CAT nomination: interview with Dr Maria Piniou-Kalli

Dr Maria Piniou-Kalli, Medical Director of the Athens-based Medical Rehabilitation Centre for Torture Victims, the MRCT, has been nominated for the UN Committee against Torture (CAT). In an interview to Sune Segal, head of the IRCT Communications Unit, Dr. Piniou-Kalli talks about the nomination, her backgkround and how she plans to contribute to the work of the Committee if she becomes one of its members.

Q: Dr Maria Piniou-Kalli, as a Medical Doctor you have been involved in supporting torture survivors for more than 25 years. Moreover, from 1998-2003 you held the presidency of the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims – the IRCT.

In 1999 you were nominated for a seat in the United Nations Committee against Torture, and recently you have been nominated for the Committee once again by the Greek government. I would like to ask you a few questions in this regard. To begin with I am curious to know about your immediate reaction when you learned about the nomination?

A: I was delighted, not so much because of the personal recognition, but because I come from a country that has a recent and concrete experience in what torture means, i.e. from the time of the military regime that was in power here from 1967 to 1974. In fact, apart from Spain and Portugal, Greece is the only country in Europe that has a recent experience of systematic torture in times of peace. So my immediate reaction was that I thought this was an excellent opportunity for Greece to contribute in a very significant way to the international efforts to prevent torture and ensure the rights of victims of torture. That said, at the personal level I have many years of experience working in this field, and I would find it extremely gratifying to put this experience at the service of the United Nations Committee against Torture.

Q: Before we proceed to talking more specifically about the Committee I’d like to know a little more about your centre, the MRCT, e.g. how many patients you receive, who they are, what problems they have, what treatment methods you employ etc.

A: The MRCT was established in 1989, but I have been active in the anti-torture movement for many years. In the 1980’es I was a member of the board of directors of the Greek section of Amnesty International, during which time I was primarily involved in the work against torture. However, actual treatment of victims of torture was out of Amnesty’s mandate, so at a point they asked me to establish a medical group to deal with this very crucial issue. And this is what I did, in collaboration with the Copenhagen-based Rehabilitation and Research Centre for Torture Victims, the RCT. And this is what eventually led to the establishment of the MRCT in Athens in 1989.

In terms of the patients we have received through the years it is important to understand that Greece is the European gateway to the Orient, which means that we have a large influx of refugees, of whom many are victims of torture. They come from countries like Iran, from Turkey – both Kurds and Turks – and the countries of the Middle East, not least Iraqis, and from North Africa as well as Sub-Saharan Africa. In the last five years we have received a large number of refugees from countries like Sudan, DR Congo, Ethiopia and Somalia.

What I think is very important to mention here is that we provided treatment to all refugees, and mostly refugees who were in the country illegally. These people were desperate, they were very afraid of the police, and although many needed treatment badly they could not go to the hospital for fear of getting caught and deported. To deal with this we had a network of some one hundred doctors who provided treatment for free. And at a later point we worked as the medical unit of the UNHCR, whom we continue to collaborate closely with today.

Today the system has changed so that illegal refugees can go to the hospital, but at the same time it is absolutely indispensable to have a specialised treatment centre like the MRCT with expert knowledge about torture sequels. As for our approach we offer primary treatment, even surgery, as well as diagnosis and medical and psychological treatment. In short our process is like this: Our screening committee has a first interview with the patient, after which I examine him or her. Then I decide where to refer the patient, put together a programme to meet his/her medical and psychological needs upon which the rehabilitation process can begin.

Moreover – and this is another very important aspect of our work – ever since the Istanbul Protocol [editor: the OHCHR’s Manual on Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment] was devised and adopted I have issued medical certificates for torture victims – a total of about 4,500 certificates till today. In doing so I have used the principles of the Protocol for determining whether people are torture victims or not. For many years the certificates I issued were accepted by the Greek authorities, but after some cases of torture occurred in Greece in 2004 the forensic work was transferred to forensics that were employed by the authorities and had no special knowledge about torture sequels. The result was that they never diagnosed any symptoms as being the result of torture, which shows clearly why it is so important to have specialists who have the expertise to recognise symptoms of torture.

Q: Could I ask you to describe your own background, and maybe also to explain a bit more about your own current role working in support of torture survivors?

I am currently the medical director of MRCT, and this position is of course primarily based on my medical background. But I also have a very political background. Actually, my original motivation to get involved in human rights work was my first meeting with a victim of torture. I was 9 years old, and the victim was my father. In 1953, during a civil war, he was jailed for political activities, and my mother and his lawyer feared for his life. They were not permitted to see him, but for some reason my sister and I was given permission to visit him. He was in a cell less than one by one meter when I saw him. He was almost naked, his feet were swollen – this was because of falanga; beating on the sole of the foot – and he had wounds on his arm and in his armpit as a result of a method of torture that was widely used in Greece at that time, namely to place hot, boiled eggs on sensitive areas of the victim’s body, thus provoking burns. I photographed him in my memory, and the image has stayed with me ever since.

As for myself I was arrested in 1967 and sent to the prison/extermination island Gyaros where I was held for one year. I met a fellow student there who had become a military doctor. As he recognised me he said “Maria, let me know if there is something I can do for you”. I replied that what I wanted most was a bit of freedom to practice my skills as a medical doctor”. He responded by putting me in charge of the first examination of newly arrived prisoners, among them of course some victims of torture. For the more serious cases I was also tasked with accompanying prisoners to the barred-up little house they called a “hospital”. These two hundred meters of “freedom” were fabulous.

Basically, these things in my background is the fundamental explanation for why I am so dedicated to my work and to the cause of supporting victims of torture. When democracy was finally reinstalled in Greece, I wanted to be politically involved, not as a politician, but through civil society. My basic philosophy was a great encompassing “no” to all forms of human rights violations, not only torture, but all kinds of abuse and repression. To put it in very Greek terms I experienced a tragedy, and my involvement in human rights work through civil society is my personal catharsis.

Q: You touched on this earlier, but I would like to know a little more about why, in your opinion, it is so important to maintain specialised treatment centres for torture survivors. Shouldn’t the public health care system deal with this task?

A: I have already mentioned some of the reasons why it is important to have independent, non-governmental organisations like the MRCT to address the needs of torture victims. In addition to those, for me it is also important not to over-medicalise the issue. Torture victims don’t just need medical care. They need a holistic approach – deep knowledge about what torture means, physically and mentally, about the sequels and the social impact. Aspirin treatment won’t do. Torture victims need support to find their lost belief in the human being. And they need human beings to treat and support them in many ways, not only to ask to the symptoms and prescribe medicine. There is a story behind their symptoms that the caregiver should know and understand as much as possible. Among other things this requires knowledge of the political and social context of the area the person in question comes from. And you must know their personal ordeal as thoroughly as possible. Let me give you an obvious example: If people have been tortured with electricity, one must be extremely careful before prescribing examination methods such as electro-cardiographs or electro-encephalographic. Of course it is possible to use these examination methods, but only after a thorough psychological examination. Not knowing and understanding the individual patient’s background can lead to retraumatisation, which is something that must be avoided at all costs. In that sense you could say that the primary duty of a treatment centre for torture victims is to provide trust.

There is also the question of pure numbers. According to the UNHCR at least twenty percent of refugees globally are victims of torture. In Greece alone I would say we need some 30 specialised centres to meet the need. Very importantly, we need centres at our national borders, which is of course where refugees cross into the country. In the islands we have a project we call the “borderline city project” through which we try to educate the border police in order to sensitize citizens and the authorities, especially the police.

Q: Ok, let’s move on to the United Nations Committee against Torture: First, in your opinion, what are the major strengths of the Committee?

A: In my opinion a major achievement of the Committee has been to put torture squarely on the international human rights agenda. I actually have a very personal experience of this, from the world conference on human rights held in Vienna in 1993, where the Committee and the IRCT together were instrumental in making the right to freedom from torture part of the final report of the conference (in the background material “torture” was referred to merely as a word in brackets). What happened was that my colleague Dr Inge Genefke and I asked permission to take the floor. With the support of some of the participating governments, Dr Genefke addressed the plenary while I addressed the main committee, pleading that freedom from torture be mentioned in its own right, and not just in brackets. And indeed, the final report did end up explicitly reaffirming that the right to freedom from torture is absolute. Apart from giving birth to my children, this was the most important event in my life.

Moreover, I think that one of the major achievements of the Committee is the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture, which establishes system of independent inspections of places of detention that states can commit to and implement. To have such a mechanism whereby experts that can turn up unannounced at the spot and carry out inspections is a crucial tool to prevent torture. And I am convinced it will be very successful.

Q: And what do you think are the major challenges the UN Committee against Torture is facing in carrying out its work?

A: The War against Terror and its consequences. After 9/11 2001 the Convention against Torture has not been respected, and there is now a new trend to justify torture with the ticking bomb argument [a theoretical scenario where a suspect believed to know the location of a time bomb is in custody and may be tortured into disclosing his knowledge before the bomb goes of ]. I think the major challenge for the Committee right now is to press for full respect for the Convention.

Moreover, I think we need a new definition of torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Humiliation is not the same for everyone. I once talked to a torture survivor who had been beaten severely, but, he told me, the worst thing they did to him by far was taking a photo of him naked and circulating it via their mobile phones. For him, the humiliation of this was the worst. In fact it made him want to commit suicide.

Q: In your opinion, why is it important that some of the members of the Committee be medical professionals?

A: Among other things because inclusion of medical professionals with knowledge of torture sequels in general and the Istanbul Protocol in particular strengthens the Committee’s ability to evaluate individual complaints. Basically, the medical aspect of torture is a fact, and so is the medical evidence, because torture produces typical symptoms. As medical professionals, we can put our expertise at the service of the Committee to help assess whether a given complaint is justified or not.

Q: In your own words, what would be the major strengths you would bring to the Committee?

A: Concretely, I have 25 years experience in the field, and I have examined at least 6000 torture survivors during that time, so I have substantial hands-on experience with the issue. Moreover, there is also my own personal experience, which I talked about earlier. Torture is very present in my personal history, and also in that of my country, so I have intimate insight into the question of torture and its sequels, both as an individual and as a citizen of a country that came out of a cruel dictatorship only 33 years ago. But also a country that I believe is a model of establishing democracy after a period of oppression and systematic torture. Greece is the first country in the world where torturers have been sentenced - approximately 400 trials on torture acts have taken place. And Greece had the first cases where it was established that torturers and the dictators that violated the Constitution should pay for their deeds. This catharsis of Greece is the real reason we were able to establish a strong democracy.

Q: What are the most important lessons you have learned during your time in office as president of the IRCT and as director of the MRCT? And how do you intend to employ this experience if you are elected for a seat in the committee?

A: During the past three decades where I have travelled to eighty different countries I have come realised that human suffering is the same around the world. And I have learned that there are national, regional and international methods of torture that can be proved through professional investigation.

As president of IRCT I visited many countries and discussed with the authorities the ratification of the UN Convention against Torture. This experience has convinced me that with international collaboration it is possible to put and end to torture. This experience actually became reality when we were invited by the IRCT’s centre in Zimbabwe in 2001. There we examined people who had been tortured, and we informed the different countries’ ambassadors there, denouncing the regime’s use of torture. As a direct result the Zimbabwean government stopped using torture at that time. And the result of the next elections was that for the first time the opposition party was elected. Unfortunately torture is now very much back in Zimbabwe, but nonetheless my experience there has given me hope that it is possible to prevent torture and save lives.

And not least, I have learned that NGOs such as the IRCT is a very important component in international human rights conferences in terms of making concrete proposals and supporting governments in having good policies on human rights.

Should I be elected to the United Nations Committee against Torture I would place great emphasis on sharing knowledge and experiences with my fellow committee members and on a very active effort to address governments and urge them to respect freedom from torture as a basic human right.

More information: Medical Rehabilitation Centre for Torture Victims (MRCT)

CYPRUS NETWORK

Since July 2006, the Medical Rehabilitation Center For Torture Victims in Athens, elaborates the program funded by the European Refugee Fund and the Republic of Cyprus, aiming at the respect and the integral care for the refugees- torture victims, as well as for the asylum seekers, and the special issued services by the professionals for the diagnosis and treatment of torture victims.

The First phase of the program is already finished, concerning the training of health professionals in issues,relevant to the care for torture victims, as well as education, sensibilisation of employees of public services, which provide medical and legal services to torture victims, refugees and asylum seekers.

The Seminar for Health Professionals, provided training for 49 hours. To this invitation responded 27 participants, who fully participated in this program except a few people who, due to work abstained for a few hours. The group of health professionals included psychologist, sociologists, psychiatrics and social workers.

From the trainers point of view, the impression was that the trainees participated actively with questions, remarks and comments, sharing in the same time their own experience with asylum seekers and refugees in Cyprus. The participants from Pafos, Paralimni, Larnaka, Nicosia and Limassol.

The Seminar were for Governmental officers provided for 20 hours training. To this invitation responded 16 governmental officers who fully participated in the program. They came from : The Asylum Service, Pafos General Hospital, Paralimni General Hospital, Limassol and Nicosia Welfare Service, Kofinou Camp of Asylum seekers and the Central prisons of Nicosia.

From the trainers point of view the impression was that the trainees participated actively with questions, remarks, and comments, sharing in the same time their own experiences with asylum seekers and refugees in Cyprus. The participants from Pafos, Paralimni, Limassol who constantly participated in the seminar.

The trainers of this seminar were the scientific stff of the Medical Rehabilitation Center For Torture Victims in Athens: Dr. Maria Piniou-Kalli, Medical Director of the Medical Rehabilitation Center For Torture Victims, in Athens. ᷷ Dr. Dimokritos Sarantidis, Psychiatrist - President of Board of Directors. Ioanna Babassika, Legal Counselor of the Medical Rehabilitation for Torture Victims. Christos Kryssilas, Psychologist. Dora Papazafiri, Social Worker. Georgia Stribakou , Head of Secretary Jassem Assakere, Translator Murat Issi, translator Antonia Anastasiadou Responsible for Fund Raising.

Also, Dr. Dimitris Pantazis, the previous Psychologist of the Center, since its establishment, participated as a trainer.

The 22th of September, 2006 the head of Social Service, Ms Dora Papazafiri and the Psychologist of our Center, Dr. Christos Kryssilas had a presentation, in the Hellenic Agency for Local Government for vulnerable groups, about the structure and services that MRCT provides, addressed to professionals and refugees.

9th International Symposium For Torture, 9-10 of December 2006 Berlin (IX IRCT International Symposium on Torture)

The International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT) is an International Non Governmental Organization established in Copenhagen, in 1985 with consulting status in United Nations and other international organizations, is organizing its 9th International Symposium, where rehabilitation centers from 30 countries will participate. The Symposiums take place every 3-4 years. This year the Symposium will be held on the 9th -10th December 2006 in Berlin and the whole coordination is under the Berlin Center for the Treatment of Torture Victims (BZFO) umbrella. The last (VIIIth) Symposium on Torture was held in New Delhi, India, on 20-25 September, 1999. The representatives are elected by 140 Centers that are accredited members of the International Network. All rehabilitation centers and programs which are accredited with the IRCT were eligible to participate in the General Assembly.

During the General Assembly, the new members of the International Council will be elected, who, at the second round, will elect the new members of the Executive Committee, the President and the Vice-President.

Doctor Maria Piniou-Kalli, Medical Director of MRCT in Athens, has served as President of IRCT from 1998-2003. Under her presidency, the constitutional re-organization of the International Network which led to the construction and adoption of the Statutes and By-Laws and, further, they led to a democratic and efficient managing of the international movement of defense on torture victims started and completed. This will be at the same time the first General Assembly, since the re-organization of IRCT, where the Council members will be elected by representatives of the various regions of the world, physically present and not by electronic vote.

One of the most crucial issues of this year's Symposium will be the attempted re-definition of torture, after September 11th, 2001, and the revelation of torture that took place in Abu Graib and in several Detention Centers, which constitutes infringement (violation) of the U.N. International Convention Against Torture. Beyond the violations that are implemented in many countries, we have recent legislation in United States which permits specific methods of torture by decision of the President of USA.

Another issue will be the "Istanbul Protocol"and its implementation. The Istanbul Protocol is the official manual of United Nations for the efficient examination and documentation of torture and other forms of inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment (in order to assist the doctors to diagnose the torture sequelae and verify whether someone has been a torture victim or not.).

Also, in the Agenda will be discussed the impunity of the perpetrators and the compensation of the victims.

In our country, the diagnostic method that is based on the "Istanbul Protocol" has been used since 1990 (in the Medical Rehabilitation Centers For Torture Victims of Athens). Dr. Maria Piniou-Kalli along with Ioanna Babassika, Legal Counselor, have started a campaign on national as well as on European level, concerning the recognition and the respect of the Medical Certificate issued by the Medical Rehabilitation Centers For Torture Victims and which the authorities (for example, asylum services and others) to recognize torture victims and to offer them the provided treatment according to the National Legislation and the International Conventions.

The 12th of October 2006, Thursday, Ms Dora Papazafiri, Social Worker of the Medical Rehabilitation Center for Torture Victims, had a presentation , in Caritas organization of Athens (at its premises Panepistimiou & Omirou str.), concerning the structure and the services of our organization. At this workshop, participated social workers of Caritas organizations from other countries.


Expert Meeting in Amsterdam, 14-15 November 2006. Subject: Medico-legal certificates.

The Medical Rehabilitation Center For Torture Victims in Athens, will participate in this European expert meeting-workshop related with the medico- legal certificates that are issued by Rehabilitation Centers For Torture Victims under the rules of the Istanbul Protocol and their usage in the asylum process. The meeting is organized by Amnesty International, Dutch Section, FAROS Institute (which is the Medical Rehabilitation Center For Torture Victims in the Netherlands) and the Netherlands Council for Refugees. Our Organization will be represented by Doctor Maria Piniou-Kalli and Ioanna Babassika, Legal Counselor.


PARTICIPATION OF OUR COLLEAGUES IN THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE EUROPEAN NETWORK OF TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION CENTRE FOR VICTIMS OF TORTURE AND HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS, 29 March - 1st April 2006, Paris

Dr. Maria Piniou-Kalli, Medical Director of the Medical Rehabilitation Center for Torture Victims, Athens and Ms Ioanna Babassika, Legal Counselor MRCT participated in the annual meeting of the European Network of Treatment and Rehabilitaion Centre for Victims of Torture and Human Rights Violations, which took place in FIAP Jean Monnet, Paris, from 29/03/2006 till 01/04/2006. On Friday, March 31, 2006, a Press Conference held at the same place form 9:30 till 11:30 in respect of the governments of Europe and their failure to keep their commitment to support the survivors of torture and other severe acts of political violence seeking recognition, protection and access to appropriate healthcare in their territories. Our Greek correspondents in Paris were invited to a meeting with our colleagues for a valuable discussion for the impingement of human rights, attend the Press Conference and give the expected publicity.


Project submission to the European Commission for combating violence in women and youth minority population, in five E.U. countries.

Medical Rehabilitation Center for Torture Victims in collaboration with five NGO's from Greece, Italy, Spain, Cyprus and Hungary has submitted to European Commission project for the prevention, survey and combat incidents of violence in women and youth, minority population, in five EU countries.


REPORT
JUNE 26, 2005 – UNITED NATIONS INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE SUPPORT OF VICTIMS OF TORTURE
Activities organized by MRCT
 · June 23, 2005, Conference : “Civil Society and Prisons”
The conference was held in Amphitheatre of the Medical School of Athens University with great success. More than 120 participants attended the conference.
In the frame of the conference, the President of Greek Parliament Ms. Anna Psarouda- Benaki and the former President of Greek Parliament Mr. Apostolos Kaklamanis, were honored for their support to our organization, by mrs. Maria Piniou-Kalli, Medical Director of the Center. Among the main speakers the invited guests were Mr. Mauro Palma, member of CPT from Italy, the founder and the Honorable President of the NGO-“ANTIGONE” in Italy and Jiannis Panousis, Professor of Criminology in University of Athens. On behalf of the Center, Dr.Dimocritos Sarantidis had an Opening Speech and Ms.Babassika was the Coordinator of the discussion.
The event was covered by the national newspapers ELEPHTHEROTIPIA and PATHFINDER-http://news.pathfinder.gr/interviews/m_kali:htm1 (we are preparing the material like clippings and photos from the event for the IRCT documentation Center which will be send as soon as possible) and by the TV channel of the Greek Parliament.

 · Press Release
Before the Conference mrs. Maria Piniou – Kalli, Medical Director of the Center, gave an interview to the BBC correspondent which had 6 minutes duration, with main subject the work of our Center as a model of function of rehabilitation centers of torture victims and about the value of the Medical Report (Certificate) of a torture victim during the Asylum process.

 · Public awareness campaign for the 26th of June
- Posters to public transportation (buses, trolley buses, metro stations e.t.c.)
- Posters in universities and other educational institutions for the Conference
- Press Release announced by the Greek news papers and radio stations

Attached you can find photos of the Conference, poster for the 26th of June, poster for the conference (23 of June)

Description of the photos:

1. View of the Athens University where the conference on “Civil Society and Prisons” was held
2. View of the Conference Hall
3. Ms. Ioanna Babassika, Legal Counselor of Medical Rehabilitation Center of Torture Victims (MRCT) with the main speakers of the Conference mr. Mauro Palma, the Honorable President of “ANTIGONE”, NGO in Italy and mr. Giannis Panousis, Professor of Criminology of Athens University
4. Dr. Maria Piniou-Kalli, Medical Director of MRCT awarding Ms. Anna Psarouda – Benaki, actual President of Greek Parliament
5. Dr. Maria Piniou-Kalli, Medical Director of MRCT awarding mr. Apostolos Kaklamanis, former President of Greek Parliament
6. Dr. Dimocritos Sarantidis, President of MRCT (in the center) with ms. Angela Gerekou, a member of Greek Parliament (on the right), mr. Ioannis Ioannidis, General Secretary of Board of Directors MRCT (on the left) and other guests
7. Poster of the Conference
8. Poster for the June 26