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Council of Europe Anti-Torture Committee visits Greece

Strasbourg, - 02.03.2007 - A delegation of the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has just completed a one-week visit to Greece (20 to 27 February 2007).

The main objective of the visit was to examine the steps taken by the Greek authorities to implement recommendations made by the CPT after the August/September 2005 periodic visit. Particular attention was paid to the issues of safeguards against ill-treatment of persons detained by law enforcement officials and conditions of detention in police stations and holding facilities for aliens. The delegation also paid a targeted visit to Korydallos Men’s Prison in order to examine the conditions of detention in the segregation units and assess developments in relation to the prison’s healthcare service.

In the course of the visit, the delegation had meetings with the Minister of Public Order, Byron POLYDORAS, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Justice, Panagiotis PANOURIS, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Public Order, Konstantinos AILIANOS and the Director General of the Prison Service, Cristina PETROU. Further, it held in-depth discussions with senior officials from the Ministries of Justice and Public Order as well as with two Deputy Prefects of Evros. The delegation also met Andreas TAKIS, Deputy Ombudsman, and representatives of UNHCR and Greek civil society.

The visit was carried out by the following members of the CPT:

    -        Mario FELICE, Head of delegation (Maltese)
    -        Petur HAUKSSON (Icelandic)
    -        George TUGUSHI (Georgian).

They were supported by Hugh CHETWYND and Marco LEIDEKKER of the CPT's Secretariat, and assisted by Alan MITCHELL, Former Head of the Scottish Prison Health Care Service, United Kingdom.

The delegation visited the following places:

Establishments under the authority of the Ministry of Public Order

Attica prefecture

    -     Aspropyrgos Police Station
    -     Akropolis Police Station
    -     Kolonos Police Station
    -     Neo Kosmos Police Station
    -     Omonia Police Station
    -     Palio Falio Police Station
    -     Saint Panteilemonos Police Station
    -     Syntagma Police Station
    -     Zografas Police Station
    -     Aspropyrgos Alien detention facility
    -     Pireaus Alien detention facility
    -     Petru Rali Street Alien detention facility
    -     Holding Room at Athens Airport (International Departures)

Evros prefecture

    -     Alexandroupoli Police Station
    -     Orestiada Police Station
    -     Isaakio Border Police Station
    -     Kiprinos Border Police Station
    -     Neo Visa Border Guard Station
    -     Neo Himoni Border Guard Station
    -     Tychero Border Guard Station
    -     Filakio Special holding facility for illegal immigrants
    -     Vrisika Special holding facility for illegal immigrants

Lesvos Prefecture

    -     Mytilini Special holding facility for illegal immigrants

Rodopi Prefecture

    -     Venna Special holding facility for illegal immigrants

Establishments under the authority of the Ministry of Justice

    -     Komotini Judicial prison
    -     Korydallos Men’s Prison

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