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The police hit him on his shoulders, back and head, causing pain on his left ear and loss of hearing.

Date & Time 2017-02-06
Location A village 30km from the border, Croatia
Reported by Rigardu
Coordinates 45.26441621, 18.80996704
Pushback from Croatia
Pushback to Serbia
Taken to a police station unknown
Minors involved yes
WLTI* involved no
Men involved no
Age unknown
Group size 10
Countries of origin Afghanistan
Treatment at police station or other place of detention
Overall number of policemen and policewomen involved 10
Violence used beating (with batons/hands/other), kicking, destruction of personal belongings, theft of personal belongings
Police involved 10 police officers (8 with uniforms, 2 in plain clothes)

On June 2nd 2017, 10 people from Afghanistan, three of them minors, were caught in a village in Croatia, 30km from the border. When two police officers found them on the road, the 10 people on the move attempted to run away. The police increased its forces, as three more police cars with eight police officers arrived. 10 police officers in total, 8 were wearing uniform, 2 were without uniform but arrived in police cars as well.

The police beat the 10 people on the move, in the Croatian village and not at the border, using fists, feet and police batons. The police beat everyone in the group, asking them: “Where are you from? Who speaks English? Who wants asylum?” Nobody answered. They took the mobile phones and checked them. Two of the 10 people on the move had messages in English on their phones. The police destroyed these phones and threw them away.

After the beatings, the group of 10 people were ordered in to a van with no police sign on it. They drove them to the border and let them out. There was no Serbian police at the border. The group included a 17 year old boy. The police hit him on his shoulders, back and head, causing pain on his left ear and loss of hearing.