The delegation is scheduled to visit a range of institutions, including prisons, police stations, and immigration detention centres. It will also meet with government officials, the Ombudsman, and civil society representatives. Greece ratified the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment in 2014, making it subject to regular inspections by the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (SPT).

This visit follows closely after the recent deaths of two immigrants in police custody. Mohamed Kamran Asik was found dead in the temporary holding cell of the Agios Panteleimonas police station, having been detained for a week and transferred between five different stations. A few days later, another immigrant was found hanged in a cell at the Omonia police station.

The National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) recently issued a statement highlighting reports from the Network for Recording Incidents of Racist Violence, which revealed that many of these incidents involved public officials, with 3% occurring in police stations and 89% targeting migrants, refugees, or asylum seekers. The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture has also raised concerns about the conditions of detention in Greek police stations, specifically noting that two police stations in the Attica region, including Omonia, offered conditions unsuitable for stays longer than 24 hours.

In response to speculation linking the UN visit to the recent deaths, Greek Police Headquarters clarified in a statement that the delegation’s visit was pre-planned and unrelated to the recent incidents. “In November 2023, it was decided that Greece would join the Subcommittee’s 2024 visitation program,” the statement read, adding that the Greek government was informed in July of the upcoming visit, with further details provided in early August.

The statement emphasised that this is a routine, annual visit by the UN Subcommittee, not an emergency inspection. In addition to assessing police detention centres and immigration facilities, the delegation will also review other institutions, including mental health facilities, centres for unaccompanied minors, and social solidarity structures. They concluded by underscoring the Subcommittee’s mandate to engage member states in aligning their practices with international standards for the prevention of torture.

______________________________________________

Are you seeking news from Greece presented from a progressive, non-mainstream perspective? Subscribe monthly or annually to support TPP International in delivering independent reporting in English. Don’t let Greek progressive voices fade.

Make sure to reference “TPP International” and your order number as the reason for payment.