Mr M.S.S, an Afghan national, fled war-torn Kabul in early 2008 fearing for his life due to his service as an interpreter for international air force troops based in Kabul.

Upon his arrival to Greece, the authorities detained him in a limited-occupancy building where he could use the toilets only when allowed by the guards, was provided very little to eat, and slept on a dirty mattress or on the floor.

The European Court of Human Rights held that harsh detention conditions in Greece - such as overcrowding, insufficient ventilation, lack of regular access to toilets or sanitary facilities, and inadequate food - had been inhuman and degrading.