Asylum seekers have declared a hunger strike in the Croatian immigration prison of Ezevo. Around 50 people, primarily from Dagestan, Chechnya, and Ingushetia, took this decision in protest against alleged violations of their rights, according to human rights activist Roza Dunaeva, representing Ichkeria.

According to Dunaeva, the asylum seekers are being pressured, intimidated, and blackmailed into cooperating with security services under threat of deportation to Russia, where they could face harsh treatment. The human rights activist claims that deportation orders have already been issued for some of them. She also noted that her appeals to Croatian human rights ombudsmen and human rights organizations have been unsuccessful.

The Ezevo administration denies the allegations. In response to a request from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Balkan Service, the administration denied both the hunger strike and Dunaeva's allegations. The facility's authorities refer to the individuals held there as "wards" rather than prisoners. However, according to the Global Detention Project, Yezhevo is, in fact, an immigrant detention center.

The situation in Yezhevo is not new. This is not the first time complaints have been made about conditions at this facility. In 2023, six Chechens went on a hunger strike to protest unfounded accusations of extremism. In 2024, activist Vladislav Arinichev was detained for three months for a solidarity protest with a Chechen who had fled conscription. After his release, Arinichev described the poor conditions, including lack of access to medical care and limited opportunities for outdoor exercise.

In January, human rights activists succeeded in stopping the extradition of an Ingush native to Russia by filing an urgent complaint with the European Court of Human Rights.