906352
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
- 12 - 18 months
- Nationality
- Egypt
- Age
- 38
- 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?
- Unknown
- Did the respondent experience any violence?
- Yes
- Type of violence experienced
- Blunt instrument
- Physical violence
- Was the respondent forced to sign documents?
- Unknown
- Did the respondent have access to translation?
- Yes, in asylum unit
- 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?
- No
- Did the respondent apply for asylum?
- Yes
- Appealed?
- Yes
- Number detained in cell
- 10+
- Number detainees sharing WC
- 10+
- Hygiene rating
- Satisfactory
- Type of cell
- Room, shared
- Had access to phone?
- Yes, own
- Had access to WiFi?
- Unknown
- Ventilation
- Unknown
- Participated in hunger strike / protest?
- yes, witnessed
- Had conflicts with other detainees?
- No
- Meal quality
- Low quality
- 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?
- Provided
- Had access to mattress?
- Unknown
- Narrative
The respondent is 38 years old and is from Egypt. He was arrested and detained in Corinth PRDC for more than a year. He applied for asylum in detention because outside he could not get an appointment. He shared a room and a bathroom with 12 people. He mentioned receiving hygiene items from friends outside so they could use them to clean themselves and the facilities they used. He was not happy with the food they were offered so he ended up eating only bread. He said that he tried to cultivate good relationships with some of the detention authorities so that they help him out with some of the things he needed, e.g. soap. While in detention, another man who had been there for a very long time, took his life, so the rest of the men started protesting against what happened. The police reportedly intervened by beating everyone up with batons injuring a lot of them. They allegedly took them to hospital in big police buses. On another occasion, another detainee with mental health issues was described as having a seizure and despite them calling for doctors, the ambulance took a very long time to arrive and when they did, the nurses refused to examine him. As a result, another detainee stepped in to help him. Following that incident, those inside started a protest, by abstaining from food, screaming and banging the iron doors of their cells. The official response was to bring in riot police who used water cannons and tear gas to break the protest. They reportedly got beaten badly afterwards. After that they all felt really scared of the police.