Around 50 asylum seekers, mostly from Russia’s North Caucasus republics, have launched a hunger strike this week at a Croatian immigration detention center, protesting what they describe as serious violations of their human rights, according to activists and human rights organizations.
Human rights activist Roza Dunayeva said that the migrants — primarily from Dagestan, Chechnya, and Ingushetia — are being held at the Ježevo Reception Center for Foreigners, where they are allegedly subjected to pressure, intimidation, and blackmail, reports Kavkaz.Realii of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Russian Service.
Claims of Coercion and Threats of Extradition
According to Dunayeva, detainees are being forced to cooperate with security services under the threat of extradition to Russia, where they allegedly face torture or death. She added that deportation orders have already been issued for several detainees, despite the risks awaiting them in Russia.
Dunayeva stated that her appeals to the Croatian Human Rights Ombudsperson and international human rights organizations have gone unanswered.
Authorities Deny Allegations
In response to inquiries from RFE/RL’s Balkan Service, the management of the Ježevo center denied all allegations, rejecting the use of the term “prisoners” and instead referring to those held at the facility as “residents.”
The center’s administration also denied that a hunger strike or food refusal is taking place, stating that Croatian law and human rights standards under the European Convention on Human Rights are strictly respected, including in matters related to deportations.
A representative of the facility said that since the start of the war in Ukraine, no Russian Federation nationals held at the center have been forcibly returned to Russia.
Human Rights Groups Confirm Hunger Strike
However, Russia’s Memorial human rights organization confirmed that detainees from the North Caucasus are on hunger strike at Ježevo. According to Memorial, the strike began on Monday, not Wednesday, in solidarity with Magomed-Amin Gatagazhev, an Ingush national facing extradition to Russia, and as a protest against detention conditions.
Memorial reported that detainees claim they have not been allowed outside for fresh air for three months, do not receive dinner, are served spoiled food, and have been threatened by staff with violence, including warnings that special forces would be brought in to beat detainees and disperse them to other prisons.
Repeated Allegations Against the Facility
According to Kavkaz.Realii, this is not the first time migrants have complained about conditions at Ježevo. In 2023, six Chechen nationals went on hunger strike at the center to protest what they described as unfounded extremism charges.
Two years ago, Russian activist Vladislav Arinichev was detained at Ježevo for three months following a solidarity protest against the forced mobilization of Chechen nationals. After his release, he told the outlet Vot Tak about severely poor detention conditions, including lack of medical staff, absence of hot drinks, and other serious deficiencies.
Low Asylum Approval Rates in Croatia
According to the outlet Doxa, only 52 out of more than 68,000 asylum applicants in Croatia received any form of protection in 2023, including 24 out of approximately 8,500 Russian applicants.
Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have repeatedly called on EU member states not to extradite refugees from the North Caucasus to Russia, warning that they risk torture, abuse, or forced deployment to the war in Ukraine.
