- 74 e.
inspections
152. The CPT remains of the view that the supervision exercised by the Monitoring and Control
Body (internal prison inspectorate), which reports directly to the Secretary General of the Ministry
of Justice and whose reports are not made public, should be supplemented by that of other bodies95.
In this respect, the CPT was pleased to learn that the Ombudsman’s Office, together with the AllParty Parliamentary Committee for the penitentiary system, has now been granted official
authorisation under Law 3772 of 10 July 2009 to visit detention facilities.
f.
transfers of prisoners
153. Many inmates made complaints about the conditions in which they were transported
between prisons; for example, during the nine hour journey between Korydallos Prison in Athens
and Thessaloniki Prison, male and female prisoners alleged that they were not provided with water
or food, and had to comply with the needs of nature by using a plastic bottle, in full view of each
other. Such a practice, if true, is not acceptable.
The Committee also has concerns about the manner in which inmates are transferred to
hospital from prison – handcuffed behind their backs and often seated on benches along which they
apparently slide whenever the vehicle turns. Handcuffing persons behind their backs during
transportation is dangerous and its routine use should be ended.
The CPT reiterates its recommendation that the conditions under which prisoner
transport takes place be reviewed.
95
See CPT/Inf (2006) 41, paragraph 132
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