Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
95ZAGREB1801
1995-05-10 16:46:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Zagreb
Cable title:  

CROATIA UPDATE NO. 32: VISIT TO DETAINEES IN BJELOVAR

Tags:  HR NOTAG 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
CONFIDENTIAL SECTION 01 OF 03 ZAGREB 01801 

SIPDIS

USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ3/ECJ4/ECJ5//
HQUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE//J3/J4/J5//
CINCUSNAVEUR LONDON UK//N2/N22//

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ZAGREB 001801

SIPDIS


DEPT FOR EUR A/S HOLBROOKE
A/BHR/OFDA
VIENNA ALSO FOR BOSNIA
BAKU FOR DCM FINN
BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU
USVIENNA ALSO FOR USDEL CSCE

E.O. 12356: DECL: 5/10/96
TAGS:
SUBJECT: CROATIA UPDATE NO. 32: VISIT TO DETAINEES IN
BJELOVAR

REF: ZAGREB 1796 AND PREVIOUS

CONFIDENTIAL SECTION 01 OF 03 ZAGREB 01801

SIPDIS

USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ3/ECJ4/ECJ5//
HQUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE//J3/J4/J5//
CINCUSNAVEUR LONDON UK//N2/N22//

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ZAGREB 001801

SIPDIS


DEPT FOR EUR A/S HOLBROOKE
A/BHR/OFDA
VIENNA ALSO FOR BOSNIA
BAKU FOR DCM FINN
BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU
USVIENNA ALSO FOR USDEL CSCE

E.O. 12356: DECL: 5/10/96
TAGS:
SUBJECT: CROATIA UPDATE NO. 32: VISIT TO DETAINEES IN
BJELOVAR

REF: ZAGREB 1796 AND PREVIOUS


1. CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT.
--------------
SUMMARY
--------------


2. POLOFFS AND DART VISITED THE DETENTION CENTER AND JAIL
IN BJELOVAR ON MAY 9. WE TALKED TO SERB DETAINEES AND
UNSUCCESSFULY ATTEMPTED TO VISIT SERB LEADERS FROM THE
PAKRAC AREA, WHO WERE BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION BY VELKJO
DJAKULA (REF). WE ALSO DISCUSSED THE PROCESSING OF
DETAINEES WITH DIRECTOR OF THE BJELOVAR JAIL AND CHIEF
CONFIDENTIAL






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PAGE 03 ZAGREB 01801 01 OF 03 101545Z
MILITARY JUDGE.

--------------
DETAINEES WELL TREATED BUT AMBIVALENT
--------------


3. POLOFFS AND DART VISITED SERB DETAINEES AT THE SPORTS
CENTER IN BJELOVAR. AT THE TIME OP OUR VISIT, THE
PRISONERS WERE TAKING A BREAK OUTSIDE. THE MILITARY
POLICE OFFICIAL, MATO SICAJA, IN CHARGE OP THE CENTER
REFUSED TO ANSWER MOST OP OUR QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW
PRISONERS WERE LOCATED THERE AND HOW MANY HAD BEEN
RELEASED, CITING THE POTENTIAL FOR POLITICIZATION OF THE
NUMBERS. AN ARGENTINE UNMO ON THE SCENE GUESSED THERE
WERE ABOUT 470 PRISONERS PRESENT. AT THE END OF THE BREAK
PERIOD PRISONERS WERE LINED UP TO RETURN TO THE SPORTS
HALL AND EMBOFFS COUNTED APPROXIMATELY 450-500 PEOPLE.


4. ALL THE DETAINEES WE TALKED WITH WERE PROM THE PAKRAC
AREA. THEY SAID WHAT WE HAVE HEARD PROM PREVIOUS CONTACTS
-- THAT THEY WERE WELL TREATED AND HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH
THE GUARDS. ONE OP THE DETAINEES HAD SUSTAINED RECENT
INJURIES WHICH, ACCORDING TO THE MILITARY POLICE, WERE
SELF INFLICTED (IN THE PRESENCE OP ECMM, SUBJECT
REPORTEDLY BANGED HIS HEAD WHILE STANDING NEAR A GUARD).
EACH WAS PROVIDED WITH BLANKETS, BUT SAID THAT SLEEPING
ROOM WAS CRAMPED. ONE GROUP OP DETAINEES SAID THAT THE
ENTIRE GROUP HAD BEEN WOKEN UP THE PREVIOUS NIGHT AND TOLD
TO SIGN SOMETHING, BUT THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS.
GUARDS TOLD US THAT THEY WERE RESPONDING TO CONSTANT
REQUESTS PROM ZAGREB POR PRECISE HEADCOUNTS AT VARIOUS

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PAGE 04 ZAGREB 01801 01 OF 03 101545Z
TIMES DURING THE DAY AND WOKE THE DETAINEES TO HAVE THEM
SIGN A SHEET SHOWING THEY WERE PRESENT. OPFICIALS QUICKLY
PROVIDED EMBOPPS WITH A COPY OF ONE OP THE PAGES ON WHICH
WERE HAND PRINTED NAMES, BIRTHDATES, AND SIGNATURES.


5. WHEN ASKED WHETHER THEY WANTED TO REMAIN IN CROATIA OR
GO TO BOSNIA OR SERBIA, SOME RESPONDED THAT THEY WANTED TO
FIND OUT WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THEIR FAMILIES BEFORE THEY
MADE A DECISION (DETAINEES SAID THAT THEY HAD BEEN IN
TOUCH WITH THEIR FAMILIES THROUGH THE ICRC). ONE PERSON
SAID THAT A NUMBER OF THE DETAINEES WOULD LIKE UNHCR TO
RESETTLE THEM IN THIRD COUNTRIES RATHER THAN RETURN TO
BOSNIAN SERB TERRITORY. ONE GROUP THAT DART TALKED TO
SAID THEY HAD BEEN TRYING TO CROSS FROM SECTOR WEST INTO
BOSNIA FOR THE LAST YEAR, BUT WERE PREVENTED FROM DOING SO
BY BOSNIAN SERB TROOPS. THEY ALSO SAID THAT THEY WERE
PREVENTED FROM DOING SO EVEN DURING THE RETREAT FROM
SECTOR WEST DURING THE CROATIAN OFFENSIVE.

--------------
BJELOVAR JAIL AND THE JUDICIAL PROCESS










CONFIDENTIAL








NNNNPTQ9632





CONFIDENTIAL PTQ9632

PAGE 01 ZAGREB 01801 02 OF 03 101545Z
ACTION EUR-01

INFO LOG-00 AID-00 CIAE-00 OASY-00 EB-01 FDRE-01 H-01
TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-10 L-01 ADS-00 M-00 NSAE-00
OIC-02 OMB-01 PA-01 PM-00 PRS-01 P-01 SP-00
SR-00 SS-00 STR-01 TRSE-00 T-00 USIE-00 SNIS-00
NISC-01 PMB-00 PRME-01 DRL-09 G-00 /033W
-------------- C42E91 101629Z /49
P 101646Z MAY 95
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5714
INFO USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY
COM SIXTHFLT//N2//
HQ JTF PP NAPLES IT//CA/POLAD//
DIA WASHDC
USMISSION GENEVA
AMCONSUL MUNICH
USLO SKOPJE
AMEMBASSY BAKU
AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA
AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST
AMEMBASSY BELGRADE
NATO EU COLLECTIVE
JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J-5PMA/J21//
SECDEF WASHDC//ISA/ISP//
NSC WASHDC
CINCUSAFE RAMSTEIN AB GE//DO/LG/XP/IN//
JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
USNMR SHAPE BE//POLAD//
CONFIDENTIAL






CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 02 ZAGREB 01801 02 OF 03 101545Z
USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ3/ECJ4/ECJ5//
HQUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE//J3/J4/J5//
CINCUSNAVEUR LONDON UK//N2/N22//

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 03 ZAGREB 001801

SIPDIS


DEPT FOR EUR A/S HOLBROOKE
A/BHR/OFDA
VIENNA ALSO FOR BOSNIA
BAKU FOR DCM FINN
BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU
USVIENNA ALSO FOR USDEL CSCE

E.O. 12356: DECL: 5/10/96
TAGS:
SUBJECT: CROATIA UPDATE NO. 32: VISIT TO DETAINEES IN
BJELOVAR

--------------


6. EMBOFFS WERE TOLD BY DETENTION CENTER OFFICIALS THAT
SERB MILITARY LEADERS AND THOSE SUSPECTED OF WAR CRIMES
WERE TRANSFERRED TO THE BJELOVAR JAIL. CROAT OFFICIALS
HAD NO OBJECTIONS TO OUR REQUEST TO VISIT THE JAIL. WHEN
WE ARRIVED, HOWEVER, WE WERE TOLD THAT WE COULD NOT VISIT
THE PRISONERS WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION FROM THE JUSTICE
MINISTRY IN ZAGREB. (NOTE: EMBASSY IS REQUESTING
AUTHORIZATION AND HOPES TO VISIT THE BJELOVAR JAIL AGAIN
ON MAY 11.) WE DID TALK WITH PRISON ADMINISTRATOR ZDRAVKO
BREBER AND CHIEF MILITARY JUDGE MIHAEL MALCIC. BREBER
TOLD US THAT INITIALLY THERE WERE 781 DETAINEES IN
CONFIDENTIAL






CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 03 ZAGREB 01801 02 OF 03 101545Z
BJELOVAR AND THAT 49 HAD BEEN RELEASED MAY 8 AND ANOTHER
GROUP OF 138 ON MAY 7.


7. THE CITY PRISON IN BJELOVAR IS BEING CONVERTED TO A
MILITARY PRISON AND WILL TAKE ALL TRANSFERS FROM OTHER
DETENTION CENTERS IN VARAZDIN AND POZEGA. AS OF MAY 8
THERE WERE 48 DETAINEES IN THE PRISON AND OFFICIALS
EXPECTED TO GET 50 TRANSFERS FROM VARAZDIN ON MAY 9 AND
POSSIBLY ANOTHER 10 FROM THE BJELOVAR SPORTS CENTER.
(NOTE: BREBER TOLD US THAT RELATIONS BETWEEN HIS GUARD
FORCE AND DETAINEES WERE GOOD AND, IN FACT, TWO OF FOUR
GUARDS ON THE AFTERNOON SHIFT WERE ETHNIC SERBS.) IN
TOTAL, BREBER ANTICIPATED HAVING OVER 100 PRISONERS, BUT
JUDGE MALCIC SAID PROBABLY THAT ONLY 20 TO 30 WOULD BE
CHARGED WITH WAR CRIMES. THE DECISION TO TRANSFER
DETAINEES TO THE JAIL FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION IS MADE
DURING THE INITIAL INTERVIEW AND IS LARGELY BASED ON
EVIDENCE PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED BY CROATIAN DISPLACED
PERSONS.


8. BREBER CONFIRMED THAT TWO OF THE THREE PRISONERS --
MLADEN KULIC AND STEVO HARAMBASIC -- ABOUT WHOM SERB
LEADER VELJKO DJAKULA HAD EXPRESSED CONCERN ON MAY 9 WERE
BEING HELD IN THE PRISON, BUT THEY HAD NO INFORMATION ON
THE WHEREABOUTS OF THE THIRD, SAVO RADOSEVIC. KULIC WAS
BEING HELD ON CHARGES OF ARMED REBELLION AND CRIMES
AGAINST CIVILIANS, WHILE HARAMBASIC WAS HELD UNDER A COURT
ORDER, BUT NO FURTHER INFORMATION WAS AVAILABLE. WE WERE
TOLD THAT SPECIFIC INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR CASES WAS FILED
AT THE MILITARY COURT IN OSIJEK. BOTH PRISONERS HAD REEN
REGISTERED WITH ICRC, ACCORDING TO BREBER. MALCIC SAID
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PAGE 04 ZAGREB 01801 02 OF 03 101545Z
THAT ALL PRISONERS HELD UNDER CHARGES OF ARMED REBELLION
WOULD BE RELEASED, BUT WE ARE UNSURE OF KULIC'S STATUS
GIVEN THE ADDITIONAL CHARGE OF CRIMES AGAINST CIVILIANS.


9. MALCIC SAID THAT HE IS LEADING A TEAM OF 9 JUDGES AND
TYPISTS TO PROCESS 1,500 CASES. BY 1500 ON MAY 9 HIS
STAFF HAD QUESTIONED 24 PEOPLE AND WOULD BE INTERVIEWING
ANOTHER 15 THAT DAY. A GROUP OF TRANSFERS FROM VARAZDIN
WAS DUE TO BE PROCESSED ON MAY 10. HE SAID THAT THE COURT
IS MOVING AS FAST AS IT CAN, BUT THE PROCESS IS SLOW
LARGELY BECAUSE OF CONSTANT REQUESTS FROM ZAGRER FOR
UPDATES AND STATISTICS. SPECIFIC CRIMES THE COURT IS
LOOKING INTO INCLUDE MURDER, POISONING, AND DESTRUCTION OF
PROPERTY. HE SAID THAT DETAINEES HAVE BEEN COOPERATIVE
DURING QUESTIONING AND MANY HAVE COMPLAINED THAT "RSK"
POLITICIANS AND LEADERS HAVE CHEATED THEM. MALCIC OPINED
THAT HALF THE SERBS WHO DECIDE TO LEAVE FOR BOSNIA WILL
EVENTUALLY RETURN TO CROATIA, SOME TO LIVE AND
UNFORTUNATELY SOME TO FIGHT.

--------------










CONFIDENTIAL








NNNNPTQ9637





CONFIDENTIAL PTQ9637

PAGE 01 ZAGREB 01801 03 OF 03 101545Z
ACTION EUR-01

INFO LOG-00 AID-00 CIAE-00 OASY-00 EB-01 FDRE-01 H-01
TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-10 L-01 ADS-00 M-00 NSAE-00
OIC-02 OMB-01 PA-01 PM-00 PRS-01 P-01 SP-00
SR-00 SS-00 STR-01 TRSE-00 T-00 USIE-00 SNIS-00
NISC-01 PMB-00 PRME-01 DRL-09 G-00 /033W
-------------- C42EBD 101631Z /49
P 101646Z MAY 95
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5715
INFO USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY
COM SIXTHFLT//N2//
HQ JTF PP NAPLES IT//CA/POLAD//
DIA WASHDC
USMISSION GENEVA
AMCONSUL MUNICH
USLO SKOPJE
AMEMBASSY BAKU
AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA
AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST
AMEMBASSY BELGRADE
NATO EU COLLECTIVE
JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J-5PMA/J21//
SECDEF WASHDC//ISA/ISP//
NSC WASHDC
CINCUSAFE RAMSTEIN AB GE//DO/LG/XP/IN//
JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
USNMR SHAPE BE//POLAD//
CONFIDENTIAL






CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 02 ZAGREB 01801 03 OF 03 101545Z
USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ3/ECJ4/ECJ5//
HQUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE//J3/J4/J5//
CINCUSNAVEUR LONDON UK//N2/N22//

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 03 OF 03 ZAGREB 001801

SIPDIS


DEPT FOR EUR A/S HOLBROOKE
A/BHR/OFDA
VIENNA ALSO FOR BOSNIA
BAKU FOR DCM FINN
BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU
USVIENNA ALSO FOR USDEL CSCE

E.O. 12356: DECL: 5/10/96
TAGS:
SUBJECT: CROATIA UPDATE NO. 32: VISIT TO DETAINEES IN
BJELOVAR

COMMENT
--------------


10. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE OFFICIAL IN CHARGE OF THE
DETENTION CENTER, CROATIAN AUTHORITIES WERE COOPERATIVE
AND RESPONDED QUICKLY TO OUR REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION AND
DOCUMENTS. EMBOFFS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WALK AROUND THE
EXERCISE FIELD UNESCORTED AND SAW NO EVIDENCE THAT ANY OF
THE DETAINEES WERE MISTREATED. WE WERE PERMITTED TO TALK
WITH THE DETAINEES FREELY AND PRIVATELY. IN SPITE OF THE
FACT THAT THE DETAINEES WE VISITED ARE BEING WELL TREATED,
THE GOC SEARCH FOR WAR CRIMINALS -- EVEN IF LIMITED TO THE
SMALL NUMBER ESTIMATED BY MALCIC -- AND THE SLOWNESS OF
CONFIDENTIAL






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PAGE 03 ZAGREB 01801 03 OF 03 101545Z
PROCESSING DETAINEES WILL CONTINUE TO BE A POINT OF
CONTENTION WITH KNIN. DETAINEES REMAIN SUSPICIOUS OF
CROATIAN AUTHORITIES, AND THEIR UNCERTAINTY ABOUT WHETHER
TO REMAIN OR LEAVE WILL PROBABLY CONTINUE WELL PAST THE
TIME THEY ARE RELEASED. THE CRITICAL TEST WILL BE HOW
EVENHANDEDLY THE GOC TREATS SERBS AND CROATS AS THEY
RETURN TO THE AREA OF FORMER SECTOR WEST.

GALBRAITH






















CONFIDENTIAL








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