Cablegate: Tfsrol: Severe Human Rights Abuses in Bosnia-

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

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
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REF ZAGREB 0945 AND PREVIOUS

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INTRODUCTION
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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.

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WITNESS INFORMATION
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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.

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THE WITNESS'S ACCOUNT
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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
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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
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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.

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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

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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

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