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A lot of snow, no water and no food!

Date & Time 2021-01-24
Location close to Zabiče, Slovenia
Reported by No Name Kitchen
Coordinates 45.46175372, 14.40779757
Pushback from Croatia, Slovenia
Pushback to Bosnia
Taken to a police station yes
Minors involved no
WLTI* involved no
Men involved yes
Age 25 - 25
Group size 1
Countries of origin Morocco
Treatment at police station or other place of detention detention, fingerprints taken, personal information taken, papers signed, no translator present
Overall number of policemen and policewomen involved unknown
Violence used beating (with batons/hands/other), kicking, pushing people to the ground, theft of personal belongings
Police involved 6 Slovenian regular police officers, one slovenian police car, unknown number of Croatian police officers, one Croatian police van

On the 24th of January one man around 25 years old, reports that he was pushed back from Slovenia to Croatia and from there to Bosnia. He had left Velika Kladusa on foot and had walked for 7 days in the snow and cold. As he did not have any food or water left he decided to present himself to the police to ask them for help.

In the Slovenian village of Zabiče, he was then arrested by two officers thought to be members of the local police. They called another vehicle, in which the respondent reports that he was brought to a nearby police station. At this point, the respondent had difficulties walking, because his feet were in a bad condition due to frostbite. Reportedly one police officer kicked the respondent on the backside of his legs, to push him into the vehicle. As he did not feel safe on his feet, he fell down and had to crawl on the ground towards the vehicle. He states that he was then driven to a nearby police station.

At this station 3 other officers, also described as Slovenian police, were present. The respondent reports that he was interrogated, his personal data, and his fingerprints were taken and he had to sign a paper that he did not understand as there was no translator present.

The respondent asked for asylum but did not understand if they accepted his request or not. When they took his fingerprints and personal data, he assumed that he was started his asylum procedure. After the interrogation, the police officers in the station reportedly took away his money and the phone that the respondent was carrying on him. He claims that he was also struck by the authorities who used their feet and hands.

The respondent sustained light injuries on his feet and head and therefore asked to see a doctor. Eventually, they brought him to a doctor, but he only checked his body temperature. The respondent assumed that this was a sort of test for Covid-19.

Directly from the doctor, the respondent was brought to the Croatian border in what he described to be a Slovenian police van. At this spot he describes being handed over to Croatian authorities, that then drove him to the Bosnian border. He was told to leave the car in a spot near the Bosnian city of Bihac, an area called Baljevac. In that location, the Croatian authorities told him to go back to Bosnia. He walked back to Velika Kladusa, which was a journey of nearly 90 km.