BOSNIA HERZEGOVINA: isolation and police violence at Lukavica camp

Twenty foreigners detained in the detention centre of Sarajevo (Lukavica), some of them locked up for more than six months are still demanding to be given information about their administrative file and about their release.

On the 13th of March, Two of them, desperately tried to escape. The guards apprehended them and heavily beat them. One of the two is reported to be seriously injured at one of his eyes and to have been brought to the hospital three times. Both are in isolation cells.Today, information is still rather incomplete despite the management board of the camp has promised to investigate on what happened.

The foreigners’ camp of Lukavica has already known several hunger strikes and suicidal-attempts. Detainees complain of police violence with no disciplinary measure being taken as a sanction. Indeed, based on reported stories and according to witnesses, the policemen’s behaviour towards the detainees is more brutal and decisions of arbitrary punishments have been made, such as compulsory confinement in the rooms for one hour in the morning.

Migreurop asks the centre’s management board and the Bosnian authorities:

. To immediately stop the isolation of the two detainees and to provide them with appropriate health care as needed.

. To put an end to the punitive measures inflicted on other detainees, such as confinement in the rooms during the daytime.

. For foreigners to be able to access effective legal aid and interpreters so that detainees at the centre finally can enjoy their right to an effective remedy which they have been denied so far.

. To thoroughly and independently investigate on the police violence alleged by the detainees for months.

. To respect the international obligations it is committed to, especially the European Convention of Human Rights, the International Covent on Civil and Political Rights as well as the International Convention against torture.

Migreurop reminds also the European bodies that they should bear their responsibilities in regards to this camp, the externalization of which they took a leading role in“ [1], and should ensure that the European fundamental rights are respected in Bosnia-and-Herzegovina as well .

Migreurop recalls its opposition to the administrative detention of migrants and to the criminalization of immigration which both lead to the violation of fundamental rights [2]

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