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EU torture watchdog: detainees at high risk in Greece police
Posted by clandestinenglish on 2 July 2009
Detainees run a high risk of being ill-treated in Greek police or border stations, a European watchdog on torture said in a report published.
Wednesday, 01 July 2009 15:09Detainees run a high risk of being ill-treated in Greek police or border stations, a European watchdog on torture said in a report published on Tuesday.The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) said it had received many allegations from detainees of being slapped and kicked during arrests and questioning.
“The information gathered during a 2008 visit indicates that apprehended persons continue to run a considerable risk of being ill-treated by law enforcement officials,” the report said.
The Strasbourg-based body urged Greece to establish independent authorities to handle complaints against police officers and to monitor prisons.
The CPT said in its report that some Greek police and border guard stations were overcrowded and had little or no access to natural light, while sanitary installations were filthy and there were no specific facilities for female detainees.
Conditions in an immigrant detention centre on one Greek island, Lesbos, were “abominable with more than 100 persons sharing two toilets”.
Greece has been criticised internationally for conditions in its detention centres and treatment of migrants who arrive in Greece, fleeing strife in their own countries.
In their response to the report, Greek authorities reject a number of the criticisms and stress the high inflows of migrants they need to handle, saying they arrested over 146,000 illegal migrants last year.
Reuters
