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Attacked by dogs and forced into a river
The main respondent is a 27-year-old man from Syria. According to him, he was part of a transit group of 18 people who crossed the border between Turkey and Bulgaria on the 13th of October. He reports that there were 3 minors in the group. The respondent states that it was around 2 pm and the group had just crossed the border in the surroundings of Hamzabeyli when a vehicle suddenly arrived. he respondent reports that 4 people wearing green uniforms with “BORDER POLICE” written on it, identified as Bulgarian Border Police, showed up at the place, while he describes the car they went out as a normal police car.
According to him the members of the group tried to run away, but the people were chased by unleashed police dogs (2). The respondent recalls falling to the ground and being bitten by a dog in his leg that started to bleed. According to him, other members of the transit group suffered the same attacks from the police dogs. The respondent reports that after the dog attack the Bulgarian Border Police officers started to force the members of the transit group to the ground. He recalls the police officers beating the people with batons (also the minors) and asking them for their money, their phones, their powerbanks and all of their personal belongings. The respondent reports that after 1 hour the members of the transit group were forced inside a van and driven to the border with Turkey, where they were forced to enter into a river and just left there.
overview
18 people ,
from Syria,
aged 20-30 years old, and minors.