C) The Greek Ombudsman In 2007 the Greek Ombudsman (hereafter GO) issued a report on the subject of the “Detention of ‘criminal’ offenders in police stations”.21 According to the Report, since 2005 onwards a high concentration of detainees has been observed in police stations in the wider area of Thessalonica. Apart from the significant number of aliens who remain detained waiting for their deportation, there is also a large number of detainees who are under transfer. Their detention in police stations extends from 10 days to three or more months. Their long stay in the detention facilities of the police stations is due to the refusal of the Judicial Prison of Thessalonica to receive them. The GO noted, as the ECtHR has done before, that the infrastructure of the detention facilities in police stations aims at accommodating the detention of persons for very short time periods either before the trial or in case of transfer. Furthermore, as the GO notes, according to article 66, par. 6 of PD 141/1991 “in the detention facilities of the police departments, the detention of persons whose trial is pending or of convicts that are supposed to enter a Penitentiary Facility, is prohibited with the exemption of the time that is absolutely necessary before the transfer and only if the direct transfer and delivery in the appropriate facility is not possible”. Furthermore, the GO on 27.08.2009 visited the detention facilities of the Alien Division of Attica. The visit of the GO unit focused on the usage of the foreyard for detention purposes of detainees under transfer. According to its estimations, the fact that these aliens were spending the night in the open space of the foreyard having only a blanket, even if this is considered as an exceptional measure as the Administration alleged, is degrading to their dignity.22 The Greek Ombudsman, http://www.synigoros.gr/pdfs/30_10_porisma_paramoni_poinikwn_kratoumenwn.pdf. [in Greek]. 22 The Greek Ombudsman, «Report on the visit in the detention facilities of the Attica Administration of Aliens», http://www.synigoros.gr/allodapoi/pdfs_01/8528_2_AutopsiaAxiologisi%281%29.pdf. [in Greek]. 21 5