29
actor on the island providing mental health
lack of cleanliness negatively impacted Yaseen
services and only one private psychiatrist on
and Jamal’s mental health. Yaseen shared,
the island with limited capacity.
“When you live in cleanliness, your psychological
Brian explained that his mental health began to
health is good. Living in this way [in the PRDC], I
deteriorate on his first day inside the PRDC. He
shared, “The first day, I could not sleep. I was even
thinking to commit suicide. I could not believe that
things like this are happening to me. It was the first
time that something like this happened to me.”
Haytham, on the other hand, noticed his
suffer psychologically because...I am not used to
living in these dirty conditions.” Jamal affirmed
the impact of the inadequate conditions on his
mental health: “The lack of hygiene has impacted
my physical and mental health. We were living a
life in Gaza better than here 1000 times. I swear to
mental health deteriorating over time. He
God that I cannot describe the conditions here.”
explained, “I usually have no medical conditions,
For others, the isolation from loved ones leads
but here I started talking to myself. I shut the door
to a negative impact on their mental health.
and lay on the bed and sit there and talk with
Jamal explained, “Emotionally of course I am
myself and the cockroaches that are in the room.”
impacted because I am not speaking to anybody,
Equal Rights submitted a medical intervention
to the police in Noah’s case due to the severity
of his deteriorating mental health condition.
Noah had been transferred to the Kos PRDC
from Leros, where he had been hospitalised and
monitored by a psychiatrist. Noah had medical
documents from his country of origin and from
Leros proving he suffered from various mental
illnesses, and Equal Rights staff observed that
even my wife. I have not told my family I am in
detention.” Overall, experiencing the negative
conditions in the PRDC led some participants
to feel the authorities neglected them. Brian
explained, “I feel like they do not care for us in the
PRDC. When I was in the other camp (CCAC),
three times a day someone came to clean the toilets,
but now it is like they do not pay attention, or care
for us. I feel like we are not important.”
his mental condition deeply worsened in the
Uncertainty around life during and after
Kos PRDC, which was later confirmed by Noah
detention also led to damaging consequences
when he shared he may attempt suicide.
on
Despite the evidence, the police refused to
explained, “My psychological health is getting
release him – claiming the medical records did
worse because of the conditions, but mostly because
not show grounds for lifting Noah’s detention.
it is still unknown to me what will happen to me
Equal Rights staff requested the police
regarding my case.” Brian added, “I’m always
directorate
worried and thinking about the surrounding
to
reconsider,
before
filing
participants’
mental
health.
Adam
objections that were also ultimately rejected.
circumstances in my life. Even if I am released, I
From the lack of food to the lack of clean
understand that I will have to stay in the city and I
facilities, virtually every aspect of the
inadequate
conditions
in
detention
will not have accommodation and I will not be able
to work.”
contributed to participants’ deteriorating
Moreover, as explained in the last report,54 the
mental health in the PRDC. For example, the
impacts of detention continue long beyond the
54
Still Detained and Forgotten, supra note 2, at 30.
‘Still detained and forgotten’ – Update on Detention Policies, Practices, and Conditions on Kos 2023/24