Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 7th of October 2022

Case name: 2022_10_07_Eastern Med_1031

Situation: One person in severe medical condition pushed back at the Evros river

Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded

Place of Incident: Landborder Greece/Turkey

Summary of the Case:

Shortly before midnight on the 7th of October, the Alarm Phone was alerted by relatives to a man who was in a bad health condition, he was infected with poisoned water and had difficulties with breathing and mobility. He had been left behind alone, and had already been stranded for two days in the area around Soufli, after having crossed the land border from Greece to Turkey.

We managed to establish direct contact with the person. Then, at 22:11 CEST, the Alarm Phone started calling the border authorities and the Greek police department in Soufli. The person also called 112 himself in the meantime, who told him someone will come, but help never arrived.

At 00:34 CEST, we also sent an email to all relevant authorities.

In the morning of the 8th of October, still no help had arrived – something we are sadly used to seeing - and we sent an email to all the relevant authorities to update them about the situation at 9:18 CEST.

At 11:04 CEST, the person again confirmed to our shift team that he had tried several times to call 112, and always received the answer that help is on the way.

A lawyer from Refugee Support Aegean (RSA) had taken the case, acting as the person’s legal representative, and had also called 112 and the responsible police stations on behalf of her client.

From 12:40 CEST, on the 8th of October, the contact to the person broke and we were not able to re-establish it again.

The lawyer applied on his behalf for interim measures under Rule 39 in front of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). On 10.10.2022, the ECtHR answered to the request for interim measures and decided to suspend the examination until receipt of information from the applicant and from the respondent Government.

On the 12th October, we learned from the lawyer that she had been able to re-establish contact with the person and that he had been pushed back to Turkey. She talked with him and took down his testimony, which was then sent to the ECtHR as an answer to their request for information.

Testimony from 12/10/2022, as it was provided to the ECHR and forwarded to us by him:

“The applicant has been arrested by Greek authorities on Saturday 8/10/2022 (after the last communication with his lawyer, the applicant lost his consciousness and then found himself arrested by the Greek authorities) and his telephone was taken away by the Greek authorities.

The applicant has been detained in the detention place and then the same day he was pushed back to Turkey. In Turkey he was not apprehended by the Turkish authorities, which are not aware of his illegal exit of the country. He managed to travel alone back to Bursa, where he used to stay and he was hospitalized in the Bursa hospital until 11.10.2022 and he is still under recovery.

He managed to reactivate his turkish telephone number on his name (the same number called 112 in Greece and was in contact with his lawyer) and therefore on Wednesday 12.10.2022 the applicant’s lawyer managed to speak via telephone with the applicant.

On 7/10/2022 and on 8/10/2022 the applicant has called multiple times the emergency number 112 asking for medical help. He has been since 4 days in Greece, lost in the forest and he has been out of food and water and was cold. He has drunk “dirty” water and then started to feel sick. He had terrible pain in stomach and felt dizzy and weak and was vomiting (even blood). He felt really bad. He was in need of medical help.

He has asked 112 asking for help and provided his geographical location.

“Alarm Phone” has sent also letter via email to the authorities asking for medical help providing his telephone number and his location and has asked for legal aid by RSA lawyer. His lawyer has phoned also herself to 112, 166 and police authorities asking for search and rescue operation and provision of urgent medical help providing his telephone number as well as his geographical location.

The applicant was in contact via messages with his lawyer (RSA), when he lost his consciousness. When he felt again consciousness, he found himself under apprehension by the Greek authorities. One officer was violently pulling him into a closed big van (overcrowded with people).

The applicant neither was transferred to the hospital or to doctor, neither the ambulance (166) was called for the applicant. The applicant lawyer kept asking about the applicant but the police denied multiple times his arrest.

The big closed van arrived in a detention place (an open place, which was wired/fenced around and covered with tarpaulin and metallic roof), where he and the rest of arrested people were detained.

The most of the officers had military trousers and black blouses, had guns and globs. The applicant was forced to strip totally naked and was bodily searched before the rest of the detainees (about 150 people women, men, children, from different nationalities) and the officers. The behavior of the Greek officers was humiliating and insulting. The applicant was beaten by the Greek officers.

The applicant did not have any contact with the outside world. His data were not registered. His telephone was taken by the Greek authorities (upon arrest ) and never was returned back.

The applicant asked for medical aid and for medicine (at least for pain killer), but the authorities denied to do it. The applicant was in very bad health condition and lost many times his consciousness during his detention.

Then after 19.00 the applicants and the rest of the detainees have been forced violently to enter closed van/lorries and brought (after 1 ½ hours apprx.) to the river Evros. The officers told them to jump and swim in the water. Those who did not jump were violently and with beatings put in boats (where Afgans - under the command of the Greek officers- drove the boats).

The applicant could not even move because of his sickness. He was pushed back via boat.

In Turkey he was not apprehended by the Turkish authorities and managed to leave the area and was hospitalized in Bursa Hospital because of cold and poisonment. He was missing for days.

The applicant , who is a holder of “kimlik” in Turkey, is afraid of illegal removal back to Syria (where he faces danger of political persecution) due to the lack of safeguards against removal in Turkey and the political situation for Syrian refugees in Turkey and lack of proper living conditions in Turkey. Additionally in case that Turkey is informed about his illegal exit, he will lose his status.
The applicant is afraid by the Turkish authorities and wishes to apply for refugee status.

The applicant would like again to stress that the denial of medical help by the Greek authorities constitutes a violation of article 2 and 3 of ECHR , since the Greek authorities are obliged to take any necessary action for search and rescue and for provision for medical help for any human being (irrespectively if they are third nationals without residence permit in Greece, irrespectively if they are entering illegally via Turkey or other third country) .

In the case of the applicant the Greek authorities had been officially informed about his urgent need of medical help, but they denied him any medical help and denied to register his spotting and apprehension, denied to inform the competent authorities about his rescue and need medical help (166 national center for urgent help). Additionally they detained him under humiliating and unhealthy conditions and pushed him in a dangerous way back to Turkey, deteriorating even more his health.

The Greek police has never informed the emergency service (ambulance 166) and denied even his apprehension. The emergency service (via ambulance or by a nurse ) has never also accompanied the police authorities during the search and rescue operation, as they should have done.

The applicant would like to mention that in case of his death, nobody would have known what happened to him.”