European court awards damages for 'degrading' migrant detention conditions

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on Thursday awarded 8,000 euros in damages each to two plaintiffs who filed a suit against the Greek state over the "degrading" conditions of their incarceration after being arrested for failing to produce a valid residence permit.

Aisayah Erliana Herman, an Indonesian national born in 1982, and Bardi Serazadishvili, a Georgian born in 1971, claimed that their incarceration in Athens in 2010 pending deportation was illegal and the conditions under which they were held were degrading.

While awaiting removal they were both held in custody for a maximum period of six months. In their submission, they claimed that the cells in which they were held were "overcrowded, cramped and unhealthy."

Separate appeals against their custody and requests for asylum were respectively rejected.

In December 2010, following fresh appeals by Serazadishvili, a Greek court ordered his release, while Herman was released in February 2011 after the expiry of the six-month time limit.

The ECHR on Thursday ruled that each should be paid 8,000 euros for non-pecuniary damages plus an additional 2,000 euros each for costs and expenses.

Greece has repeatedly come under fire from international rights groups over the conditions at migrant detention centers and delays in processing asylum claims.