UN Experts Urge Greece to Strengthen Protections Against Torture and Ill-Treatment in Detention Facilities

UN Subcommittee calls for urgent action to address deficiencies and ensure Greece’s national preventive mechanism plays a crucial role in preventing torture and ill-treatment.

Following their first official visit to Greece, the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) emphasized the need for Greece to take more robust measures to protect people deprived of their liberty from torture and ill-treatment. Despite significant national challenges, such as migration and economic difficulties, the experts urged the Greek government to address deficiencies in its detention system.

The SPT delegation, which visited the country from October 6 to 17, inspected various detention facilities, including prisons, youth detention centres, psychiatric institutions, and migration detention centres. The experts held private interviews with detainees and staff, alongside meetings with government officials, civil society, and the Greek Ombudsman, which serves as the country's national preventive mechanism under the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture.

Anica Tomsic, Head of the delegation, acknowledged Greece's efforts to improve detainees' rights but noted that more urgent action is required. "While steps are being taken, deficiencies remain, and immediate action is necessary to prevent torture and ill-treatment," Tomsic said.

The delegation urged the Greek government to strengthen the functional independence of its national preventive mechanism, which plays a key role in ensuring long-term protection against torture. The SPT will submit a confidential report to the government with recommendations to address these concerns and encourage Greece to make the report public.