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They put metal sticks far inside my nostrils, turned and extended them harshly
The pushback took place in the night between the 7th and the 8th December at about 2 a.m. The people were returned from Croatia to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The respondent was a 30-year-old man from Afghanistan. He was part of a transit group, that consisted of him and three other people from Morocco. The respondent could not remember their age or gender of the other members of the group. Close to the village Pivare in Croatia and close to the river Sava, just after the river makes a strong bend, the transit group met four people, who the respondent referred to as “Croatian police”. The respondent described that the four men were dressed in uniforms, carrying guns and batons, and speaking Croatian to each other. He could not remember details of the uniforms. The officers had two cars with them, which the respondent referred to as of “a light color, and similar to a Berlingo”.
Reportedly, once they apprehended them, the officers started to beat the respondent for around 20 minutes. They used their firsts to punch him in his belly, their feet to kick his legs and knees, until he was laying on the ground. Then they went on beating him with their fists and batons, and kicking him in different parts of the body like his legs, thorax and belly. Further on, they also knuckled his throat, the respondent reported. Afterwards, as the respondent described, one of the officers fixed his head, while another one entered his nostrils with two long pieces of metal far inside, turned and extended them harshly, and pulled them out rapidly. This caused the respondent an enormous pain. The respondent did not remember for how long this procedure took. Reportedly further, an officer put his gun onto the forehead of the respondent for several seconds. Then he started to beat his nose from the outside hardly with the gun, until the respondent thought that his bone broke. Afterwards, the respondent explained that the officers commanded him to take off his jacket, shoes, socks and pants, and to hand it over to them. Moreover he reported, that the officers commanded him to give out his mobile phone, power bank, and his money, 400€, which they took from him. Further on, he stated that they kicked him a last time harshly with their feet into his belly, saying “Go!”. As being told, the respondent went back to Bosnia, barefoot trough the cold night.
At the moment of the interview, the broken nose was still causing the respondent a lot of pain. He was as well still suffering from pain in his torso and legs, caused by the punches and kicks from the officers.
overview
4 people ,
from Afghanistan and Morocco,
aged 30 years old, and unknown ages.