A Swedish bus driver has been filmed violently assaulting a Syrian refugee, leaving him bleeding from the mouth and in need of hospital treatment.
The victim later said he felt like he had been caught and beaten by the “shabiha”, the notorious pro-Assad thugs in Syria.
On Tuesday morning the victim – who has been named only as Mustafa – was about to board the 6.15am bus to Borgholm.
Following a dispute after the driver reportedly refused to let him on board, Mustafa eventually boarded the bus and took a photograph of the driver, before making his way to a seat.
“All I saw at that point was he jumped at me and started to hit me,” he told local newspaper Barometern.
“[The driver] started to choke me and made me bleed from my mouth.”
The driver is heard demanding to take a picture of Mustafa, who is seen covering his face.
Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated on the latest news and updates from around the Muslim world!
Much of the men’s exchange is conducted in English, although at one point the driver is heard to say “I hate you damn swines” in Swedish.
During the assault the man named as Mustafa is heard crying out in fear.
Footage shows the attack continuing for over a minute, with the driver only returning to the wheel after other passengers eventually intervene.
“I felt like I wasn’t in Sweden but in Syria,” the victim said, “caught by the shabiha or terrorists who want to kill me.
“I can’t fully express what I felt,” he said, explaining that he feels afraid following the assault.
“I know there are many good people in Sweden, and some bad.”
A police investigation has been launched into the incident, and the bus company says the driver in question has been suspended.
