The police officer held a knife to his neck

The main respondent and his group encountered the Serbian authorities during an attempt to cross the border from Serbia into Bosnia. The confrontation occurred at night, when individuals turned on bright lights and fired multiple gunshots into the air. At first, the group did not recognize them as police officers and believed they might be gang members or thieves. In panic, they started to run into the forest. The authorities were later identified as Serbian police officers, confirmed by the Serbian flag on their uniforms. They arrived in a small white-and-blue Serbian police car. At the moment of the encounter, the group ran in different directions, trying to escape. A drone was then used to locate them individually in the forest. Once the officers approached, those who had been found surrendered peacefully, signaling with their hands to show they were unarmed. Despite this, they were subjected to violent and degrading treatment. The main respondent described the violence as carried out by three officers. Only one was physically abusive, while the other two mocked and laughed at the group. Upon capture, officers repeatedly asked who among them spoke English. The main respondent, although fluent, deliberately remained silent, fearing he would be targeted more harshly. His fears proved justified. One officer isolated individuals one by one, subjecting them to extreme physical violence. One member of the group was threatened with drowning, had a knife held to his neck, was pinned down with a foot on his throat, and punched repeatedly in the face. When it was the respondent’s turn, the officer attempted to push him into the water, demanding to know if he could swim. The respondent pleaded, avoiding any English to protect himself. He was thrown to the ground, kicked indiscriminately across the body, and shown a knife as a threat. He was also hit in the face and continuously asked if he spoke English.Throughout the abuse, the police officers demanded money and phones. Once collected, they searched the internet to check the value of each phone. In the end, all phones, money, and even bags were taken. The group was left only with the clothes they were wearing.