TFSROL: SEVERE HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN BOSNIA- HERZEGOVINA: EYEWITNESS REPORT OF ATROCITIES COMMITTED BY SERBIAN FORCES IN BOSNIA LIMITED OFFICIAL USE

UNCLASSIFIED LIMITED OFFICIAL USE SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 001223 SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/EE, L, HA, IO USMISSION VIENNA ALSO FOR USDEL CSCE E.O. 12356: N/A TAGS: SUBJECT: TFSROL: SEVERE HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN BOSNIA- HERZEGOVINA: EYEWITNESS REPORT OF ATROCITIES COMMITTED BY SERBIAN FORCES IN BOSNIA LIMITED OFFICIAL USE LIMITED OFFICIAL USE PAGE 02 ZAGREB 01223 01 OF 02 280726Z REF ZAGREB 0945 AND PREVIOUS -------------- INTRODUCTION -------------- ¶1. (U) THIS IS ONE IN A SERIES OF REPORTS OF INTERVIEWS WITH WAR CRIMES VICTIMS CONDUCTED IN LATE 1993 IN MAOCA, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA BY AN OFDA (DART/ZAGREB) FIELD REPRESENTATIVE AND AN AMCIT IRC REPRESENTATIVE WHILE THEY WERE IN THE AREA ASSESSING HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE NEEDS. THIS REPORT, LIKE THE OTHERS, NAMES VICTIMS AND, IN SOME CASES, PERPETRATORS AND THE DETAILS OF SPECIFIC CRIMES. -------------- WITNESS INFORMATION -------------- ¶2. (LOU) THE WITNESS, ELMASA PRELJEVIC (STRICTLY PROTECT) WAS BORN ON AUGUST 17, 1943. SHE LIVED IN MUJKICI IN BRCKO, WHERE SHE WORKED AS A DENTAL HYGIENIST. HER HUSBAND WAS NAMED SECA, AND HER SON ANIS. -------------- THE WITNESS'S ACCOUNT -------------- ¶3. (U) WHEN THE FIGHTING STARTED IN MAY, 1992 THE WITNESS SAID, SHE HID IN THE BASEMENT OF HER HOUSE, WITH EIGHT OTHER WOMEN AND CHILDREN AND SEVEN MEN. AFTER HIDING FOR LIMITED OFFICIAL USE LIMITED OFFICIAL USE PAGE 03 ZAGREB 01223 01 OF 02 280726Z FIVE DAYS, THEY WERE DISCOVERED BY FIVE OR SIX SERB SOLDIERS. THIS WAS ON MAY 7, 1992. ONE OF THE MEN HIDING IN THE BASEMENT, GALIB BEGOVIC, HAD A PISTOL; HE TRIED TO SURRENDER IT TO ONE OF THE SERBIAN SOLDIERS. THE COMMANDER OF THE SERBIAN SOLDIERS WAS NAMED MAUZER. MAUZER WAS CARRYING A "SCORPION" GUN. FROM A HALF A METER AWAY HE SHOT GALIB BEGOVIC IN THE HEAD, "BLOWING HIS BRAINS EVERYWHERE," THE WITNESS SAID. ¶4. (U) ONE "CHETNIK" (SERBIAN SOLDIER),MIRKO BLAGEVIC, LINED UP THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN AGAINST A WALL. MAUZER TOOK THE REST OF THE MEN OUT OF THE HOUSE, AND KILLED THEM, INCLUDING THE WITNESS'S HUSBAND AND SON. ANOTHER MAN MURDERED WAS OMER CAUSEVIC. THE BODIES LAY IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE FOR FIVE DAYS. THE FAMILIES WERE NOT ALLOWED TO BURY THEM. THE WITNESS THINKS THEY WERE LATER PUT IN A MASS GRAVE. ¶5. (U) THE WITNESS SAID THAT DURING HER YEAR UNDER SERBIAN OCCUPATION IN BRCKO SHE WAS CONTINUALLY HARASSED AND CURSED AT IN THE STREETS BECAUSE OF HER RELIGION. DURING THAT TIME, THE WITNESS SAID, SHE SAW THE BODIES OF TWO OLD WOMEN WHOSE THROATS HAD BEEN CUT. THEY HAD BEEN COLLECTING MONEY FOR THE MUSLIM HOLIDAY AS GOOD LUCK. ONE OF THE WOMEN WAS NAMED SALIHOVIC; SHE LIVED ON PRNJAVOR STREET. ¶6. (U) IN AUGUST, 1992 THE WITNESS DISCOVERED THE BODY OF AN EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD GIRL, AMIRA KANJO, WHOSE MOTHER WAS A FRIEND OF HERS. THE GIRL'S THROAT HAD BEEN CUT, AND A MUSLIM BOOK WAS STUFFED IN HER MOUTH. A PRAYER RUG WAS ON LIMITED OFFICIAL USE LIMITED OFFICIAL USE PAGE 04 ZAGREB 01223 01 OF 02 280726Z HER CHEST. THE OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION SAID SHE COMMITTED SUICIDE. ¶7. (U) THE WITNESS SAW A SERBIAN SOLDIER KILL HER NEIGHBOR, MUHAMED JAKUBOVIC, A MAKER OF LEATHER BELTS AND HARNESS. THE SOLDIER, NAMED KOSTA, WAS FROM BIJELJINA. HE ASKED MUHAMED JAKUBOVIC TO MAKE BELTS FOR HIM. WHEN JAKUBOVIC WALKED KOSTA TO THE DOOR, THE SOLDIER SHOT THE BELTMAKER IN THE NECK; WHEN JAKUBOVIC FELL TO THE GROUND, KOSTA CUT HIS THROAT. JAKUBOVIC'S SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD SON, MUHAREM, ALSO WITNESSED THE MURDER. ¶8. (U) THE WITNESS TESTIFIED THAT ONE DAY IN THE STREET SHE SAW A VERY LARGE NUMBER OF DEAD BODIES. SHE SAID SHE COUNTED FIFTY CORPSES IN THE SPACE OF ONE BLOCK. SHE ALSO HEARD SOLDIERS KILL A MAN NAMED MELVUDIN WHOM SHE KNEW. SHE SAID SHE SAW MELVUDIN ONE DAY, WALKING DOWN THE STREET CARRYING JERRY CANS OF WATER. A GROUP OF SERB SOLDIERS STOPPED HIM AND ASKED FOR A DRINK, WHICH HE GAVE THEM. THEN T HEY FORCED HIM TO GO BEHIND A BUILDING AND SHE HEARD GUNFIRE. AFTER THE SOLDIERS HAD GONE, THE WITNESS SAW MELVUDIN'S CORPSE LYING IN THE STREET. LIMITED OFFICIAL USE NNNN LIMITED OFFICIAL USE PAGE 01 ZAGREB 01223 02 OF 02 280723Z ACTION SS-00 INFO LOG-00 AID-01 AMAD-01 CIAE-00 C-01 OASY-00 DODE-00 EB-01 EUR-01 OIGO-01 HA-09 H-01 IMMC-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-16 L-01 ADS-00 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OIC-02 PA-01 PM-01 PRS-01 P-01 RP-10 RPCS-01 SCT-03 SP-00 SR-00 SSO-00 STR-01 TRSE-00 USIE-00 RPE-01 SNIS-00 NISC-02 PMB-00 /058W -------------- 34FCB9 280725Z /38 R 280718Z MAR 94 FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB TO SECSTATE WASHDC 1354 INFO AMCONSUL MUNICH USMISSION USUN NEW YORK USMISSION GENEVA AMEMBASSY VIENNA AMEMBASSY BELGRADE LIMITED OFFICIAL USE SECTION 02 OF 02 ZAGREB 001223 STATE FOR EUR/EE, L, HA, IO USMISSION VIENNA ALSO FOR USDEL CSCE E.O. 12356: N/A TAGS: SUBJECT: TFSROL: SEVERE HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN BOSNIA- HERZEGOVINA: EYEWITNESS REPORT OF ATROCITIES COMMITTED BY SERBIAN FORCES IN BOSNIA LIMITED OFFICIAL USE LIMITED OFFICIAL USE PAGE 02 ZAGREB 01223 02 OF 02 280723Z ¶9. (U) IN MAY 1993 THE WITNESS, ALONG WITH SOME OF HER NEIGHBORS, WAS TAKEN TO A HOUSE IN BURICA BRDO WHERE THE SERBS HAD SET UP THEIR HEADQUARTERS. THE HOUSE WAS OWNED BY HIDAJETA HODZIC. THEY WERE THERE FOR FIVE DAYS AND WERE NOT HARASSED DURING THAT TIME. ON MAY 9, 1993 SHE WAS RELEASED AS PART OF A PRISONER EXCHANGE. GALBRAITH LIMITED OFFICIAL USE NNNN