North Caucasus nationals have gone on hunger strike in a Croatian immigration prison.

Fifty asylum seekers from Dagestan, Chechnya, and Ingushetia, held in the Ezhevo migration prison in Croatia, have declared a hunger strike in protest against gross violations of their rights.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," at the end of May 2025, activists gathered in front of the Croatian embassy in Vienna and called on Croatian authorities to prevent the deportation of arrested Chechen natives to Russia.

Human rights activist Roza Dunaeva reported today on her Facebook page* that natives of the North Caucasus had declared a hunger strike in the Ezhevo migration prison.

According to Dunaeva, on January 19, people resorted to extreme measures to protest the planned deportation of Magomed-Amin. Gatagazhev and against systematic, humiliating, and inhumane treatment by prison staff.

According to the prisoners, for three months they were denied access to fresh air and outdoor exercise, denied dinner, fed spoiled food, and subjected to humiliation, pressure, and cruel treatment by the administration.

On January 22, prison administration resorted to open threats: Dunaeva reported that if the hunger strike continued, special forces would be brought in, everyone would be beaten, and then relocated to different prisons.

In her opinion, what is happening there constitutes a serious and systematic violation of human rights. Human rights organizations have already been informed of this.

"In the coming days, I will travel to Yezhevo together with human rights activists. We will speak openly, loudly, and everywhere – in the media, in human rights organizations, and on international platforms – until the threats, abuses, and intimidation stop. Responsibility for the lives and safety of detainees lies with the prison administration and the Croatian authorities. Silence is unacceptable. And there will be no silence," she stated.

"Caucasian Knot" also reported that in April 2023, a Croatian court refused to grant political refugee status to five Chechen natives. The court explained the refusal by arguing that they could be "Islamic extremists." The Chechen natives went on a hunger strike at a deportation center in Croatia, protesting the denial of refugee status. On May 9, it was reported that the hunger strike had been suspended due to the lack of response from authorities and the deteriorating health of the refugees. On May 24, it was reported that a Croatian court had found one of the refugees from Chechnya not involved in extremism and ordered his release. On July 23, it was reported that Croatian authorities had deported 10 Chechen nationals to Bosnia.