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I don’t know if he is dead or he is alive. I have no idea

Date & Time 2019-11-29
Location Evros river, near Uzunkopru (est. loc.)
Reported by Philoxenia
Coordinates 41.32962065, 26.60031709
Pushback from Greece
Pushback to Turkey
Taken to a police station yes
Minors involved no
WLTI* involved no
Men involved yes
Age 6 - 25
Group size 3
Countries of origin Morocco
Treatment at police station or other place of detention detention
Overall number of policemen and policewomen involved Unknown
Violence used water immersion, theft of personal belongings, binding hands and feet
Police involved 13-4 balaclava officers ("kagol") in Greek territory. Later handed over to Turkish police officers.

The respondent attempted to cross the Turkey-Greece border on the night of 28/29th of November 2019. The respondent was in a transit group of three other people between the ages of 25-26 years old. They were all from Morocco. The transit group attempted to cross the border from the Turkish city of Uzunkopru which is located next the Evros River that runs along the border between Turkey and Greece.

The transit group crossed the border at around 05:00-06:00. On reaching Greek land, the transit group saw officers in balaclavas and proceeded to hide under a tree. The police officers caught one of the members of the transit group. The officers in balaclavas tied this man’s wrists and ankles together using plastic cable ties and threw him into the Evros River. The respondent states that he still does not know what happened to this man:

“I don’t know if he is dead or he is alive. I have no idea”

The other members of transit group ran for about 200m but were arrested by more officers in balaclavas.

The respondent explains that there were about 13 to 14 officers. The officers took the transit groups belongings and then took the group to a prison on the Greek side of the river. The transit group was then pushed back to Turkey (on the same day of 29th November 2019, where they were given to Turkish police. The Turkish police took everything that the transit group had left including clothes, phone, money and jewelry.