Migra Studium, Tanquem els CIE, Irídia and SOS Racisme want to denounce that in the current context of health emergency by Covid-19, situations of tension are being experienced inside the CIE, which in any case may involve violations of the fundamental rights of detainees. Likewise, as a result of the situation, acts of protest are being carried out, such as wandering in the streets, displaying banners or temporary refusal to enter the cells. We understand that these situations must be considered as an exercise of the right to peaceful assembly and demonstration and now more than ever the authorities must act with the utmost professionalism and proportionality in the face of protest situations, always protecting the rights of the people inside and guaranteeing dialogue and mediation inside the centers. We wish to denounce that after a protest that took place last Saturday in the CIE of Barcelona, the tension between the officials and the detainees increased.

Monday, March 16th in this press release we have already warned about the risk of the inmates suffering violence and aggressions by the police officers. Unfortunately, beyond the tension, today we have to denounce that today we have filed a complaint on behalf of a prisoner for having been subjected to a possible crime against moral integrity and injuries after having been assaulted by agents of the national police in his cell. As he himself denounces, “Last Sunday, March 15, around 4:45 p.m., just after the recompense and before the inmates could leave the cells to go to the courtyard, I was the victim of an assault by 5 of the national police officers in charge of the custody of the center. The aggression took place inside my cell, in front of the three inmates who share the cell with me”. According to the complaint, an agent entered his cell and, after asking him if he was the one who insulted them, he gave him two slaps, after which the inmate pulled his arm away. After this situation, 5 policemen jumped on him and, while 3 agents immobilized him, the first agent assaulted him with punches and another agent hit him with the truncheon to the side and to the beds. One of the punches was in the area of the back of the head, which has left an injury that can be corroborated by the lawyer.

The assaulted person was released yesterday due to the impossibility of being able to carry out the deportation due to the health emergency by Covid 19.

We demand that the Ministry of the Interior take all the necessary measures to ensure accountability and to ensure the maintenance of the images recorded by the video surveillance cameras, which have been requested to be urgently requested to the CIE by the guardianship court.

Let’s close the CIEs. Enough of police aggressions.