaloniki, Northern Greece
- Detention centre related
- Detention Centre Country
- Greece 4
- Duration of detention
- More than 24 months
- Nationality
- Algeria
- Age
- 24
- Gender
- Male
- LGBTQI
- No answer
- Type of arrest
- Individual
- Why was the respondent detained?
- Criminal charges
- Detained before?
- Unknown
- Was the respondent informed of the duration of detention?
- Yes, in prison
- Did the respondent experience any violence?
- Yes, in a police station
- Type of violence experienced
- Food deprivation
- Physical violence
- Verbal insult
- Was the respondent forced to sign documents?
- Unknown
- Did the respondent have access to translation?
- Unknown
- Did the respondent have access to medical aid?
- Yes
- Did the respondent have access to NGOs?
- Unknown
- Did the respondent have access to legal support?
- No
- Did the respondent apply for asylum?
- Unknown
- Appealed?
- Unknown
- Number detained in cell
- 3
- Number detainees sharing WC
- Unknown
- Hygiene rating
- Satisfactory
- Type of cell
- Cell, shared
- Had access to phone?
- No
- Had access to WiFi?
- Unknown
- Ventilation
- A/C
- Participated in hunger strike / protest?
- Unknown
- Had conflicts with other detainees?
- Unknown
- Meal quality
- Unknown
- Meal quantity
- 2 per day, in prison
- Had access to water?
- Unknown
- Had access to outdoor space?
- More than 2h per day
- Had access to educational resources?
- Unknown
- Had access to religious space?
- Unknown
- Had access to electricity?
- Unknown
- Had access to bed?
- Individual
- Had access to laundry?
- Unknown
- Had access to toilet articles?
- Provided
- Had access to mattress?
- Individual
- Narrative
The respondent is a 24-year-old man from Algeria. He was reportedly apprehended in Thessaloniki and subsequently taken to Republic Square Police Station (referred to by the respondent as "Colombo"), the Thessaloniki Police Headquarters, and the Transfers Department of Thessaloniki (Metagogon) prior to being transferred to Nigrita prison where he was incarcerated for two years. At the moment of apprehension, the officers reportedly did not explain the reason for the apprehension to the respondent. He was reportedly handcuffed and abused physically and verbally by the officers. “They wanted to beat me and to scare me. [...] They were saying to me words that I have never heard. And they were very disrespectful to me.” The respondent was then transferred to Republic Square Police Station for four hours where he was reportedly subjected to verbal abuse by the officers. Then he was relocated to the Thessaloniki Police Headquarters for approximately eight days and subsequently moved to the Transfers Department of Thessaloniki (Metagogon) for one hour. Following this, he was transferred along with 30 others to Nigrita prison. The respondent recalled that he had been informed of what he was being charged with and that he was aware of having received a two year sentence before being brought to the prison. Upon arrival, he received a good quality mattress, sheets and a pillow as well as a toothbrush, toiletries and hygiene products to clean the room. He explained that he was detained in a cell with two people, the room had a heater but no air conditioning. The respondent was reportedly provided with two meals per day, and detainees had access to an outdoor area (approximately 25 square metres in size) from 7:30 in the morning until 20:00. The respondent reported that he was unable to contact his lawyer whilst detained. Furthermore, detainees reportedly did not have access to their mobile phone and rely on public fax machines to communicate with people outside of the prison. Medical assistance was granted and the respondent did not report any issues regarding treatment by officers working at the prison.