Croatia is trying to divert attention from torturing the migrants and put the burden on Bosnia and Herzegovina, Security Minister Dragan Mektic told N1, commenting on the allegations that Bosnian police are transporting the migrants towards the border with Croatia.

“Croatian side is using attacks to defend from the violence and torture it conducts towards the migrants in Croatia and their forceful return to Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is a well-known fact that Croatian police torture those migrants and enter the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” said Mektic.

He denied the allegation of some Croatian media that Bosnian police are transporting the migrants towards Croatia by putting them in the Vucijak camp near the northwestern town of Bihac.

“We neither done that nor we dealt with it. They obviously tried to shift the attention on Bosnia and Herzegovina with that transparent story,” said Mektic.

Earlier this month Mektic warned that Croatian police were forcibly returning migrants to Bosnia and violating the country’s territorial integrity.

“We have the information to prove this, that they enter our territory armed, and footage showing what they do to migrants who cross into Croatia from Bosnia and Herzegovina, they beat them, take away their money and mobile phones, and return them to us,” Mektic told local media.

Asked if this problem could complicate the relations between Bosnia and Croatia, the minister said the issue was a burden and could be solved if Croatia changed its policy towards the migrants.

“To start respecting European standards, first of all, the procedures of international protection, bilateral agreements we have signed, but you saw that Croatia obviously doesn’t want it,” Mektic told N1’s reporter.