Rahimi v. Greece

Court Ruling

Type of violation

Summary of case: In 2007, the applicant, an unaccompanied Afghan minor, spent two days in the Pagani Special holding Facility for Aliens after escaping armed conflict in Afghanistan. Greek authorities detained the applicant with the aim of expulsion. When released from the detention facility, officials did not provide any assistance, resulting in the minor being homeless until local NGOs secured accommodation for him at a hostel. Moreover, his application for asylum was denied, with a pending appeal at the time of ruling. The Court found many concerning elements in regard to the applicant’s detention. There was no consideration given to the fact that the applicant, as an unaccompanied minor, faced extreme vulnerability in an adult facility. The applicant did not have legal representation in detention and authorities provided information to him in Arabic, a language he did not understand. Greek officials made no attempt to protect and support the applicant during and after detention despite his asylum application noting that he was unaccompanied. Given these facts, the Court ruled that the applicant’s detention and subsequent experiences after release violated Article 3, Article 5(1)(f), Article 5(4) and Article 13.

Related detention centre

Link to external source: https://www.asylumlawdatabase.eu/en/content/ecthr-rahimi-v-greece-application-no-868708-1

Supporting files