At approximately 21:00 on October 27, a group of four men (two Syrians and two Afghans) crossed into Hungary near Horgos. After walking and running through the borderland forests for about two hours, the group arrived at Highway 55, where they reportedly waited for a car to pick them up and drive them through Hungary. After waiting several hours, the car did not arrive, and feeling cold and hungry, the group decided to find help.

At around 6:00 am the following morning, the group arrived at a gas station, where a police car was parked. Two Hungarian officers, one man and one woman, both in their mid-to-late twenties, told the group to wait, while they called someone.  Approximately one hour later, eight or nine ‘military’ officers reportedly arrived dressed in camouflage clothing and wearing masks. The ‘military’ officers escorted the group to a forested area behind the gas station, where they reportedly ordered the men to undress to their underwear and to lie on the ground. The ‘military’ officers then reportedly beat the men with batons on their head, back, and legs (see photos). According to the respondent, they also dumped cold water upon their bodies. The two Hungarian officers did not participate in the beating; but they watched it unfold. Both the ‘military’ and other officers did, however, reportedly laugh as the violence unfolded.

The ‘military’ officers also played a game with the group members in which they would say something in Hungarian, ask the men to repeat it after several minutes, and when they couldn’t, the officers would reportedly beat the men.

After about one hour, the ‘military’ left, and the officers reportedly put the men onto a large truck, which returned them to Serbia. The officers also took photos of the men.