Natives of Chechnya go on hunger strike in a deportation camp near Zagreb

Six natives of Chechnya are on hunger strike at a deportation centre in Croatia. They are protesting against the denial of refugee status because of suspicions of extremism.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on April 16, it became known that a court in Croatia had refused to grant international protection and political refugee status to five natives of Chechnya, motivating the refusal by stating that they might be “Islamic extremists.”

The natives of Chechnya have been on the hunger strike for the third day in a closed camp in Croatia, the human rights organization “Vayfond” reports. After six months of their stay in the camp, the Croatian Migration Agency extended their stay there by other three months.

“Refugees complain about the inhuman attitude of camp workers, who can subject the refugees to physical force and beat them,” the human rights organization “Vayfond” reports in its Telegram channel.

Six natives of Chechnya, who have been staying in the deportation centre since November 2022, are protesting against unfounded suspicions of involvement in extremism, explains Isa Daduev, the spokesperson for the Assembly of Chechens of Europe.

Let us remind you that on November 7, 2022, it became known that the police detained in Croatia at least 15 natives of Chechnya who arrived from Russia and used violence against them.