11. Violence 77 back to the first cell. They beat me on my chest and head until I fainted.«228 As his inmates told to us, blood was running from his mouth, he had lost consciousness and everybody thought he had died. He was transferred to the hospital only after hours.229 The lawyers managed to retrieve his medical report form the hospital, which stated: »August 18, 2010, brought in an almost unconscious state. Signs of beating. Bruises on torso and nose.« »On Thursday, August 19, we were in terrible pain. We were full of bruises. Suddenly, the police told us that we will go to the hospital. Instead, they took us for a ride in the police car, drove us around the village and brought us back without ever having visited a doctor. We did not understand what happened. When we were brought back to the police of Soufli, we were not taken to the cell with the others but kept nearby in the ›disciplinary room‹. I was terrified. I could hear the voice of the representative of UNHCR but I never met with her. I assume she was looking for us, but she could not find us. The police was hiding us in other cell so that we could not tell anyone that we had beaten us! Please inform her where we are. We have no access to phone, we could not contact with nobody until now. […] We are so afraid in order to lodge an official complaint about the police, they can kill us.«230 Detainees told us, that both E.O.M. and E.K.A had been moved from the cell some minutes before the visit of the UNHCR representative in the cell and never came back. During her visit – and later on – the UNHCR representative had repeatedly asked the police about the whereabouts of the two detainees, but she never got an answer. On August 23, 2010 two mission lawyers231, visited the border police station, asking to visit some detainees, among them E.K.A. And E.O.M. The police officers replied they had to apply for a permit at Alexandroupolis police headquarters. The day after (24.8.2010), they got the permission and found out that the injured ones were kept in the disciplinary cell, which belongs to the police station. Both detainees were terrified. The lawyers themselves could see signs of beating (i.e. bruises). It was only then, on August 24, 2010 and six days after the visit of their representative, that the UNHCR was informed by the lawyers about the place, where the two »missing« detainees were detained. On August 25, the E. and J. were brought back to their cell. Later the Citizen Protection Minister was officially informed about this case. At least three of the victims were readmitted back to Turkey according to the Readmission Protocol. Nigerians are held in detention for many months and with the aim of deportation 228 E.O.M. from Iraq; August 25, 2010 – Soufli 229 See: footnote 183 230 E.K.A. from Iraq; August 25, 2010 – Soufli 231 Tzeferakou and Strachini