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Forced to walk shoeless to the nearest Transit Reception Centre

Date & Time 2021-07-16
Location Irinovac, Croatia
Reported by Collective Aid
Coordinates 44.9609888, 15.6561959
Pushback from Croatia
Pushback to Bosnia
Taken to a police station yes
Minors involved no
WLTI* involved no
Men involved yes
Age unknown
Group size 16
Countries of origin Afghanistan
Treatment at police station or other place of detention detention
Overall number of policemen and policewomen involved 18
Violence used beating (with batons/hands/other), kicking, forcing to undress, destruction of personal belongings, theft of personal belongings
Police involved 6 Croatian Police officers, 12 Special Police (SJP) officers

After 9pm on the 16th of July, a group of 16 people from Afghanistan crossed the border between Bosnia and Croatia, close to Bihac. The respondent reported that they were caught on the side of road 217 by 6 Croatian police officers in blue uniforms, who arrived in 3 separate vehicles.

The respondent reported that the Croatian police units called for back up and shortly after 12 individuals wearing green uniforms balaclavas joined the operation, presumably the Special force’s police officers. The respondent states that the members of the transit group were beaten with batons on their limbs and all their belongings were taken: food, water, phone, money, and shoes.

They were then taken to the police station, from where they were brought to the Bosnian border and left there. The respondent and his travel companions proceeded to walk shoeless for days until they reached the nearest Transit Reception Center.