The Council of Europe’s European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) released its general report on Wednesday. The CPT’s report covered 25 periodical and ad hoc visits around Europe over 226 days during the 17-month period covered in the report.

Reprisals were carried out against prisoners in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Moldova, Russia, Spain, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and Ukraine.

Cyprus

Part of its report focused on a periodic visit to Cyprus where a number of allegations were made concerning physical ill-treatment of immigrants at detention center that consisted of slaps, punches and kicks to the head and body. The allegations mainly concerned members of the Immigration and Aliens Police (YAM and the Crime Investigation Department (CID). A few patients also alleged police ill-treatment during transportation to Athalassa Psychiatric Hospital. The CPT recommended that the Cypriot authorities remind the police that any form of ill-treatment of detained prisoners was not acceptable and would be punished accordingly.

Greece

The report also refered to a periodic visit of the CPT to Greece. The Publication highlights that the Avlona Special Detention Facility continues to be unsafe with the CPT’s delegation requesting that juveniles be transferred to a safer environment, which the Greek authorities had subsequently arranged.

The CPT believes that there is inaction in addressing overcrowding that could be addressed through early release measures, for which all prisoners including foreign nationals would be eligible, as well as the introduction of house arrest and expansion of community service.

The Greek authorities rejected the CPT’s findings that the prisons are understaffed and that effective control is not exercised. On the other hand, they accept the shortcomings in the provision of health care in prisons and hope that new legislative acts providing for agreements with the National Health System would lead to improvements.

The report states that a great number of detailed coherent and consistent allegations of physical ill-treatment of persons by police officers were received.

The allegations concerned mainly kicks, slaps, punches and blows with batons and other objects upon or after apprehension. Several cases are cited in the report. Further, the CPT notes the flaws in the current system of investigations into allegations of ill-treatment notably as regards the lack of promptness and thoroughness in carrying out investigations. It recommends that the mandate of the Office on Arbitrary Incidents be reviewed in order to ensure its independence and to strengthen its investigative and oversight capabilities. Recommendations are also made regarding the recruitment and training of police officers and on improving the application of safeguards against ill-treatment such as access to a lawyer, access to a doctor and improving the conduct of interrogations. In their response, the Greek authorities highlight the strict criteria in place for the recruitment of police officers and refer to the training provided. They also state that the investigations into the cases raised by the CPT are ongoing. Information is provided on the various measures being taken to address racist or xenophobic violence and on the safeguards surrounding the detention of all persons apprehended by the police.

CLICK HERE for the full report to read about suggestions made by the CPT to all countries. 

Footage of the situation at the Corinth immigrant detention center uploaded on Youtube

Footage of the conditions at the Corinth immigrant detention center was posted on youtube by Epoca Liba. In the first part, a man climbs the detention center’s rooftop and threatens to commit suicide. The footage first appeared on the Facebook account of an immigrant from Afghanistan who has already left Greece and is now in Germany.

In the second clip, the police force immigrants who have left the building to watch their fellow inmate on the roof to return to their cells by using chemicals.

In another clip, the police use chemicals to disperse inmates holding a sit-down protest.

In the final scene, immigrants are chased by the police, falling ontop of each other.

The scenes took place in June 2013.