On the 8th of July 2019, four men (a 34-year-old Burundi, two Moroccans aged 26 and 30, and one Egyptian aged 42) crossed into Croatia via train. After exiting at an unknown train station the group travelled on foot for two days until they ran out of food 27KM from Zagreb. They estimate that they stopped and were then apprehended in Sisak, Croatia. 

At 3 pm, after a suspected tip-off from a local who had spotted the 26-year-old Moroccan man travelling alone to buy more food, six police officers arrived and apprehended him. After forcing him to give up the location of the group, the six police officers travelled with the young Moroccan to the abandoned building he and the other men were temporarily staying.  Upon entering the building, the Croatian police officers searched their belongings and forced them to pack all the stuff into their bags. 

After having their belongings searched, the men were ordered by the police to sit down on the floor. Once sat down the police officers started to jump on and kick the four men in the head and body for 30 minutes. The four men cried for the officers to stop, but this did nothing to help stop the attack. 

The police then took the four men and drove them to the border, arriving at 1 am Thursday. At the border, the men were ordered to “Go! Don’t come back” and then ensured another 15 to 20-minute attack by the police, where again they were kicked in the head and body.

Since being violently pushed back from Croatia, the men now report a variety of health problems associated with the attack by the police. One of the men is suffering from a swollen leg after the police had jumped on it, and one of the men now has problems with his left ribs after the police continuously kicked them.