The CPT Visits Greece to Examine Prisons and Police

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A delegation of the CPT carried out a periodic visit to Greece from 20 to 31 January 2025.

The purpose of the visit was to examine the treatment and conditions of detention of persons deprived of their liberty in Greek prisons and by the Hellenic Police.

The visit was an opportunity to review the progress made by the authorities in implementing the Committee’s recommendations in relation to prison matters since its previous visits in 2019 and 2021 and following high-level meetings on prison reform in 2022 and 2023.

The delegation paid particular attention to the measures taken by the Greek authorities to tackle the systemic issues of overcrowding and chronic shortages of prison staff, which – if they remain unaddressed – would seriously undermine the functioning of prisons. To this end, it visited nine prison establishments, including the two prisons for women, and several police stations in various regions of the country.

The delegation visited the following establishments of deprivation of liberty:

Prison establishments

Alikarnassos Prison (Heraklion)
Chalkida Prison
Chania Prison
Korydallos Women’s Prison
Korydallos Prison Complex (targeted visits to the Men’s Prison, the Prison Health Centre and the Prison Psychiatric Hospital)
Malandrino Prison
Nafplion Prison
Patras Prison
Thiva Women’s Prison

Police establishments