Report to the Government of Greece on the Visit to Greece Carried out By
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CPT/Inf (2010) 33 Report to the Government of Greece on the visit to Greece carried out by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) from 17 to 29 September 2009 The Government of Greece has requested the publication of this report and of its response. The Government’s response is set out in document CPT/Inf (2010) 34. Strasbourg, 17 November 2010 - 2 - CONTENTS Copy of the letter transmitting the CPT’s report............................................................................5 I. INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................6 A. Dates of the visit and composition of the delegation ..............................................................6 B. Establishments visited...............................................................................................................7 C. Consultations held by the delegation.......................................................................................9 D. Cooperation between the CPT and the Greek authorities ....................................................9 E. Immediate observations under Article 8, paragraph 5, of the Convention .......................11 II. FACTS FOUND DURING THE VISIT AND ACTION PROPOSED ..............................12 A. Law enforcement agencies......................................................................................................12 1. Preliminary remarks ........................................................................................................12 2. Torture and other forms of ill-treatment..........................................................................13 a introduction ............................................................................................................13 b. information gathered in the course of the 2009 visit..............................................14 c. investigations into allegations of ill-treatment.......................................................16 3. Safeguards against the ill-treatment of detained persons ................................................20 a. introduction ............................................................................................................20 b. criminal suspects held in a police or border guard station .....................................20 i. access to a lawyer.........................................................................................21 ii. access to a doctor .........................................................................................21 iii. notification of custody...................................................................................22 iv. information on rights ....................................................................................22 v. custody records.............................................................................................23 vi. inspection of police and border guard detention facilities..........................24 c. safeguards against ill-treatment for administratively detained irregular migrants.24 - 3 - 4. Conditions of detention in establishments under the Ministry of Interior.......................26 a. police and border guard stations ............................................................................26 i. material conditions .......................................................................................26 ii staffing ..........................................................................................................30 iii other issues ...................................................................................................30 b. Special detention facilities for irregular migrants and police holding facilities ....31 i introduction...................................................................................................31 ii material conditions .......................................................................................32 iii regime ...........................................................................................................35 iv health care ....................................................................................................36 v staffing ..........................................................................................................37 vi other issues ...................................................................................................38 5. Conditions of detention in establishments under the Port Authorities ............................38 B. Prison establishments .............................................................................................................40 1. Preliminary remarks ........................................................................................................40 a. prisons visited.........................................................................................................40 b. chronic overcrowding and other structural deficiencies ........................................40 2. Ill-treatment .....................................................................................................................42 3. Conditions of detention ...................................................................................................46 a. material conditions .................................................................................................46 b. regime.....................................................................................................................50 c. assessment ..............................................................................................................52 4. Female juvenile unit at Thiva Prison...............................................................................55 5. Prison staff.......................................................................................................................56 6. Health care.......................................................................................................................59 a. introduction ............................................................................................................59 b. health care in general .............................................................................................59 c. medical screening on admission.............................................................................64 d. issues related to transmissible diseases ..................................................................64 e. drug related issues ..................................................................................................66 f. deaths in custody ....................................................................................................67 - 4 - 7. Other issues......................................................................................................................68 a. reception and first night procedures.......................................................................68 b. contacts with the outside world..............................................................................68 c. discipline and segregation ......................................................................................71 d. information and complaints....................................................................................73 e. inspections..............................................................................................................74 f. transfers of prisoners ..............................................................................................74 APPENDIX I: LIST OF THE CPT’S RECOMMENDATIONS, COMMENTS AND REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION ...............................................................................75 APPENDIX II: LIST OF THE NATIONAL AUTHORITIES AND OTHER ORGANISATIONS WITH WHICH THE CPT'S DELEGATION HELD CONSULTATIONS .............................87 - 5 - Copy of the letter transmitting the CPT’s report Mr Athanassios Dendoulis Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Permanent Representative of Greece to the Council of Europe 21 place Broglie 67000 Strasbourg Strasbourg, 31 March 2010 Dear Ambassador, In pursuance of Article 10, paragraph 1, of the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, I enclose herewith the report to the Government of Greece drawn up by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) following its visit to Greece from 17 to 29 September 2009. The report was adopted by the CPT at its 71st meeting, held from 1 to 5 March 2010. The various recommendations, comments and requests for information formulated by the CPT are listed in Appendix I of the report. As regards more particularly the CPT’s recommendations, having regard to Article 10 of the Convention, the Committee requests the authorities of Greece to provide within six months a response giving a full account of action taken to implement them. The CPT trusts that it will also be possible for the authorities of Greece to provide, in the above- mentioned response, reactions and replies to the comments and requests for information. It would be most helpful if a copy of the response could be provided in a computer-readable form. I am at your entire disposal if you have any questions concerning either the CPT’s report or the future procedure.