Riot police operate against demonstrators during clashes in Athens, March 5. [AP]
On September 21, a Pakistani national who had been detained three days earlier at the Agios Panteleimonas police station in downtown Athens was found dead in his cell. Photos that circulated showed the victim with bruises all over his body. The official forensic report cites an “undetermined cause of death, prior beating, pending laboratory tests.”
The family’s lawyer alleged that the 38-year-old migrant was beaten to death by police officers during his time in custody, pointing to critical gaps in the record of his three days of detention. An investigation into the case was initiated by the Athens Security Subdirectorate, followed by the Ombudsman’s Office under the mechanism for investigating police misconduct. However, the findings have not yet been disclosed.
A few days later, a second migrant, a Bangladeshi national, was also found dead in custody at the Omonia police station in the city center. According to the Hellenic Police (ELAS), the 29-year-old man hanged himself using his shirt, despite the presence of 11 other detainees in the cell. Members of Bangladesh’s diplomatic mission in Greece have rejected the possibility of suicide. This case, too, remains under investigation.
Two men have lost their lives at police stations in Attica in a short span, creating a troubling record that raises many questions. Are these cases the result of hotheaded officers in rooms without surveillance cameras? Are we witnessing attempts to mislead and cover up these incidents? Is this a dark chapter in the history of police brutality?
We can agree that it is possible to trust the police while also remaining skeptical at times. Upholding the law is a sensitive issue that deserves our close attention and scrutiny, especially when it concerns those tasked with enforcing it. The General Police Directorate appeared to acknowledge this concern, issuing an urgent directive after the two incidents to improve detention center security, noting that “significant omissions and deviations from current regulations have been identified, damaging the credibility and reputation of the corps and causing negative public comments.”
However, a third incident was soon recorded. On November 4, it was reported that a 45-year-old detainee, held on drug-related charges at the Acharnes police station, collapsed and was taken to Konstantopoulio General Hospital in northern Athens, where he later passed away. An official administrative inquiry was immediately ordered to clarify the causes and circumstances surrounding his death.