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I was left covered in blood
The main respondent is a 35-year-old man from Morocco. He lived in Italy for 24 years, where his wife and child currently reside. Following an expulsion order, he was forced to take the Balkan route in an attempt to return to Italy and reunite with his family. At the time of the interview, he had been in Bosnia for about a month. He was registered at the Lipa camp.
The violence occurred in the city center of Bihać.
The respondent reports that on April 20th, at approximately 5:30 p.m., the main respondent was in the city center in Bihać (Bosnia), when he was approached by three police officers for a document check. When they asked him to show his ID, he explained calmly that he did not have his card on him, as it was stored at the Lipa camp. He offered his name and surname and assured the officers that his information was in the system.
The officers insisted that he get into their vehicle so they could take him to the camp. The respondent refused, explaining that he had no money to return from the camp to the city, and that it was not necessary since his ID could be located easily.
At that point, he reports that the situation escalated without provocation. One officer slapped him in the face, and another pulled out a baton and began beating him. He was struck in the mouth, thrown to the ground, and then had his head stomped on by two of the officers while the third, an older officer, watched. Throughout the beating, he reports that the officers hurled insults at him, targeting not only him but also his family. He emphasized the brutality of the event, stating that his face was severely disfigured and that the experience left him deeply shocked and humiliated.
The officers insisted that he get into their vehicle so they could take him to the camp. The respondent refused, explaining that he had no money to return from the camp to the city, and that it was not necessary since his ID could be located easily.
At that point, he reports that the situation escalated without provocation. One officer slapped him in the face, and another pulled out a baton and began beating him. He was struck in the mouth, thrown to the ground, and then had his head stomped on by two of the officers while the third, an older officer, watched. Throughout the beating, he reports that the officers hurled insults at him, targeting not only him but also his family. He emphasized the brutality of the event, stating that his face was severely disfigured and that the experience left him deeply shocked and humiliated.
Photo shared with NNK by the respondent, showing the damage to his face from the beating
After the physical assault, one of the officers delivered a final kick to the main respondent’s face while he was lying on the ground, bleeding. According to his account, one of the officers then said in Bosnian (a language he does not fully understand but partially grasped): “Leave him, he’s covered in blood. Let’s get in the car and go. No one saw us.” The officers then fled the scene, leaving him injured and alone.
overview
1 people ,
from Morocco,
aged 35.