40 GREECE IRREGULAR MIGRANTS AND ASYLUM-SEEKERS ROUTINELY DETAINED IN SUBSTANDARD CONDITIONS Detainees held in the third sector told Amnesty International that the police officers did not allow them to walk in the corridor outside their cells, and that there were severe difficulties in gaining access to the toilets. At the time of the organization’s visit, detainees were knocking on the cell doors and desperately asking the police to let them go to the toilet. Amnesty International delegates observed that some people who were allowed to go to the toilet were holding a plastic water bottle half or almost completely full of urine. The police authorities admitted that in every cell detainees used plastic bottles for their toilet needs which they emptied when they were allowed to go to the toilet. The delegates also observed that the toilet facilities were dirty and the two showers had neither door nor curtain, and thus lacked any privacy. The Athens airport police authorities told Amnesty International that the imposition of prison sentences on irregular migrants or asylum-seekers arrested at the airport for using false documents, who were unable to pay trial expenses, contributed to the overcrowding of the detention area. At the time of the visit, the organization observed a complete lack of hygiene products such as soap, shampoo and toilet paper in all sectors. In addition, many of those detained told the delegates they had no access to their luggage, so they did not have their personal belongings, including changes of clothes. Some said that, as a result, they had been wearing the same clothes for weeks. Furthermore, there was no opportunity for outside exercise at all. Two individuals complained that they did not have access to their medication because it was in their luggage. Similar reports were received during the October 2009 visit. In addition, concerns regarding access to medical assistance remained unchanged since October 2009. The airport authorities told Amnesty International that there was no regular doctor in the facility and medical care was provided only when requested by a detainee by calling the airport’s first aid doctors. 5.3. INHUMAN TREATMENT DURING TRANSFER Migrants and asylum-seekers complained that they were treated inhumanely before and during their transfer by boat from various islands to mainland Greece or to other islands, and by bus to the Evros region. Article 144 of PD 141/1991 stipulates that “particular measures to prevent escapes must be undertaken during detainees’ transfers in such a way so as to ensure their normal movement without offending their dignity”. According to the testimonies of some of the 53 irregular migrants and asylum-seekers, including five unaccompanied children, transferred from Chios by boat to Thessaloniki on 26 July 2009 and then to the borderguard stations of Tychero and Venna, they were kept handcuffed together in pairs for the duration of the 20-hour boat trip. Three individuals from a group of 10 irregular migrants and six asylum-seekers, possibly including several unaccompanied minors, who were transferred by boat from Samos to Athens on 14 January 2010, have spoken to Amnesty International about the poor conditions during their transfer. One asylum-seeker gave the following account: Amnesty International July 2010 Index: EUR 25/002/2010