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A Month felt like a Year
The respondent is an Iranian man in his 30s. He reports he was travelling in a group of ten: Himself and his friend, five Turkish men, one Egyptian man, and two Egyptian boys. On the 18th of December 2024 the group crossed the border from Bosnia to Croatia. The group left Bihac in a car at 5 am. They drove for two hours avoiding check points and crossed the border into Croatia. They encountered police at around 7am, during the encounter guns were fired at the car they were travelling in, they were beaten and threatened with guns before eight were taken into detention at Zatvor u Splitu Detention centre . The exact location of the incident is unknown.
Zatvor u Splitu Detention centre
Between 7 and 7:30 am two police cars began to tail the car carrying the group. The police ordered the driver to stop. When the driver did not stop a shot was fired by police through the passenger window of the car damaging the car, the car was driving near the edge of a five-metre cliff. At this point the respondent became extremely afraid, the group begged the driver to stop. The police shot several times more damaging the underside of the car and puncturing the wheels, this forced the car to halt. Once stopped the group were ordered to exit the car by police.Outside the car the group were beaten by police using batons. The respondent was beaten on the right side of his chest, his right shoulder and his right thigh, damage to his skin was still visible three months later at our interview. ‘Wild dogs’ were present and he reports that other members of the group were beaten more severely than he was. After the beating a dolmus arrived. The eight adults were restrained and confined in the back of the dolmus for transportation.
The group were transported to a police station in Split, the respondent reports that the conditions were ‘disgusting’ – dark and dirty with no seating during the journey. The respondent suffers from Asthma and chronic heart issues, conditions he had made known to the police, despite this the transport chosen had no ventilation and he struggled breath throughout the journey. At the police station the group were stripped naked and searched. They were held for two days before being moved to Zatvor u Splitu Detention centre at 4 am. The respondent was put in a small cell with three other men, the cell was infested with lice. During his detention at the prison the respondent suffered a heart attack; he was taken to hospital where he was put on oxygen before being returned to the detention centre. ‘A month felt like a year’ the respondent tells me. In the detention centre psychological and physical abuse were used against the respondent. He reports being told repeatedly he would be returned to Iran, being forced to pick up litter, being called a criminal, and being threatened with beatings. The only good day was Christmas day, the respondent tells me, the one day where guards did not harass or abuse him.After one month the respondent was taken from his cell and presented with a document to sign. He was refused a translator. The guards presenting the document were armed with guns and batons and threatened him with beating and deportation to Iran if he did not sign. The respondent signed the document and was returned to the border where the Croatian police took his last 400 euros. They told him this was the price of the transport to the border and the food he ate whilst in prison, demanding he thank them and show them respect. At the Bosnian border he was transferred to the Bosnian border police who returned him to Bihac on 17/01/2025.
overview
10 people ,
from Iran, Egypt, Turkey,
aged 8 adults, 2 children.