TFSROL: SEVERE HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN B-H:

UNCLASSIFIED LIMITED OFFICIAL USE SECTION 01 OF 03 ZAGREB 00945 SIPDIS USMISSION USVIENNA USMISSION USNATO AMEMBASSY BONN SECDEF WASHDC//ISA/ISP// AMEMBASSY BELGRADE AMEMBASSY ROME WHITEHOUSE WASHDC AMEMBASSY PARIS AMEMBASSY OTTAWA AMEMBASSY MOSCOW AMEMBASSY MADRID AMEMBASSY LONDON AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE LIMITED OFFICIAL USE SECTION 01 OF 03 ZAGREB 000945 VIENNA ALSO FOR BOSNIA E.O. 12356: N/A TAGS: PHUM PREL MOPS HR BK PREL MOPS HR BK PREL MOPS HR BK SUBJECT: TFSROL: SEVERE HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN B-H: EYEWITNESS DETAILS MURDER, BEATINGS IN LUKA AND BATKOVIC REF: (A) ZAGREB 827; (B) ZAGREB 872; (C) ZAGREB 919; (D) ZAGREB 930; (E) ZAGREB 941 ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: THIS IS ONE OF A SERIES OF REPORTS OF INTERVIEWS (REFTELS) WITH WAR CRIMES VICTIMS CONDUCTED IN LATE 1993 IN MAOCA, BOSNIA-HERCEGOVINA, BY A DART/ZAGREB LIMITED OFFICIAL USE LIMITED OFFICIAL USE PAGE 03 ZAGREB 00945 01 OF 03 081147Z FIELD REP AND AN AMCIT IRC REP WHILE THEY WERE IN THE AREA ASSESSING HUMANITARIAN NEEDS. THIS REPORT NAMES VICTIMS AND, IN SOME CASES, PERPETRATORS AND DETAILS OF SPECIFIC CRIMES. END SUMMARY. -------------- THE WITNESS -------------- ¶2. (LOU) AMIR DIDIC (STRICTLY PROTECT),HEREAFTER REFERRED TO AS THE WITNESS, IS A BOSNIAN MUSLIM FROM POLANKA, A VILLAGE SOUTHWEST OF BRCKO. HE WAS BORN MAY 1, 1967. HE WAS A CIVILIAN AT THE TIME OF HIS ARREST BY BOSNIAN SERB FORCES ON MAY 19, 1992. -------------- THE WITNESS'S ACCOUNT -------------- ¶3. (U) AT THE TIME OF HIS ARREST, THE WITNESS WAS DRIVING WITH HIS AUNT AND A FRIEND. HE AND HIS FRIEND WERE TAKEN TO THE POLICE STATION IN BRCKO, WHERE THEY WAITED ONE HOUR BEFORE BEING TAKEN WITH 15 OTHER MEN TO A WAREHOUSE COMPLEX KNOWN AS LUKA WHICH WAS BEING USED AS A PRISON CAMP. WHEN THEY ARRIVED, THEY WERE PUT IN A WAREHOUSE WITH 100-150 OTHER PRISONERS WHO WERE SINGING "CETNIK" SONGS. THEY WERE SEARCHED, AND THEIR VALUABLES WERE TAKEN. THEY WERE TAKEN ONE BY ONE FOR INTERROGATION BY POLICE INSPECTORS. THIS INITIAL INTERROGATION WAS RELATIVELY NORMAL. BECAUSE WITNESS WAS FROM THE FREE TERRITORY, HE WAS ASKED ABOUT THE ARMY OF LIMITED OFFICIAL USE LIMITED OFFICIAL USE PAGE 04 ZAGREB 00945 01 OF 03 081147Z BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA. AFTERWARDS, HE WAS RETURNED TO THE WAREHOUSE. ¶4. (U) AFTER ALL 15 MEN HAD BEEN QUESTIONED, BOSNIAN SERBS CAME INTO THE WAREHOUSE AND BEGAN BEATING THEM. THESE (SERBS) INCLUDED GORAN JELISIC FROM BIJELJINA, MONIKA (LNU) FROM BRCKO, RANKO (LNU) FROM BRCKO, IVAN (LNU) FROM BIJELJINA, AND SEVERAL OTHERS FROM BIJELJINA. ACCORDING TO THE WITNESS, THE FOUR NAMED ABOVE DID MOST OF THE KILLING IN LUKA. HE DESCRIBED RANKO AS TALL AND MUSCULAR, WITH BLACK HAIR; AND MONIKA AS 18 OR 19 YEARS OLD, SHORT, NICE-LOOKING, WITH BLACK SHOULDER-LENGTH HAIR. (NOTE: THE BRCKO MUNICIPALITY WAR CRIMES COMMISSION IN MAOCA HAS PHOTOS OF MONIKA AND INFORMATION THAT SHE OPENED A BOUTIQUE CALLED "MONIKA" IN BIJELJINA AFTER MARRYING GORAN JELISIC. END NOTE.) ¶5. (U) AFTER BEATING THE PRISONERS FOR ABOUT AN HOUR, THE SERBS LEFT THE WAREHOUSE. BY THEN IT WAS GETTING LIMITED OFFICIAL USE NNNN LIMITED OFFICIAL USE PAGE 01 ZAGREB 00945 02 OF 03 081147Z ACTION SS-00 INFO LOG-00 AID-01 AMAD-01 CIAE-00 C-01 OASY-00 DOEE-00 EB-01 EUR-01 HA-09 H-01 IMMC-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-16 LAB-01 L-01 ADS-00 NSAE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 PA-01 PM-01 PRS-01 P-01 RPCS-01 SB-00 SCT-03 SNP-00 SP-00 SR-00 SSO-00 STR-01 TRSE-00 T-00 RPE-01 SNIS-00 NISC-02 PMB-00 /049W -------------- 2D402C 081155Z /38 P 081138Z MAR 94 FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1120 INFO USEC BRUSSELS AMEMBASSY ATHENS AMEMBASSY ANKARA USIA WASHDC 4323 HQ JTF PP NAPLES IT//CA/POLAD// USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ3/ECJ4/ECJ5/ECPOLAD// CINCUSAFE RAMSTEIN AB GE//DO/LG/XP/IN/POLAD// CINCUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE//J3/J4/J5/POLAD// CINCUSNAVEUR LONDON UK//N2/N22// COM SIXTHFLT//N2// JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J5-PMA/J2I// AMCONSUL MUNICH USMISSION GENEVA USMISSION USUN NEW YORK AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS AMEMBASSY VIENNA LIMITED OFFICIAL USE LIMITED OFFICIAL USE PAGE 02 ZAGREB 00945 02 OF 03 081147Z USMISSION USVIENNA USMISSION USNATO AMEMBASSY BONN SECDEF WASHDC//ISA/ISP// AMEMBASSY BELGRADE AMEMBASSY ROME WHITEHOUSE WASHDC AMEMBASSY PARIS AMEMBASSY OTTAWA AMEMBASSY MOSCOW AMEMBASSY MADRID AMEMBASSY LONDON AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE LIMITED OFFICIAL USE SECTION 02 OF 03 ZAGREB 000945 VIENNA ALSO FOR BOSNIA E.O. 12356: N/A TAGS: PHUM PREL MOPS HR BK PREL MOPS HR BK PREL MOPS HR BK SUBJECT: TFSROL: SEVERE HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN B-H: EYEWITNESS DETAILS MURDER, BEATINGS IN LUKA AND BATKOVIC DARK. THEN PRISONERS WERE CALLED OUT OF THE WAREHOUSE ONE BY ONE AND BEATEN. THE WITNESS AND ANOTHER PRISONER NAMED ANDRIJA TUFEKCIC WERE THE MOST BADLY BEATEN, BUT THE WITNESS DID NOT KNOW WHY. THEY WERE BEATEN WITH BOTTLES AND A FIRE HOSE NOZZLE. SUCH BEATINGS CONTINUED FOR 10 DAYS. THE WITNESS SHOWED SCARS ON HIS HEAD HE LIMITED OFFICIAL USE LIMITED OFFICIAL USE PAGE 03 ZAGREB 00945 02 OF 03 081147Z SAID WERE CAUSED BY THESE BEATINGS. ¶6. (U) THE WITNESS SPENT TWO MONTHS AT LUKA, WHERE BEATINGS WERE A DAILY OCCURRENCE. HE SAID THAT IF A PRISONER HAD TO GO TO THE TOILET, HE WOULD ALWAYS RET URN BLOODY. MONIKA, IN ONE CASE, POURED HYDROCHLORIC ACID ON ANDRIJA TUFEKCIC. MONIKA, HE SAID, WAS ALSO KNOWN TO CASTRATE PRISONERS, SOMETIMES WITH BROKEN BOTTLES. SOME PRISONERS WERE KILLED EVERY NIGHT, OFTEN BY SOLDIERS RETURNING FROM THE FRONT. ON JULY 8 OR 9, ALL THOSE HELD PRISONER IN THE WITNESS'S WAREHOUSE WERE TRANSFERRED ON 10 BUSSES TO BATKOVIC PRISON CAMP. ¶7. (U) AT BATKOVIC, THE WITNESS SAID, GLIGOR (LNU) WAS ABSOLUTELY THE CRUELEST GUARD. A FELLOW PRISONER CALLED SPAJZER ALSO ADMINISTERED SOME OF THE WORST BEATINGS. THE CAMP COMMANDER WAS NAMED VELJO. - ¶8. (U) WHEN THE WITNESS ARRIVED AT BATKOVIC THERE WERE ALREADY AT LEAST 600 PRISONERS THERE. (NOTE: THE WITNESS SAID THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF PRISONERS DURING HIS TIME AT BATKOVIC WAS ABOUT 1700. END NOTE.) UPON DISEMBARKING FROM THE BUSSES, THE PRISONERS HAD TO ENTER THE CAMP BETWEEN TWO ROWS OF "CETNIKS" WITH CLUBS, WHO BEAT THEM. IN THE WAREHOUSE, THE EARLIER ARRIVALS WERE LYING FACE DOWN, THEIR HANDS BEHIND THEIR HEADS AND THEIR HEADS SHAVED. ALL OF THEM WERE MEN EXCEPT FOR A WOMAN NAMED SENA FROM BRCKO, WHO HAD INSISTED ON ACCOMPANYING HER HUSBAND, A ONE-LEGGED MAN WHO HAD BEEN TORTURED. LIMITED OFFICIAL USE LIMITED OFFICIAL USE PAGE 04 ZAGREB 00945 02 OF 03 081147Z ¶9. (U) SOME PRISONERS DIED FROM THE DAILY BEATINGS IN THE CAMP. OFTEN, SOLDIERS RETURNING FROM THE FRONT WOULD BE BROUGHT IN TO BEAT THE PRISONERS. CERTAIN PEOPLE WERE SINGLED OUT FOR THE WORST BEATINGS, INCLUDING A SOLDIER NAMED NEDIM. FOOD WAS VERY BAD, WITH ONLY ONE KILO OF BREAD FOR 15 PERSONS, AND A FEW SPOONSFUL OF THIN CABBAGE SOUP. THERE WAS NO MEDICAL CARE, AND SOME OF THE OLD AND SICK DIED AS A RESULT. THE OLDEST MAN THE WITNESS KNEW IN THE CAMP WAS BORN IN 1911. ON THE HOTTEST DAYS, PRISONERS WERE LOCKED UP IN THE WAREHOUSES, WHERE THE HEAT WAS UNBEARABLE; TWO OR THREE PRISONERS WITH HEART PROBLEMS DIED AS A RESULT. ¶10. (U) EVERYTHING CHANGED WHEN ICRC FIRST VISITED THE CAMP IN AUGUST 1992. WHEN THE FIRST VISIT WAS ANNOUNCED, 100-150 PRISONERS WERE HIDDEN. THESE INCLUDED THE 13 MOST BADLY BEATEN AND THE VERY YOUNG AND VERY OLD. THREE OF THE BADLY BEATEN MEN WERE ANDRIJA TUFEKCIC AND DVEVAD KAMBERI, BOTH FROM BRCKO; AND ELJUB SMAJIC FROM LIMITED OFFICIAL USE NNNN LIMITED OFFICIAL USE PAGE 01 ZAGREB 00945 03 OF 03 081147Z ACTION SS-00 INFO LOG-00 AID-01 AMAD-01 CIAE-00 C-01 OASY-00 DOEE-00 EB-01 EUR-01 HA-09 H-01 IMMC-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-16 LAB-01 L-01 ADS-00 NSAE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 PA-01 PM-01 PRS-01 P-01 RPCS-01 SB-00 SCT-03 SNP-00 SP-00 SR-00 SSO-00 STR-01 TRSE-00 T-00 RPE-01 SNIS-00 NISC-02 PMB-00 /049W -------------- 2D402E 081155Z /38 P 081138Z MAR 94 FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1121 INFO USEC BRUSSELS AMEMBASSY ATHENS AMEMBASSY ANKARA USIA WASHDC 4324 HQ JTF PP NAPLES IT//CA/POLAD// USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ3/ECJ4/ECJ5/ECPOLAD// CINCUSAFE RAMSTEIN AB GE//DO/LG/XP/IN/POLAD// CINCUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE//J3/J4/J5/POLAD// CINCUSNAVEUR LONDON UK//N2/N22// COM SIXTHFLT//N2// JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J5-PMA/J2I// AMCONSUL MUNICH USMISSION GENEVA USMISSION USUN NEW YORK AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS AMEMBASSY VIENNA LIMITED OFFICIAL USE LIMITED OFFICIAL USE PAGE 02 ZAGREB 00945 03 OF 03 081147Z USMISSION USVIENNA USMISSION USNATO AMEMBASSY BONN SECDEF WASHDC//ISA/ISP// AMEMBASSY BELGRADE AMEMBASSY ROME WHITEHOUSE WASHDC AMEMBASSY PARIS AMEMBASSY OTTAWA AMEMBASSY MOSCOW AMEMBASSY MADRID AMEMBASSY LONDON AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE LIMITED OFFICIAL USE SECTION 03 OF 03 ZAGREB 000945 VIENNA ALSO FOR BOSNIA E.O. 12356: N/A TAGS: PHUM PREL MOPS HR BK PREL MOPS HR BK PREL MOPS HR BK SUBJECT: TFSROL: SEVERE HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN B-H: EYEWITNESS DETAILS MURDER, BEATINGS IN LUKA AND BATKOVIC BIJELJINA. THE 13 WERE LATER TRANSFERRED, BUT HE DID NOT KNOW WHERE. ¶11. THE WITNESS WAS RELEASED IN A PRISONER EXCHANGE ON OCTOBER 5, 1992. WHEN HE LEFT, THERE WERE STILL ABOUT 300 PRISONERS AT BATKOVIC. LIMITED OFFICIAL USE LIMITED OFFICIAL USE PAGE 03 ZAGREB 00945 03 OF 03 081147Z NEITZKE LIMITED OFFICIAL USE NNNN 1994ZAGREB00945 - Classification: LIMITED OFFICIAL USE v1.6.2