UN-1993-3 Rapport Victimes Tortures

8/14/2019 UN-1993-3 Rapport Victimes Tortures

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Massacred DersonsI

The cruelty and insidiousness exhibited in the attacks on Serbvillages, the ruthlessness towards villagers taken prisoner orcaptured ,without distinction as to sex, age , . whether they aresoldiers or civilians, healthy or wounded and ill, the bestialtreatment in 2risons in which no water or food is the mildestpunishment, represents a special chapter in fhe events in thisregion. It is hard to say whether such an attitude stems from thereligious fanaticism of Islam, their jihad, or from the arousedbasic, animal instincts of their warriors. And perhaps simplysadists, torturers and killers by nature, led the actions andgave the orders. Irrespective of the reasons, the consequences forthe Serbian people are horrendous.

Many of the killed, but also of the wounded and even live anduninjured people were burned together with the houses they hadbeen occupying. That happened in Zalazje on St.Peter's Day (July12, i992), where about. twenty people were burr.ed in threebuildings. Or in Podravanje, where pecple were roasted on the spit( on the basis.of the found corpses it could not be concludedwhether the vi-ti ms had already been dead or had been torturedthus whde still alive). People were burned in their homes in manyvillages: BljeEeva, Krnjiei, Ratkoviei, Jetestica. Tens of familyhouses ware consumed in flames together with their occupants.Nany outin burns,parts of their bodies werz charred, their throats had been slit,skulls smashed, arms and legs broken and in several cases, theirheads had been cut off. Not infrequently even the dead weremassacred.

of the killed persons who were exchanged or were pulledother ways from the place of their death had traces of

A very large nun-her of the victim were killed in very perfidiousways in various ambushes'and by individual rifle shots (snipers).Vehicles and passers-by were waylaid not only on local andregional thoroughfares but also in fields, country lanes, forest/...


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paths... Everywhere where people moved. Almost a third of thoseon the attached list were killed in ambusher.It is not even possible to imagine the number of people massacred,burned, those whose throats were slit, or were killed in otherways in prisons in the Moslem-controlled area. The truth about thefate of imprisoned and detained Serbs will have to wait for bettertimes. It is to be expected that at such a time the documentationwhich we have will' have to undergo radical changes and that thefinal death and casualties toll will present an even more tragicpicture.

On the basis of preliminary insight into the massacres c o d t t e dover the civilian population or prisoners or detainees, the firstfindings and results of investigations so far can be given .Victims' put to death by torture or massacred, which is testifiedto by either authentic documentation or witnesses axe exclusivelyin question.It is thus quite certain that the following persons weremassacred and put to death by torture8- Kristina Lazie, BreZani, blind girl, mental patient, burned inher house on June 30 , 1992.- Kosana (Nwak) Zekit5, 1928, BljeEeva, her throat was slit in herhouse in the same village on May 6, 1992.

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- Radojko (Rajko) MiloSeviC, 1928, burned in his own house whilecelebrating St.George's Day on May 6.- Sekula (Nikola) Ristanovie, 1906, Osredak, burned in his houseon May 15, 1992. -- Nenad (Bora) Rankle, 1967, Srebrenica, caught and torturedbestially by 'knives, fire and blunt objects.Died on May 26, 1992in the Moslem village of &,zmibi. /...


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- Dikosava (Drago) Petrovie, 1932, Oparci,her throat was slit inher village on June 1,1992.- SreCko (Drago) Spajib, 1928, Obadi, throat slit in his villageon June 8, 1992.- Milovan (Andjelko) GrujiEiC, 1943, Gostilj, his throat wa's slitin the village of Zalazje on June 8, 1992.- Dostana CvijetinoviB,Obadi, killed after torture in Zalazje onJune 8 , 1992.- givorad (Sreten) Zarib, 1956, Tegare, bestially tortured andkilled in the same village on June 9, 1992.- Milojko (Milovan) Gagib, 1947, Karna, died under torture in the,same village on June 15, 1992.- R a d o d r (Milorad) Maksimovie, 1942, Ratkoviei, c'.ied aftertorture in the same village on June 21, 1992.

- Desanka (Pera) Stanojevib, Ratkovici, burned in her house in thesame village on June 21,' 1992.- Radenko (Milorad) Stanojevib, 1940, his throat was slit in thesame village in his house on June 21, 1992.- Vidoje (Sre6ko) Radovanovib, 1939, Zabokvica, killed with ablunt abject , sledgehammer, in the same village on July 2,1992. 1- Ncdjo (Borisav) S i d e , 1951, Krnjibi, his throat was slit in thevillage of RadoSeviei on July 3,1992.

- Vaso PoraEa, 1912, Krnjiei, his throat was slit in his housethe same village on July 5, 1992.

in

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- Marko (Jakov) MiEi6, 1949, Slapahica, wounded and takenprisoner and his throat was slit in the village of Glogova on July24, 1992.- Vidoje (Pavle) Lazi-5, 1537, BreZani, crucified and burned onJuly 30, 1992.

- DuSanka (PeriSa) PaunoviE, 1954, Zagoni, killed by a bluntobject, a sledgehammer , n the same villageon,July 5.- Rada (Ilija) MiloSevie, 1968, Zagoni, massacred in the samevillage on July 5,1992.

- Radinka (Dragomir) CvjetinoviE, 1952, AZlica, massacred i nZalazje on July 12, 1992.

- Ljubica ( Drago) GagiC, 1950, PribiEevac, c o d t t e d suicide inprison in Srebrenica, because of constant maltreatment andtorture, probably on on July 7 ,1992.-workingtaken away from the place of the crime on August 8,1992.

Andjelko (Ljubomir) MladjenoviE, 1965, Jeiestica, caught .whileandith his mother on his holding, his head was cut off

- Savka ( Obren) MladjenoviE, 1931, JeZestica , caught and killedwhile working with her son on their holding on August 8,1992.- Branislav ( Svetozar) LaziC, 1937, Toplica, massacred in thesame village on August 10, 1992.- Dragomir (Jefta) Mitrovie, 1939, RanEa, died under torture inthe Moslem village of PotoEari on August 12, 1992.- Milog (Veselin) JovanoviE, 1928, Loznica, killed in the samevillage on decembcr 14, 1992.- UroS JovanoviE, 1921, MleEva, beaten in the prison in Srebrenicaor in PotoEari as a consequence of which he died in the ZVornik/...


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h o s p i t a l .

- BoZidar (N iko la) KovaEi6, Tegare, due t o to r tu re commi t t edsu i c ide i n t h e Mo s l e m v i l l a g e of PotoEari.- Rado Jovanovi6 f r o m F a k o v i e i k i l l e d a s a p r i so n e r ,-Krsto ( Dugan) LaziE, 1 9 3 3 , Brana B a E i e i , h i s t h r o a t was s l i tJanua ry 1 , 1 9 9 2 3 .

on

-Simo Tanasijevi .6 , CiE evci , found k i l l e d and cas t ra t ed .- Aleksa (Stevan) Per iE, 1 9 2 8 , RadoSeviE i, t o r t u r e d sn d h i s t h r o a twas s l i t , l e t t e r "U" was carved on h i s c h e s t , a nd t h e n he w a sburned on May 1 5 , 1992.- Milun Zarid , 9 5 7 , T eg ar e, t o r t u r e d an d h i s t h r o a t w a s s l i t i nh i s own house.

- Zivan ( P e t a r ) Prodanovie , 1 9 6 6 , R a tk o vi ei , h i s t h r o a t w a s s l i ti n t h e same v i l l a g e o n Ju n e 2 1 , 1 9 9 2 .

- Niko l , (Todor) S ta no j ev i b , 1 9 5 8 , Ratkoviei , massacred and burnedi n t h e same v i l l a g e on June 2 1 , 1 9 9 2 .- Mi1i.d krodanovie , S i k i r i E, . burned i n her house .-Mato ( Ratko) Mati6, 1 9 6 6 , P o s to l je , h i s ' t h r o e t was s l i t i n h i shouse i n . t h e same v i l l a g e i n May 1 9 9 2 .- Milos (Rade) NovakoviE, , 1956 , BreZani , k i l l e d by an axe , h i shead was c u t off and ta ke n away, th e body bur ied o n J u n e 30, 1 9 9 2 .-Radomir ( Marko) Milanovie, 1 9 6 6 , T op li ca , h i s t h r o a t w a s s l i tand he wzs burned i n h i s . h o u s e o n J u n e 2 , 19Y2 .

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- zora (Drago) ProdanoviC, RatkoviEi, maltreated and killed in herhouse on June 21, 1992.

- Stojan ( Dragomir) Stevanovid, 1939, Ratkoviei, tortured, beatnewith a blunt object, especially about the head, stabbed by aknife, found castrated with his penis in his mouth, on June 21;- 1992.- Soka VujiE, 193'2, Xmjiei, found killed and her body stabbedwith a pitchfork.- Milisav (Mika) RankiE, 1947, BreZani, burned in his house in thesame village on June 30, 1992.- Mirko (Milisav) RankiE, 1972, BreEani, burned in his house i nthe same village on June 30, 1992.- Dragosav ( Milisav) RankiC, 1914, BreZani, burned in his housein the same village on June 30, 1992.This list of victims which we have already said to be onlyprovisional and inconplete as well as the additional list oftortured and massacred persons, a1s.o provisional and incomplete,are sufficient testomony of the heavy death toll exacted from theSerbs in villages and settlements and even in houses in which theyhad been living r'rom times immemorial. This misfortune is onlyheightened by the fact that the initiators and direct perpetratorsof all these massacres and crimes against the Serbian nation isthe local Moslem population, not fo r the first time in our morerecent history.

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DESTROYED PERSONAL PROPERTY AND MATERIAL GOODSThe destroyed 3oods and property of the villagers and theirfamilies become insignificant in the face of their immensepersonal tragedies and ordeals. Nevertheless, it is impossible andwould be unfair to disregard the consequences of the ruthlessdestruction of Serb villages and Serb houses in mixed settlementsand towns. Their owners, those who are still alive, but also thefamilies of those who have been killed, are toflay refugees livingoff takenthem in. All their former movable and immovablc property has beeneither destroyed or plundered and taken away. This is undoubtedlyproperty of great value, that had been acquired painstakingly overmany years of hard work.

the aid of others and the generosity of those who have

In Bosansko Podrinje ( the Drina river valley area), as in otherparts of Bosnia and Berzegovina, for the third t h e in thiscentury, everything that the Serb population had was destroyed.The same thing is happening in this war, which is still raging, asin the previous two wars . Almost every Serb house stood only tothe next war. That is why every generation had to build anew, andeverything they created lasted at most for several decades betweenwars. Through some irony of fate people became witnesses of the .destruction of what they had created but rarely of the renewal oftheir households. That was left to the children to whom the samewould happen again just like it happened to their parents. And,now for the third time. The only thing left to them from theirgrandfathers and from their fathers are meadows, pastures,forests, i.e. titles to the land and the sites of their ancestralhomesteads. Once again, in barren areas and 'barren land. Thepresent young generation shall have to start all over again,mainly single-handedly and without their parents. That is thefourth generation to'have to do so after three wara and threedevastations in the 20th century.

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Of a total of 5759 Serb families in the communes of Bratunac,Skelani and Srabrenica, 4246 or 74 % have remained without theirholdings. The number of destroyed family houses is. approximatelythe same and that of other auxiliary facilities ( stables, pens,cribs, sheds, silos, summer lean-tos, etc) comprised within arural household, is even larger. In this case too, we will be ableto give more precise data only after the war is over. In additionto the above, with respect to immovable property, on this occasionwe should at least mention the destroyed or seized businessfacilities, the number and value of which cannot even be estimatedat this point of time. These are artisan workshops, tradingoutlets, catering facilities, premises for hire, and especially,means of production: technical facilities, machines and apparata,tools... It is impossible to determine the worth of all this, i.e.the amount of war damage the Moslems caused the Serbs bydestroying their immovable property alone.It is no less difficult to csthblish the damage caused by thelootiiig and destruction of their movable property: householdappliances and effects, furniture, food. Here too in question isthe property of the already mentioned 4246 families inhabitingbefore their banishment the 79 today destroyed settlements andvillages of the conmine of Bratunac, Srebrenica and Skelani. (Weshould perhaps draw attention to the fact that in this area therewere Q total of 130 villages, of which 37 purely Moslem, 39 purelySerb and the remaining 59 were mixed. In the mixed.ones all theSerb hamlets were destroyed and burned). Accorrding to estimatesmade on the basis of statistical data from the 1991 c e nm s of thelivestock in individual viilagee, and data -on tho nuiaber of .savedlivestock, a3out 6730 heads o f cattl-, 1.400 of s b e 3 r?.B 33000of paultry wers stolen. Tfi e case of pigs is interesting. About11000 were destroyed. Thcy were x i n ly ;tilled or burned in theirpens, but there are testimonies to the effect that they were takenaway to bc eaten. ;ha only t1iir.g not known now is whether theMoslems broke the rules of 'Lslam or had l.a their- mnk eiaerccna:ics, Ckristlails,whtm t hey supplied with pork.

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This is a hilly and mountainous region, which means that the mainsource of livelihood is agriculture and livestook breeding. Thelosses of livestock alone were about US S 10 million in currentprices. And that is perhaps the smallest part of the overalllosses. At the same time , Moslem villagers and families looted somuch that today they have all kinds of things, including livestock'and axethe years of the past wars.

food, like they never had before . ?in exception perhaps,The mentioned losses do not include the property damaged in theSerb settlements exposed to constant shelling from Moslem heavyartillery.


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REFUGEES

People who lost their property, whose houses were destroyed andwhose butto towns.This was also done by the villagers of the burned and razed Serbvillages in the communes of Skelani, Srebrenica and Bratunac.Having lost virtually everything they set out to places in whichthey themselvesand their f d l i e s . Many of them have remained near their villageshoping to return to them soon. Others went to places where theyhave. kinsmen. And many of them, who had no other option, soughtreftige with different humanitarian organizations i.e. .theirrefugee centres.

This exodus involved a large number of people, in particular thevulnerable ones, children, women, the eLderly and the sick, andhas been going on for almost a year now.

lives were in constant danger had no other alternativeabandon everything and seek refuge in other places and

could expect at least some degree of safety for

According to the data of the Republican Statistical Office and theRepublican Co-ittee of the Red Cross, the number of refugees fromthe areas of the communes of Bratunac, Srebrenica and Skelani,registered in January 1993 was 9,661, or 45% of the number ofinhabitant, of Serb nationality in these communes. But this figureshould not be taken at face value because Moslenis , t least fromthe areas of the mentioned communes ,account for 2 4 9 of therefugees in Serbia. The stated number of refugees is neithercomplete nor final. In order to avoid military service many men

~ have not registered as refugees... This is particularly true ofSerb8 of conscription age. In addition, there are both Serb andNoslem refugees from this territory, albeit in much smallernumbers, in the neighbouring Republic of Montenegro, as well asabroad. It is already evident that refugee migrations are veryfrequent and dynamic.Persons who are well-off mainly do not register with the competentservices, the Red Cross and Commissioner for Refuqees, and/...


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thereby do not verify their refugee status. The extent of theirwell-being is another' matter. These records largely excludechildren, especially those taken in by the clo se. relatives oftheir parents.However, irrespective of all this the sad truth stands that almosta half of the Serb population of the communes in question isoutside not only their communes but also their-state.

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UN-1993-3 Rapport Victimes Tortures