038062
Testimony- Testimony collected by
- Border Violence Monitoring Network
- Date and location recorded
- 24th March 2023, Thessaloniki, Northern Greece
- Detention centre related
- Detention Centre Country
- Greece 2
- Duration of detention
- 4 - 6 months
- Nationality
- Pakistan
- Age
- 22
- Gender
- Male
- LGBTQI
- No answer
- Type of arrest
- Individual
- Why was the respondent detained?
- Undocumented
- Detained before?
- No
- Was the respondent informed of the duration of detention?
- No
- Did the respondent experience any violence?
- Yes
- Type of violence experienced
- Isolation
- Physical violence
- Verbal insult
- Was the respondent forced to sign documents?
- Yes, in Greek
- Did the respondent have access to translation?
- No
- 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?
- Unknown
- Number detained in cell
- 10+
- Number detainees sharing WC
- 10+
- Hygiene rating
- Very poor
- Type of cell
- Room, shared
- Had access to phone?
- No
- Had access to WiFi?
- No
- Ventilation
- Window
- Participated in hunger strike / protest?
- yes, witnessed
- Had conflicts with other detainees?
- Witnessed
- Meal quality
- Very poor
- Meal quantity
- Unknown
- Had access to water?
- Tap
- Had access to outdoor space?
- More than 2h per day
- Had access to educational resources?
- Unknown
- 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?
- Unknown
- Had access to mattress?
- Individual, thin
- Narrative
The respondent is 23 years old and is from Pakistan. He was arrested in Athens because he did not have legal documents and subsequently detained at Amygdaleza PRDC for 15 days and Corinth PRDC for over four months. He applied for asylum in Amygdaleza and had his first asylum interview in Corinth. The respondent was waiting for his second asylum interview date at the time of interview and reported that he had not received any information on his asylum case from the authorities. At Corinth, no free legal services were provided to help him with his asylum case. The respondent was held in a room with a bathroom attached, which he described as extremely dirty. The conditions were described as substandard, including thin mattresses and unreliable electricity and water supply. The respondent reported: “If we asked the policemen “can you please turn it [the water] on… they started abusing us, saying very disgusting things, and after five or six hours, they will turn it on.” Food provided to detainees was reportedly very poor in quality. The respondent described how the low quality food impacted detainees’ mood, leading to persistent tiredness and aggression. The respondent further explained: “I don't know what kind of things they were putting in our meal. All of the people felt the same way. All of us slept a lot and got so aggressive after eating the meals and sometimes it's a very terrible feeling.” A doctor was present at Corinth but it was reportedly difficult to book an appointment to see them. Detainees were allowed to go outside for exercises for four hours per day. Detainees reportedly had to ask officers working at the facility to buy supplies for them from outside. The respondent reported that the use of phones is not permitted in the facility. He described widespread use of violence against detainees by officers at Corinth. This included kicking, beatings and the use of solitary confinement, including as a form of punishment for detainees involved in protests against conditions in the PRDC. He explained that hunger strikes had occurred but in general detainees were reluctant to protest due to fear of violent retaliation from officers.