“In their eyes, I was a criminal, a smuggler”

The respondent is a 22-year-old man (age group 18-25y) from Syria. The respondent was apprehended in early 2022 in Orestiada shortly after crossing over the land border from Turkey. He was later detained at Orestiada police station and Metagogon police station (Thessaloniki Police Headquarters) prior being transferred to the Avlona Special Juvenile Detention Establishment where he was incarcerated for a period of 1 year and 3 months.

 

The respondent reported being arrested in a transit group of 6-7 other Syrian nationals, in Orestiada. After a car chase and physical violence by the authorities (the testimony describing those events can be found here), they were transferred to a police station in the city of Orestiada. The respondent reported that, once they got inside, they were divided into two different groups. In this police station the respondent described that there was  one room for people accused of smuggling and a separate room for other detainees. The respondent, who had been accused of smuggling, said that he was later transferred to a dark room where he stayed in isolation for 14 days without being informed of  the reason. He stayed alone in this room which he recalled had three beds. He reported that he was given food twice per day and had access to water only from the bathroom. In addition, he said that he was not allowed to go outside at any point during these 14 days.

 

After 16 - 17 days, the respondent was reportedly taken out of this room and was given a document by an officer. This document was translated into Arabic by an interpreter who was present at the police station. The document was a declaration that the respondent smuggled three people into Greece. The respondent was reportedly forced to sign this document and give his fingerprints without the presence of a lawyer.

“They gave me a paper translated into Arabic saying: "You did smuggle for three people” not seven. They gave it to me, to do fingerprints and sign it. It was like an obligation.”

The interpreter reportedly told the respondent that if he wanted a lawyer, there was one available and he needed to pay 1,500 euros, but the respondent replied that he could not pay. The respondent said that he asked for asylum at this police station but the officers working there did not listen to his request. He explained:   

“In their eyes, I was a criminal, a smuggler”.

In addition, the officers at this police station reportedly took the respondent’s phone, asked him to remove the requirement to enter a password to unlock the phone, and refused to give it back to him even after he was released. The respondent reported that he repeatedly requested that the officers return his phone, as he wanted to talk to his mother who was “sick and not in a good condition”. The respondent added that the police reportedly stole approximately 30 - 40 euros from him during his detention and confiscated all his personal belongings.

 

After almost 20 days, the respondent said that he was transferred from the police station in Orestiada to the Metagogon police station (Thessaloniki Police Headquarters) in Thessaloniki on a “big, blue bus for prisoners”, which he recalled was full of people, including Syrians and Iraqis. The journey took approximately 4 hours. The respondent described Metagogon police station as composed of 8-9 large rooms, each containing 20-30 persons inside. The respondent explained that each room was locked and detainees were unable to go outside. He stayed 5-7 days in the Metagogon police station, before being transferred to the Avlona Special Juvenile Detention Establishment in Athens on a large bus which was driven by officers identified as police. The journey took approximately 4-5 hours and there were approximately 40 people of different nationalities inside the bus.

The respondent did not report any specific issues with the conditions in Avlona Prison. In each room, there were reportedly between 5- 6 people. The respondent said that the staff there did not confiscate their phones but they had to hide them from the “manager” as there were many security cameras within the facility. The respondent shared  that they were provided with adequate food during their detention and the hygienic conditions were good. In addition, they were provided with medical care. The respondent assumed that they enjoyed “good treatment” because they were in a juvenile prison. After 6 months the respondent said that he was charged with smuggling three people from Turkey to Greece. The authorities reportedly asked him if he wanted to be provided with a state lawyer, but he refused and hired a private lawyer using his father's money. He paid the lawyer 2,000 euros. Following the trial he was reportedly sentenced to 3 years and 6 months in prison. However, the respondent explained that “if you are inside the prison and you are studying, one day counts as two days”. For this reason, his original sentence of 3 years and 6 months was halved because he had access to education during his incarceration. The respondent reportedly spent 1 year and 3 months in Avlona, before being released.

After he was released, the respondent said that he received a “parole paper” which required him to report on a monthly basis to a police station to give his signature, for a period of almost two years.  

The respondent added that his current situation is very difficult. He reported that it is very difficult to find a job because of his parole paper, and he is unable to request asylum in Greece. He expressed his intention to go to another country because “this country recognises me as a criminal”.