“I’m not a criminal. I’m trying to save my life, that’s why I’m taking this risk.” – Andre’s pushback

At the time of the interview respondent has experienced one pushback, around 05.06.2024 [the respondent does not remember the exact date – note: WAM]. According to his account, he crossed the Polish border in a group of 12 adult men of unknown nationality, in a location between border posts numbered 135 and 136.

There we cross and we go inside Poland. So in Poland, the soldiers, they catch me and others. I don’t know how many people they catch, because they return me. I didn’t see everybody, but me and my friends, and almost 6 people was arrested.

Respondent was stopped by a uniformed person, described by him as a “soldier,” about one kilometer from the border line. The uniformed man that stopped him was said to have called three more masked officers by telephone. Together with the respondent, a total of six people were caught.

• Do you know who caught you […]?

• No, I don’t know them. Because they mask their face, all their faces was covered. I cannot see their faces.

• Do you know, what they were wearing? If it’s military costume, or like.

• Yes, yes it was military. […] The military costume they was wearing. Those military who stand on the borders, those people do that. 

The officers were said to have first taken respondent’s phone from him, and then began beating him. According to the account, the moment of apprehension, as well as the entire intervention of the forces, was accompanied by brutal violence, including beating, kicking, insulting and destroying property.

They beat me seriously, they take my phone from me, they spoil it in front of me. They was kicking me, and insulting me. I explain to them: “I’m not a criminal, I’m an immigrant. I’m from country because of war is there, I cannot stay there. I want to go to Poland, and seek for asylum. You don’t need to treat me like I’m a criminal. I’m not a criminal. I’m trying to save my life, that’s why I take this risk. To risk my life, just to come here. You need to have thinking on me.” But they was not understanding me, […] they was kicking me, they was beating me anyhow. 

The respondent reports that officers used their hands, heavy military footwear, as well as gun butts to beat him and others.

• They was using their legs and their hands, everything. My friend, one of soldier, take his gun and beat my friend with this […]. He beat my friend with that one. I was very scared that they are coming to kill us. It was so brutal to us. It was so brutal, more of four of them was. I was laying down, he was kicking me, all of them, with their security shoes. […]

• Four of them were kicking you?

• Yes. Four of them do that together. All of them was kicking me. This one is kicking here, another is kicking there, another one is slapping my face.

In addition to the phone, the respondent also lost his watch, which, according to his account, was taken and destroyed by soldiers.

They take my phone, they spoil it. After they give it to me, they spoil my screen, everything. They give it to me back. My watch, I was having good watch on my hand, they spoiled that one.

At the time of crossing the border, the respondent was already injured [three photos of the injury were attached to the interview, with a congested, blackened wound visible on the sole and big toe of his left foot – WAM note], which was said to significantly impede his movement. As he reports, he had to drag his left leg and was unable to lean on it. A friend crossing the border with him was also said to have been injured, suffering from a dog bite. According to the interviewee’s account, the officers carrying out the arrest and pushback have consistently ignored information about his poor health and need for medical attention.

Beat me seriously, and my friend also, they beat my friend. […] And I was wounded, I was having very serious wound on my feet. I show them that, but they don’t care. One man, my friend was sitting down, he was suffering after man push the dog to my friend, and bite my friends leg. So then they bring all to the, how to call it. They bring back to the border again, and they threw us out. 

The interlocutor points out that he has asked officers to call for medical assistance several times, including when he was pushed back to Belarus. At the time of the interview, he is still suffering from untreated injuries to his foot.

I can’t go to the hospital in Belarus, and till now I have that injury here, because I can’t have good treatment till now. And then they threw me out. I talked to one soldier, I told him that: “Please, try to call Red Cross for me. I’m so [inaudible], my friend here is dog bitten, and me also. My leg, I have serious wound here. Call Red Cross so they can give us treatment”. He didn’t do it, he don’t care. It was just like that, and [I] was in bush there for two weeks. No food, no nothing. 

[…]
So I was waiting, we waiting there, after I call him back, I said “Man, please help me. Try to call red cross”. He said: “No, he already called.” He had authorization to call for Red Cross only one time. Not second time, not two times.

According to the account, the whole intervention took about 30 minutes. Neither the respondent nor his traveling companions were taken to the border guard facility and they were not presented with any documents to sign. After the four officers led him and the others on their way to the border line, they met two more soldiers, who also beat the apprehended.

The respondent and the other apprehended were pushed back to Belarus at the level of border post No. 135 [the exact location is unknown – note: WAM]. Once in Belarus, the interlocutor and his friend waited for about two or three hours, and then went in search of Belarusian soldiers, since, as he reports, both he and his companion were losing their strength and felt very weak.

The Belarusian officer that they encountered was said to have pointed a gun at the two men who had just experienced pushback. He was then to call for backup. Soon after that, the respondent cites, more Belarusian officers, also described as “soldiers” arrived, and they transported him and his friend to the camp, which held many people on the move. The respondent was to be questioned as to his further intentions.

We explained to them, what happened to us. They give us a lot of food and water. We eat food and drink water there. After, they, belarusian soldiers, ask me: “What do you want? Do you want to continue, or you want… What do you want?” and then I explained to them. I said: “No I cannot. I have serious wound in my leg. My friend also, dog bitted him. Right now, we cannot go. We want to go to Mińsk. We need your help. If you can help us go to Mińsk, so that we can go to hospital”. 

The respondent describes that he was then taken to an even larger camp and interrogated again. When his phone was found to be destroyed, he was given permission by Belarusian officials to return to Minsk. Him and his friend were transported to a town where they managed to order a taxi to Minsk.

The respondent stresses that when he encountered Polish forces, he unequivocally declared his will to apply for international protection in Poland, speaking in English. His declarations and requests were ignored.

Bamenda is a war country. I’ve tried so hard to run from there, my younger brother has been killed there, by the war. My mom is killed by war. I’m living alone, I have nobody. 

[…]

I explained to them: “Me, I’m from war country, I cannot go there. I’m saving my life. I want to ask asylum here in Poland. Please, help us. There was any place we can seek asylum”. But they don’t listen to us.