A/HRC/16/52/Add.4 Appendix Places of detention visited and interviews conducted Introduction During the official visit, the Special Rapporteur held meetings with State officials, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Droustas; the Minister of Citizen’s Protection, Mr. Papoutsis, the Chief of Police, and representatives from the following departments: Head of Security Services, Aliens Division, the Coast Guard, Legislation and Training; the Special Secretary for Correctional Policy and Forensic Services, Mr. Skandamis and other officials of the Ministry of Justice; the President, Mr. Kalamidas and Deputy Prosecutor of the Court; the Deputy Minister of the Interior, Decentralization and E-Government, Ms. Tzakris, the Deputy Minister of Health and Social Solidarity, Mr. Timosidis; and the Deputy Ombudsman for Human Rights, Mr. Karydes. He was also hosted at an official lunch by the General Director for Multilateral Institutions, Mr. Lazos. Outside of Government, the Special Rapporteur met with a broad range of civil society organizations, lawyers, detainees, aliens and victims of ill-treatment. In addition, the Special Rapporteur met with the Greek National Commission for Human Rights. He also held meetings with representatives of international organizations, including the lead agency in the country the United Nations Environmental Program and MAP, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Children’s Fund, and the diplomatic community. The Special Rapporteur conducted unannounced visits to detention facilities and was able to hold private interviews with detainees in all facilities he visited. If detainees did not wish that their interviews are recorded, the information provided is only reflected in the general findings of the report. Some detainees only agreed to an anonymous publication of their interviews. The Special Rapporteur has in his files the full name of the detainees interviewed. Omonia Police Station, Athens Visited on 10 October 2010 The Special Rapporteur was received by Deputy Duty Officer Papatzikis Panteleimon. The police station provided for one detention room at the second floor which was used for short term detention of new arrivals where at the time of the visit no one was kept. There were another three cells in the basement of the police station which were used for long-term detention. All of the detainees encountered were foreigners being held under administrative detention, sometimes up to six months. The cells were video-monitored from the second floor. The police cells in the basement have been recently cleaned up and freshly painted. According to the detainees the mattresses have been exchanged and some detainees were removed to reduce the overcrowding. Usually the cells were reported to be very overcrowded with insufficient beds for the detainees. The cells were warm and humid due to the ventilation pipes running through the basement. There was a lack of fresh air and only little daylight entering through the windows. The space between the cell grid and the windows was full of trash and appeared not to be cleaned. There was no space or yard for exercising or breathing fresh air. 25