A young man from São Tomé and Príncipe is detained in the Space Equivalent to a Temporary Installation Center (EECIT) at Lisbon Airport, where he claims to have been attacked by Public Security Police (PSP) agents on the night of January 29th. He was admitted to the emergency room at Hospital de São José at 11:50 pm that night, where he underwent tests and received care for around three hours.
SIE came to Lisbon for a medical appointment. In a message to which DN had access, SIE writes to her aunt, Hortência S., who lives in Lisbon, reporting the aggression and saying he was afraid of dying. “I don’t want to die here, aunt, I want to go to the hospital”, he writes. According to the young man, the attack occurred when the agents tried to take him to board the plane to his country of origin.
To DN, the young man’s aunt explains that her nephew has been suffering from headaches for some time. “He suffers from severe headaches, he is always sick. In São Tomé we don’t have proper medicine”, says Hortência, who has lived in Lisbon for 20 years.
For the trip, SIE requested a short-term consular visa, valid until February 15th. PSP confirmed that he has a return ticket with the company TAAG for that same day. However, the agents refused entry into national territory.
The arguments that supported the refusal of entry were the alleged lack of valid documentation to prove the reason for the trip and the conditions of stay. Even with the visa and proof of the appointment, scheduled by the young man’s cousin after refusing entry, the appointment was not taken into consideration.
Regarding the conditions of staythe São Tomé native did not have a declaration of responsibility from family members living in Lisbon, claiming that, having had a visa, he did not know it was necessary. According to the aunt, after the arrest, the cousin stated that she would sign the waiver of responsibility for the young man.
Another reason for refusal was the lack of enough money for the period of stay in Lisbon. SIE brought €656.73, an amount considered by the PSP “manifestly insufficient for the duration of the declared stay”.
The aunt found a lawyer who managed to visit the client on Friday, January 30, when he was complaining of pain. The lawyer asked, on Thursday night, for a review of the deportation decision, which was denied. The lawyer then filed a hierarchical appeal and is awaiting a decision.
However, As there is no judicial picketing regime for airport cases, decisions can take days. There have been cases in which the PSP did not wait for these decisions and took passengers back to their country of origin, as DN has already reported. This Saturday, January 31st, the young manin text messages to his family, continues to complain of pain. The lawyer confirmed to DN that he will file a criminal complaint against the PSP.
Family members are concerned about the young man’s health. “They’re going to put him on the plane to die, but he’s not a criminal”says the aunt. Although he says he understands the decision to refuse, he adds that there was no need to “fight”.
PSP denies attacks
After requesting information from DN, the PSP confirmed to the newspaper that an investigation will be opened to investigate the case. However, he denies aggression and claims that coercive means were used. “As part of the subsequent steps, while the citizen was being taken for reboarding purposes, he managed to escape from police custody, having been immediately intercepted. During this intervention, the citizen offered active resistance, which led to the adoption of coercive means of a non-lethal nature, strictly necessary and proportional to the situation, with the aim of ceasing resistance and ensuring the safety of citizens, agents and third parties”the document reads.
The decision to take him for medical care was due to “superficial abrasions resulting from resistance and immobilization on the ground”, claims the PSP. “Following this intervention, the citizen was transported to Hospital de São José on the initiative of the PSP, where he received medical observation, eye cleaning and treatment of the aforementioned injuries, having been discharged on the same day”he explains.
The DN had access to the discharge document, in which the doctor requested that an ultrasound radiology examination be repeated. However, the PSP agent informed that the patient would be deported the following morning and would have to take the exam in his country of origin.
The PSP also denies the information that he spent the night in handcuffs. “Regarding the allegations of being handcuffed overnight and lacking rest conditions, the PSP clarifies that, according to the information already collected, after returning from the hospital unit, the citizen was placed in bed, properly covered and without the use of handcuffs. This matter is also being confirmed through the analysis of video surveillance images”, he highlights.
The PSP emphasizes that all the events occurred in areas monitored by video and that it is analyzing all recorded images. “The PSP also informs that the respective news report was prepared and that all areas where the events occurred are covered by a permanent CCTV system, with the images preserved and under analysis. Given the existence of full video surveillance of the spaces and the information already collected, the PSP does not have, at this stage, any elements that corroborate the version of gratuitous attacks or alleged ill-treatment.”
Finally, the PSP confirms that it continues to investigate all the facts. “The PSP reaffirms that it always acts in accordance with the principles of legality, necessity and proportionality and is carrying out the necessary steps to fully establish the facts, collaborating with all competent entities, should legal proceedings be triggered.”
amanda.lima@dn.pt
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