684171
Testimony- Testimony collected by
- Border Violence Monitoring Network
- Date and location recorded
- 2022, Thessaloniki, Northern Greece
- Detention centre related
- Detention Centre Country
- Greece 2
- Duration of detention
- 6 - 12 months
- Nationality
- Iraq
- Age
- 21
- Gender
- Male
- LGBTQI
- No answer
- Type of arrest
- Individual
- Why was the respondent detained?
- Undocumented
- Detained before?
- Unknown
- Was the respondent informed of the duration of detention?
- Yes
- Did the respondent experience any violence?
- Yes
- Type of violence experienced
- Hate speech
- Isolation
- Physical violence
- 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
- 4
- Number detainees sharing WC
- 8
- Hygiene rating
- Unknown
- Type of cell
- Unknown
- Had access to phone?
- Unknown
- Had access to WiFi?
- Unknown
- Ventilation
- A/C
- Participated in hunger strike / protest?
- Unknown
- Had conflicts with other detainees?
- No
- Meal quality
- Low quality
- Meal quantity
- 2 per day, in PRDC
- Had access to water?
- Unknown
- Had access to outdoor space?
- Unknown
- Had access to educational resources?
- None
- Had access to religious space?
- Unknown
- Had access to electricity?
- Limited
- Had access to bed?
- Unknown
- Had access to laundry?
- Unknown
- Had access to toilet articles?
- Provided, limited
- Had access to mattress?
- None
- Narrative
The respondent is 21 years old and comes from Iraq. He was arrested in Omonoia with his brother for not having any documents. After a short stay at a cell (allegedly for quarantine), they were transferred to Amygdaleza PRDC. According to the respondent, those detained experience psychological violence due to not having any information about their case and not knowing what would happen to them. Upon arrival at the centre, they were offered soap and a toothbrush but nothing after that. A van comes every Monday and Friday for those who have money and want to buy hygiene items. As the food was not enough, they could also buy food from the van. In Amygdaleza, access to doctors was limited and when they visited the only doctor available, they were only offered painkillers. One toilet and shower is shared between 8 people. While they were functioning, the toilet had no door so there was no privacy. Some of the respondents' co-detainees advised him to apply for asylum. He was trying for 4 months to register his claim but the police ignored him. He ended up paying 1,200 euros to a private lawyer to help him apply. According to him, there was a case of a Turkish man, who after an altercation with the detention authorities threatened to hurt himself with a broken glass. After a couple of days, police officers reportedly took him out of his cell, beat him up, broke his phone and released him out of detention. In another case of a man from an African country, who had some mental health issues and was asking to be let free, the police allegedly took him and physically abused him. After the incident he was left in isolation for a month. When the officers suspected he was using his phone to take video of the centre, took him and put him in an isolation room with no windows for 9 days as punishment. He was allowed to go to the toilet for one minute at a time.