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Croatian police searched us very bad, with wood, because they want to take everything.

Date & Time 2021-10-11
Location In a jungle close to east part of Knin city, Croatia.
Reported by Anonymous
Coordinates 44.04104798, 16.27765793
Pushback from Croatia
Pushback to Bosnia
Taken to a police station no
Minors involved no
WLTI* involved no
Men involved yes
Age 20 - 35
Group size 4
Countries of origin Iran
Treatment at police station or other place of detention
Overall number of policemen and policewomen involved
Violence used beating (with batons/hands/other), forcing to undress, theft of personal belongings, frisking with sticks
Police involved 6 policemen wearing black uniform and black mask, not wearing any plate.

On the 10th of November, 4 people from Iran were caught by Croatian police who stole them everything and violently checked them.

The respondent claims that him and other 3 people from Iran started their game from Bosansko Grahovo; they crossed the border and after 5-6 hours of walking, they were caught in a jungle closed to Knin city.

At the beginning there were 4 policemen, who afterwards called other 2 colleagues. These 6 policemen had a black uniform with a black mask, but, as the respondent says, they didn’t have any plate on their clothes.

The policemen first took everything from the 4 people: they stole their phones, money, clothes, jacket and even their shoes. The respondents admits he had a Visa card with 1000 euros on, and they also took that.

“They left us almost without clothes.”

After that, the 6 policemen checked the 4 people in a terrible way.

“They searched us with wood. You understand? With wood. I don’t want to add more. It’s ok, we give you money, phone, but why checking us like that? This is like rape.”

The respondent go on saying:

“They only beat my friend; they told him to give them his phone, but he cannot understand English very well, so they beat him.”

“We couldn’t even ask for asylum; they just told us fuck you.”

The respondent was telling that after checking them, they were loaded in a police van and brought closed to the Bosnian border, at the height of Drvar city in Bosnia. They were droven for around one hour.

The respondent and the other 3 people crossed the border, but the 4 people were really tired; the respondent says that he started to had problems at his knee, and he couldn’t walk anymore. The 4 people arrived to a police station, and they asked for help to the Bosnian police there.

“We asked for help because I couldn’t walk. The police said we won’t call anyone. Go away.”

The respondent claims they walked for other 15 km, and after that a policeman arrived and called another organization to pick the group up.

On the 26th of November, the day the testimony was recorded, the respondent still has pain on his knee.