678138
Testimony- Testimony collected by
- Border Violence Monitoring Network
- Date and location recorded
- 2022, Thessaloniki, Northern Greece
- Detention centre related
- Detention Centre Country
- Greece
- Duration of detention
- 2 - 4 months
- Nationality
- Kurdistan-Iraq
- Age
- 45
- Gender
- Male
- LGBTQI
- No answer
- Type of arrest
- Individual
- Why was the respondent detained?
- Unknown
- Detained before?
- No
- Was the respondent informed of the duration of detention?
- Unknown
- Did the respondent experience any violence?
- Yes
- Type of violence experienced
- Isolation
- Was the respondent forced to sign documents?
- Unknown
- Did the respondent have access to translation?
- Yes
- Did the respondent have access to medical aid?
- Yes, limited
- Did the respondent have access to NGOs?
- Unknown
- Did the respondent have access to legal support?
- Private lawyer
- Did the respondent apply for asylum?
- Yes
- Appealed?
- Unknown
- Number detained in cell
- 3
- Number detainees sharing WC
- Unknown
- Hygiene rating
- Very poor
- Type of cell
- Isobox/container, shared
- Had access to phone?
- Unknown
- Had access to WiFi?
- Unknown
- Ventilation
- Unknown
- Participated in hunger strike / protest?
- Unknown
- Had conflicts with other detainees?
- Physical
- Verbal
- Meal quality
- Very poor
- Meal quantity
- Unknown
- Had access to water?
- Unknown
- Had access to outdoor space?
- Unknown
- Had access to educational resources?
- Unknown
- Had access to religious space?
- Unknown
- Had access to electricity?
- Unknown
- Had access to bed?
- Unknown
- Had access to laundry?
- Unknown
- Had access to toilet articles?
- Unknown
- Had access to mattress?
- Unknown
- Narrative
The respondent is 45 years old and is Kurdish. He has been living in Greece since 2000, and was arrested in Athens after a random stop and search before being taken to a police station for several hours. Despite having documents to show that he had been living in Greece for 20 years, he was told that they were invalid, and was transferred to Amygdaleza PRDC. He shared a container room with three other people, and described the space as dirty, broken and infested with rats and insects. The food was not nutritious and they were always served the same meals. Access to medical care was limited and basic, detainees were only provided with pain killers at best. The respondent reported that when detainees protested conditions, they were kept in an isolated room for several weeks. He said that he did not know what happened in the isolated rooms but it scared him, and he struggled to sleep at night due to a lack of feeling safe.