Two dead and 21 injured – 3 in a critical state – after an Athens prison brawl at Korydallos high security jail. The fight, that included prisoners attacking each other with makeshift knives, broke out over the control of Wing C when Albanian and Arab inmates clashed with Pakistani prisoners at 7 p.m. just after dinner. Just after the attack, the police SWAT team prepared for a raid to search Wing C, one of the two wings that houses foreign inmates.
The two dead people were transfered to the hospital at Korydallos prison with multiple wounds to their body caused by sharp objects. The coroner’s report will be ready on Monday.
The injured prisoners were transfered to the General State Hospital of Nikaia for surgery.
Ten of the injured were rushed to Ganneio Hospital in Piraeus and another eight were taken to Gennimatas hospital. Ambulance service sources state that the injured are of Albanian, Algerian and Pakistani origin. Sources state that most of the injured are Pakistani inmates that were struck down by their Arab and Albanian counterparts.
Justice Minister Nikos Paraskevopoulos visited the prison late on Sunday and attributed part of the blame to the overcrowded condition at prisons.
He said: “I’d like to express my deep sorrow for the death of two inmates and the injury of 18 others in violent episodes that occured at Korydallos prison today. At this point, the injured are at hospitals whereas at least two of them are in a critical condition. Effort is being made to protect their life and health.”
An investigation to determine the cause of the clash is currently taking place. The European Commission Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) had made urgent recommendations for measures to be put in place at Korydallos prison just days earlier. Law 4322/2015 that was recently voted in Parliament will hopefully improve the situation.
Korydallos guards are currently on call at the prison to supplement and reinforce those on duty. Head of the psychiatric ward of Korydallos prison, Police Sergeant Antonis Aravantinos told Proto Thema that we need to pinpoint those who were responsible for the deaths. Aravantinos says that the unprecedented episodes took place at 7.30 p.m. when around 250 inmates were caught up in a brawl. His estimations state that 25 prisoners were injured of which eight were in a serious condition.
Spyros Karakitsos, head of the Greek Federation of Prison Employees, told Proto Thema that he had said that there would be fatalities and unfortunately his comments were justified. “There is no control and security at Greek prisons. The violence is frightening,” he said. “The main issue at this time is the level of violence. Deaths and stabbing incidents have concerned us.”
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