“We live like dogs and sleep in shifts”
“We could die without anyone even learning about it. It is our fifth day on hunger strike in the detention facilities of the Police Station of Moshato. We live like dogs”, says Armen Mourantian: “We sleep in shifts in a room full of dirt. Six people sharing three mattresses. Three full rooms. In the fourth one, which is the largest, they have cornered more than 15 people”.
5th day of hunger strike in the detention facilities for immigrants in Moshato
It was already past midnight when the young Armenian made a phone call to ‘E’ in order to make a plea for help. “This moment we are aloud to make phone calls. We were arrested by men of DIAS group [special police group on motorbikes] in the street. Our papers were expired. None of us has been charged with theft or any felonies. We are held for 7-8 months with a deportation decision”.
He mentions his co-inmates one by one, with their name. With him in the detention facility there is M. Arhani, Iranian, whose parents were murdered by the regime. He came asking for asylum. With him there is also A. Stanti from Iraq and Ah. Asfer from Pakistan. And the “grandpa”. A 55 year old Egyptian who has already committed suicide once. He has been living in Greece for 28 years. He has a child. But his papers expired. He needs to be examinded by a doctor. Every morning he asks for hismedication. He suffers from serious psychological problems. The policemen ingore him. The Pakistani guy started having a delirium. “He has been surrounded by walls for four months. He have not seen the sun. We have rotten from the humidity here”.
Without any lawyers
“We were given very little food, just what was necessary in order to stay alive. They were bringing it at 12 in the night. We were all waiting for the food. ‘Share it’ , the policeman was saying. He would kick it in front of the door swearing: “Or I will f… you’”
He says that he has not been in touch with any organisation or authority. “Not even with lawyers. Because we cannot pay for them. I asked a friend to bring me some books. They prohibited them. the mattresses are not enough for all of us”.
This is not the first complaint about Moshato’s Police Station. Moshato’s Citizens’ Initiative ‘Mesopotamia’ complained, during Christmas, about the detention of Tzafer Kurt, a Turkish paraplegic man who is officially a refugee and, therefore, he was living in the country legally. An administrative inquiry has been taking place about his detention. Complaining the conditions in the detention facilities, the members of Moshato’s Citizens’ Initiative, together with the authorities of the Municipality of Moshato, are organising an anti-racist concert next Saturday at Metamorfosi square.
Translated article from ‘Eleftherotypia’ newspaper, 26/04/2013, by icantrelaxingreece (in english)
enet (in greek)