Background
Serbian police arrested Fabian Gjini in 2008 on suspicion of using a fake banknote. Tests later showed that the banknote he used was in fact genuine.
Fabian spent 31 days in jail. He was placed in a cell with four other inmates. The cell had no proper bed, and Fabian was forced to sleep on the floor.
His traumatic ordeal began immediately. Fabian’s cellmates decided to humiliate him. They forced him to mop the floor again and again, periodically kicking and slapping him. The inmates made Fabian stand in cold water all night. He was not allowed to move. Sores and open wounds appeared on his feet. Fabian’s cellmates threatened to kill him if he told the prison authorities about the abuse.
According to Fabian, the cellmates later drugged and raped him. Afterwards, they shaved his head and eyebrows to mark him out as a rape victim. Fabian claimed that the prison guards were aware of what was happening to him but did nothing to stop it.
After his release, Fabian complained to the authorities about his ill-treatment. The Serbian courts ultimately found that he had suffered during his detention and awarded him €2,350 in compensation.
Fabian, who experienced post-traumatic stress because of his prison ordeal, did not think that justice had been done.