A.A. v. Greece

Court rulings

Type of violation

Summary of case: The police arrested and detained the applicant, a Palestinian national, in Greek territorial waters after he fled a refugee camp in Lebanon. Authorities moved him to the island of Samos where they failed to register his initial desire to seek asylum and detained him for three months. Even though the prosecutor of Samos ordered his deportation, the decision was ultimately postponed until a determination was reached on his asylum claim. The applicant submitted another asylum application, which was rejected. Reports from international and Greek organisations confirmed the applicant’s allegations of ‘overcrowding, the poor hygiene conditions, the lack of infrastructure for leisure or meals and the inappropriateness of sanitary installations’ at the Special Holding Facility on Samos. The Court also found the applicant’s length of detention and lack of appropriate and timely medical assistance in violation of Article 3. Furthermore, the Court questioned the lawfulness and length of his detention, highlighting the limitations of domestic law in addressing these issues. The Court ruled that the applicant’s detention was in violation of Article 3, Article 5(1)(f) and Article(5)(4).

Related detention centre

Link to external source: https://www.asylumlawdatabase.eu/en/content/ecthr-aa-v-greece-application-no-1218608-22-july-2010; PDF in file

Supporting files