„Every time I go to the port, I don’t know whether I’ll still have my arms and legs when I come back.” Incident 2: “Fifteen days ago, I was close to the port. It was around 11pm. I was sitting somewhere close to the taxi station for about twenty minutes. A “commando” found me. He lifted me up and threw me on a taxi. The driver was sitting inside. When I crashed on the hood of the car, the “commando” beat me with his baton. I managed to run away with a lot of difficulty, since I could not walk. My back hurt badly. It still hurts.” 4.26. M.J. (17), from Afghanistan 71 “I’ve been in Greece for eight months and I moved to Patras four months ago. I have no papers. I was beaten more badly than you could ever imagine. Patras is hell! The hell of Afghanistan is still better than the hell here. Concerning the police here, I have only one request for them: stop being so brutal!” grabbed me and beat me with his baton, while shouting bad words to me. He said: ‘Why did you come here to Greece, malaka!’ It took more than ten minutes until I managed to get free and jumped down from the building. We both jumped, as there were two other “commandos” waiting for us at the stairs. After that, I could not walk anymore. The two “commandos” kept on chasing us. My friend still can’t walk at all. There was just a taxi driver who saw the whole scene. I think he was so shocked, that he could not even speak. He could not help us.” Incident 2: “Two weeks ago the police beat me with some metal rods. I was close to the red factory building. We were running inside, trying to escape from the police. One of the officers entered on his motorcycle. Outside there was a police car and a police van. We climbed up a wall and the officer grabbed a metal rob and hit us from behind. I fell down from a height of four metres and hit my face on the ground.” Incident 3: “5 or 6 days ago, I was in the port hiding underIncident 1: “The day before yesterday was the worst time neath a truck. The “commandos” sent the dog ever. There is a two-storey building in the port, after me. It was 10pm. The dog bit my clothes. where you can buy the ferry tickets. If you go They pulled the dog back and I came out. I was there late at night, there is no one. It was around very afraid of the dog. Then the “commando” 2am. I was sleeping with a friend on the roof of ordered me to walk and another followed me the building. When all of a sudden, we woke up on his motorcycle, hitting me with the moand saw somebody coming onto the roof. It was torbike wheel from behind. Then he started a pot employee. He saw us. Thirty minutes later, moving in a circle around me shouting: ‘Run! four “commandos” arrived. Two of them came Run!’ He came after me again and hit me sefrom one side through a door, and the other veral times with his motorcycle and also startwo waited on the stairs that lead to the roof. ted kicking me, while still moving. Everybody They caught my friend and beat him badly. Two saw that, but nobody reacted or said anything. I “commandos” were kicking and beating him guess they were wondering what was going on.” with their batons. When he finally fell down, they came after me. I tried to run away, but I got stuck on the edge of the roof. One “commando” 71 Interview held on April 4, 2012 in Patras 46 4.27. A. (16), from Afghanistan 72 “Oh god, your hell is tomorrow but I burn today, why?” A. is a minor. His brother lives in Italy and holds a humanitarian status there. His father died and he has no contact with his mother. When he was eight years old, he and his elder brother left for Iran where they were working. His brother left for Italy. Back in Iran he worked as a shoemaker. Since coming to Greece he has tried to leave several times. He has been readmitted from Croatia to Serbia, from Hungary to Serbia then from Italy back to Greece. was trying to rip my flesh. I was feeling the electricity and then lost the feeling in the parts of my body where they were beating me. I was begging them to stop, but they went on and on. I think it lasted for about 10-15minutes. Four “commandos” beat me. At the same time, two other “commandos” would beat my friend. I saw them beating and pressing his face in the sewage water. One of the four “commandos” ordered me to hand him any paper I had. ‘Afghan? Italia?’ he asked. I was crying: ‘No Italia, no Italia.’ I was trying to take my paper off my pocket. He did not let me. He stepped on my hand. When I managed to give them my note, they started talking about my age. One told the others that I was 16 years old. They took my mobile phone and threw it in the sea. Then they ordered me to give them my shoes. I was in such pain that I could not use my hands. I tried to take off my shoes with the help of my foot. Then they told me to leave and beat me again with the batons. But I could not. I lost consciousness and somebody called an ambulance. I was brought to the hospital. They caught me many times before in the port, but they would only slap me, not like this. I never fell on my knees before, but the “commando” made me knee! On my back I had the sign of “Zorro” after that beating. Since then I see nightmares every single night.” “I arrived in Greece in August 2011. My father died during the war. I always thought Europe was a safe place to be. I did not come to Europe in order to be beaten. I was looking for safety. I wanted to go to school. I’ve been in Patras for the last seven months. Patras is hell. I know they use dogs to find narcotics. But here they use them to chase refugees. They bite us and then the “commando” calls them back and The boy showed us photos and a video from his injusays: ‘bravo!’ Violence is a bad thing. We are ries. See also the respective photos in the photo chronicle. He is one of the two cases, which were brought human beings, not animals! On April 18th, I was in the port with my before the public prosecutor by the Red Cross this friend. On that day the “commandos” beat us year. badly. A car with “commandos” stopped in front of me. I thought it would have been like the other times. They would just beat me and then let me leave. I was trying to say some 73 words in Greek. One of the “commandos” beat me with the baton in the knee and I fell down. I told them again and again: ‘sygnomi’ (sorry!). “It’s been eight months since I arrived in Greece Two of them grabbed me and brought me to and 3 ½ months since I moved to Patras. Pathe back of a container. Nobody could see me. tras is a cage for me. The worst thing here is One “commando” had his face covered with a the police. They step on our hands and push full-mask. He had a telescopic stun baton. He their feet back and forth as if they were extinbeat me really badly. I was lying down with my guishing a cigarette. face on the ground. Every time he would beat Three months ago, I went in the port. It was me with the electric baton I felt like someone at night. Four “commandos” caught me. I did not see them coming. They came from the 4.28. A. (17), from Afghanistan 72 Interview held May 11, 2012 73 Interview held on May 12, 2012 in Patras 47