4. Police and border guard stations a. preliminary remarks 45. The CPT has in the past found that the custody cells in the various police and border guard stations throughout Greece are suitable for detaining persons for periods of up to 24 hours. It has also encouraged the Greek authorities to stop holding foreign nationals for prolonged periods in these establishments. The CPT notes positively that the number of foreign nationals detained in the different police and border guard stations and special holding facilities in Greece has significantly decreased, from some 2 000 at the time of the CPT’s 2015 visit to 365 at the time of the 2023 visit. The CPT also takes note that most detained foreign nationals are usually transferred swiftly to other places of accommodation or detention. For this reason, many of the police stations visited only held very few persons for short periods of up to a few days. However, in some police establishments and special holding facilities, such as Drapetsona Police Station and Athens Airport special holding facility, foreign nationals continued to be held for up to several weeks or even several months in conditions of detention that are totally inappropriate. The European Court of Human Rights has found numerous violations of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights on account of the poor conditions of detention in Greek police stations.13 The CPT recommends that the Greek authorities ensure that foreign nationals deprived of their liberty under immigration legislation are held in police establishments or special holding facilities for short periods only not exceeding a few days. 46. In the course of the visit, the delegation carried out follow-up visits to various police and border guard stations in the Evros region, as well as police stations on the Aegean islands and in Attica. The CPT also visited Kos Police Station for the first time. b. conditions of detention in police and border guard stations 47. The conditions of detention in the police and border guard stations in the Evros region were generally acceptable for short stays, which was the case at the time of the visit. This presents an improvement, compared to the CPT’s 2018 and 2020 visits.14 48. The two cells at Didymoteicho Police Station, were equipped with three and four concrete plinths, and measured 12 m2 and 16 m2 respectively. Lighting and ventilation were adequate. The material conditions in the cells and in the sanitary facilities were acceptable. Persons had rarely been held there for periods exceeding a few hours. The delegation was informed that Orestiada Police Station had been refurbished in 2022. The two cells were equipped with two and three sets of bunk beds respectively and each measured 13 m2. Both cells provided acceptable material conditions for short stays, with adequate ventilation, and were clean. However, access to natural light was insufficient in both cells. Two persons were being held in these cells at the time of the visit and only a few persons had recently been held there overnight. 49. Neo Cheimonio Police and Border Guard Station had three cells in operation, containing nine, four and five sets of bunk beds respectively, half of which were equipped with mattresses and clean blankets. The cells were clean. However, the toilets were in a poor state of hygiene and cleanliness. According to the register, up to 43 persons were previously detained there at the same time and, in August, over 100 persons had been held in the three cells overnight in conditions of severe overcrowding. Amongst them were also families with children. 13. See, inter alia European Court of Human Rights, Tousios v. Greece, no. 36296/19, 10 February 2022; H.A. and Others v. Greece, no. 19951/16, 28 February 2019; S.Z. v. Greece, no. 66702/13, 21 June 2018; and Kavouris and Others v. Greece, no. 73237/12, 17 April 2014. 14. See the CPT reports on the 2020 visit (CPT/Inf (2020) 35), paragraphs 34-38, and on the 2018 visit (CPT/Inf (2019) 4), paragraphs 84-89 and 94. 16