CRIMES COMMITTED BY CROATIAN ARMY,
CROATIAN DEFENCE COUNCIL AND POLICE FORCES AGAINST
THE RESIDENTS OF MRKONJIC-GRAD AND ITS SURROUNDINGS IN AUTUMN 1995
The territory of the municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad is situated in
the west of the Republic of Srpska, occupying an area of 679 sq.
km. As a component part of Bosanska Krajina the entire territory
is bordering on the adjacent municipalities of Banja Luka, Kljuc,
Glamoc, Sipovo, Knezevo and Jajce.
The administrative, economic and cultural centre of the municipality
is Mrkonjic-Grad. It is located at the cross-road of the Split-Banja
Luka and Jajce-Bihac highways (called Put AVNOJ-a). It is 60 km
from Banja Luka and 25 km from Jajce. It is positioned 591 m/m
above sea level.
The settlement of Mrkonjic-Grad was built on its present location
in 1593, when sultan(s Kizlar-agha Djukanovic, coming from the
adjacent village of Kotlina, from the Serb family of Djukanovic,
had founded his vakuf (endowment) there. According to tradition,
Turkish soldiers had killed his father at that very place before
taking him away to Constantinople to be converted to Islamic faith
and brought up as a janissary like all the other male Serb
tribute-children that were recruited periodically into the Turkish
corps of janissaries. He built a mosque, 24 shops, bakery, Turkish
bath, water supply system, etc. He called the place Jenidze-kasaba
- Novi Grad (New Town). Following the arrival of settlers from
Varcarevo, the place was renamed Varcarev Vakuf and subsequently
named again Varcar-Vakuf. It was given its present name in 1925 in
memorial to a Serb ruler Petar I, Karadjordjevic who took part under
the name of Petar Mrkonjic in revolt which flared in 1875 throughout
Bosnia-Herzegovina. By the same token, the grateful people of
Mrkonjic-Grad erected a Monument dedicated to the memory of their
King the Liberator in the centre of the town. In late 1941 Ustashas
demolished that monument in the most barbaric way. The monument
was destroyed by a German tank. As a collaborator of the occupying
power one of the town residents Sulejman Dedic, son of Salih, tied
a steel-made loop around the bust.
As a vital strategic locality Mrkonjic-Grad was being liberated
thirty-nine times during World War Two. Out of 1,800 fighters who
were engaged in the anti-fascist struggle 525 were killed in combat
while fascist terror claimed 1,902 victims. It is evidenced by a
memorial plaque placed on the building in which fascists killed
250 people during August and September 1941, as well as the cemetery
in which 143 victims fallen to fascist terror were buried, etc. A
total of 1,200 buildings were destroyed including all schools and
public buildings. On November 25, 1943, it hosted the meeting of
the First Anti-Fascist Council for National Liberation of
Bosnia-Herzegovina (ZAVNOBiH).
Following the end of the war, a once provincial town and a typical
Bosnian borough evolved into a town with original architectural
projects founded on tradition of past building construction.
Highly advanced lumber industry, tourism and catering services were
the most significant factors in the post-war period of development.
In the territory of the municipality the situation was as follows:
1971. 30,159 inhabitants in 6,325 households
1981. 29,684 inhabitants in 7,060 households
1991. 27,379 inhabitants in 7,865 households
The following table shows the ethnic composition of population:
| YEAR | 1981 | 1991
|
| TOTAL | 29,684 | 27,379
|
| SERBS | 23,364 (78,7%) | 21,159 (77,3%)
|
| MOSLEMS | 3,009 (10,1%) | 3,275 (12,0%)
|
| CROATS | 2,290 (7,7%) | 2,141 (7,8%)
|
| NATIONALLY UNDETERMINED | 883 (3,0%) -
|
| OTHERS | 81 (0,3%) | 220 (0,8%)
|
| UNKNOWN | 57 (0,2%) | -
|
| YUGOSLAVS | - | -
|
From the beginning of the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina in the territory
of the municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad were not recorded either larger
scale conflicts among the population or extensive destruction and
demolition of civilian facilities and their property.
However, following a military action called "Storm", members of
the Croatian Army - 4th Guards brigade of the Croatian Army from
Split, commanded by general Matijasevic and Croatian Defence Council
occupied the territory of Mrkonjic-Grad on October 10, 1995.
The majority of population withdrew towards Banja Luka, but a
smaller number, mainly the elderly and motionless people, remained
in that area. The Croatian Army members killed them, as well as
the captured members of the Army of the Republic of Srpska. Their
corpses were buried in the Orthodox and Moslem cemeteries in
Mrkonjic-Grad. Also, a larger number of corpses were found at places
where those persons had been killed. Nothing is known of the
whereabouts of a number of civilians and captured members of the
Army of the Republic of Srpska and the authorities registered them
as missing persons.
In the course of burial of the remains of the killed population
taking place at the Orthodox cemetery in Mrkonjic-Grad, a story
prepared by its reporter Ante Ivankovic was broadcast by Croatian
television on its evening informative programme in October 1995.
This story was accompanied with the statement issued by Dr. Boris
Zdilar, surgeon general of the Croatian Defence Council who claimed
that those corpses were only the dead bodies of "belligerent
soldiers" and that their investigative team "was carrying out
investigation and examination of those corpses in accordance with
the prescribed international rules".
According to the Dayton Agreement this area was given back to Serb
authorities in February 1996.
The examining judge of the Military Court in Banja Luka ordered
the exhumation of the grave at the Orthodox cemetery in Mrkonjic-Grad.
The exhumation was carried out by the end of March and in early
April 1996. On that occasion were found 181 corpses in the mass
grave at the Orthodox cemetery. All the identified were of Serb
nationality. The eldest among the killed was a 91-year-old Jovan
Lezendic from Podbrdo, while Ljubica Oroz from Bocac, age 90, was
the eldest among the killed women.
According to data available to the Committee, so far were identified
219 persons, out of which 136 at the Orthodox cemetery in Mrkonjic-Grad.
The corpses of the following persons were found among the identified:
Darinka Arezina, a housewife from Bocac, born on May 25, 1924, to
father Nikola and mother Stana, nee Maric.
Milan Bajic, from Gerzovo, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, born in
1952, to father Nikola.
Mirko Barjaktarevic, a farmer from the village of Donja Slatina,
near Kljuc, born on August 2, 1941 in Kljuc, to father Petar and
mother Mara, nee Ljepic.
Milan Batinic, born on January 1, 1956 in Gracac, municipality of
Gracac, to father Branko.
Vaso Belenzada, born on November 8, 1957 in the village of Rudine,
municipality of Glamoc, to father Nikola and mother Stana.
Petar Bjelajac, from Podrasnica, born on September 29, 1947 in the
village of Podrasnica, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father
Mitar.
Slavko Bjelanovic, born on September 24, 1957 in the village of
Gornji Zemunik, municipality of Zadar, to father Spiro.
Milan Bjelobaba, from Apatin - 35 Doze Djordja Street, born on January
31, 1959 in the village of Ondici, municipality of Korenica, to
father Petar and mother Desanke.
Milorad Bogojevic, born on July 31, 1964 in Mrkonjic-Grad,
municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father Slobodan.
Petar Bozic, from Mrkonjic-Grad, born on February 20, 1953 in the
village of Magalj Do, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father
Stojan and mother Mara, nee Tufegdzic.
Stojan Bozic, a pensioner from Medna, born in 1910 in the village
of Medna, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father Marko and mother
Janja, nee Babic.
Jagoda Bojic, born on January 28, 1932 in the village of Trijebovo,
municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father Ilija.
Jovan Boskan, a worker from Surjan, born in 1930 in the village of
Surjan, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father Ilija and mother
Milja, nee Peric.
Svetko Boskan, from Mrkonjic-Grad, born in 1962 in the village of
Surjan, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father Jova and mother
Dusanka, nee Podrascanin.
Sreto Brkic, born on June 20, 1957 in the village of Donji Vrbljani,
municipality of Kljuc, to father Milo and mother Milica, nee
Djurdjevic.
Zoran Brkovic, from Banja Luka - 3 Bihacka Street, born on March
3, 1955 in Banja Luka, municipality of Banja Luka, to father Djordje
and mother Grozda, nee Jokic.
Ratko Buac, from the village of Gornja Slatina, born on September
25, 1945 in the village of Gornja Slatina, municipality of Ribnik,
to father Milan and mother Marica, nee Gvizac.
Ilija Bubnjevic, from the village of Gerzovo, born in 1940 in the
village of Gerzovo, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father Pavle
and mother Zorka, nee Bubnjevic.
Nikola Bubnjevic, a farmer from the village of Gerzovo, born on
October 27, 1935 in the village of Gerzovo, municipality of
Mrkonjic-Grad, to father Pavle and mother Trivuna, nee Zec.
Radojka Bubnjevic, from the village of Gerzovo, born in 1936 in
the village of Gerzovo, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father
Stevan and mother Rosa, nee Stanic.
Andja Bunjac, a housewife from the village of Gornji Ribnik, hamlet
of Miljevac, born in 1902 in the village of Gornji Ribnik, to father
Mijo.
Simo Busin, from the village of Gornja Pecka, municipality of
Mrkonjic-Grad, born on February 7, 1972 in the village of Pecka,
municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father Dusan and mother Vesa.
Velibor Vasic, born on March 9, 1963 in the village of Bucevaca,
municipality of Kupres, to father Sreco.
Dragan Vasic, from Brcko, born on January 14, 1945 in the village
of Donji Zabari, municipality of Orasje, to father Jovo.
Ilija Velimir, from Kupres, born on January 25, 1968 in the village
of Rilic, municipality of Kupres, to father Zdravko.
Boja Vidackovic, a housewife from the village of Bocac, born in
1927, to father Djuka.
Djuka Vidovic, a housewife from the village of Bocac, born on May
13, 1910 in the village of Bocac, municipality of Banja Luka, to
father Ilija and mother Simeuna, nee Uletilovic.
Drago Vicic, from Mrkonjic-Grad, born on March 20, 1963 in
Mrkonjic-Grad, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father Jovo and
mother Stoja, nee Kajkara.
Stevo Vojvodic, born on June 20, 1946 in the village of Brdo,
municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father Jovan.
Osto Vranic, a farmer from the village of Lipovaca, born in 1912
in the village of Lipovaca, municipality of Sipovo, to father Jovo
and mother Petra, nee Devic.
Branimir Jovic, a driver from the village of Rastoka, born on March
19, 1951 in the village of Rastoka, municipality of Kljuc, to father
Miroslav and mother Ruza, nee Dmitrovic.
Ljubo Vujic, born on August 10, 1963 in the village of Zagoni,
municipality of Bijeljina, to father Cvetko.
Milan Vukovic, from Banja Luka - 3 Milana Licine Street, born in
1948 in Kranj, municipality of Kranj, to father Dusan.
Branko Vuksan, from Bocac, born in 1925 in the village of Bocac,
to father Nikola and mother Stoja, nee Antonic.
Vlado Vuksan, from the village of Bocac, born in 1958 in the village
of Bocac, to father Branko and mother Desa, nee Malesevic.
Slobodan Vuckovic, born on March 15, 1946 in Bileca, to father
Spasoje and mother Ljubica.
Boro Galic, from Banja Luka - 13 Novice Serovica Street, born on
December 14, 1969 in Banja Luka, municipality of Banja Luka, to
father Nikola and mother Milena, nee Jovic.
Milosav Galic, from the village of Bukvalek, born on September 12,
1947 in the village of Bukvalek, municipality of Banja Luka, to
father Savo and mother Bjelica, nee Matic.
Milorad Gligoric, from the village of Kadinjani, born on March 10,
1953 in the village of Kadinjani, municipality of Laktasi, to father
Cvijo.
Dusan Golic, from the village of Borak, to father Marko.
Jova Golic, from the village of Borak, to father Marko.
Zoran Grgic, from the village of Rudeljice, municipality of Ribnik,
born on September 10, 1927 in Ljubinja, municipality of Kljuc, to
father Vasa and mother Mara, nee Marinkovic.
Gavro Grmas, from Mrkonjic-Grad, born on July 10, 1947 in the
village of Surjan, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father Mihajlo.
Mara Grmas, a housewife from the village of Surjan, born in 1955
in the village of Bocac, municipality of Banja Luka, to father
Gojko Vidovic and mother Cvijeta.
Pantelija Grmas, a farmer from the village of Surjan, born in July
1926, to father Stanko and mother Joka, nee Anicic.
Petar Grmas, from Mrkonjic-Grad, born on July 10, 1954 in the
village of Surjan, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father Ratko
and mother Mila, nee Cirkovic.
Sava Grmas, a housewife from the village of Surjan, born in 1928
in the village of Surjan, to father Josa Janicic.
Dobrivoje Gustovarac, a shopkeeper from Banja Luka, born on June
26, 1954 in Banja Luka, municipality of Banja Luka, to father
Radovan and mother Danica, nee Gustovarac.
Stevo Damjanovic, from the village of Potoci, municipality of
Ribnik.
Dragan Danilovic, from the village of Podrasnica, born on February
26, 1939, to father Steva and mother Stana, nee Pekez.
Joka Danilovic, from the village of Vrbljani, municipality of
Ribnik.
Milica Danilovic, a housewife from the village of Vrbljani,
municipality of Ribnik, born on September 12, 1927 in the village
of Vrbovljani.
Goran Dedic, from the village of Podrasnica, born on January 1,
1967 in the village of Podrasnica, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad,
to father Sima.
Mile Dmitrovic, born in 1954 in the hamlet of Smiljanici, to father
Sava and mother Deva, nee Davidovic.
Sava Dmitrovic, born in 1907 in the hamlet of Smiljanici, Gornji
Ribnik, to father Sima and mother Joka.
Ilija Drvar, a worker from the village of Gustovare, born in 1954
in the village of Gustovare, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to
father Jova and mother Stana, nee Vujasin.
Andja Drinic, nee Arezanin, a housewife from the village of Bocac,
born in 1910 in the village of Bocac, municipality of Banja Luka,
to father Nikola and mother Stana, nee Maric.
Slobodan Duvnjak, from Banja Luka, born on April 21, 1942 in the
village of Donji Malovan, municipality of Kupres, to father Jovo.
Stevo Duvnjak, a salesman from Sipovo, born on August 22, 1954 in
the village of Citluk, municipality of Sipovo, to father Krsta and
mother Andja, nee Nisic.
Blazo Djakovic, from the village of Potoci, municipality of Ribnik.
Jovanka Djukic, from the village of Donje Ratkovo, hamlet of Djukic,
born in 1924, to father Milos.
Mara Djukic, from the village of Sredice, municipality of Ribnik,
born on April 25, 1913 in the village of Busije, municipality of
Kljuc, to father Panata and mother Joka, nee Banjac.
Milka Djukic, from the village of Vrbljani, municipality of Ribnik,
born in 1907 in the village of Mrdje, municipality of Petrovac, to
father Steva.
Mirko Djukic, from the village of Donje Ratkovo, hamlet of Djukic,
born in 1924, to father Djura.
Mihajlo Djukic, from the village of Donje Ratkovo, municipality of
Ribnik, born on June 8, 1935 in the village of Donje Ratkovo, to
father Dimitrije.
Obrad Djukic, a forester, born on February 16, 1926 in the village
of Donja Previja, municipality of Ribnik, to father Jova and mother
Jovanka, nee Risovic.
Stana Djukic, from the village of Sredice, municipality of Ribnik,
born in 1922 in the village of Sredice, to father Stojan and mother
Deva, nee Kasapovic.
Stevo Djukic, from the village of Vrbljani, municipality of Ribnik,
born in 1937 in the village of Vrbovljani, presently municipality
of Ribnik, to father Ilija and mother Milka, nee Mrdjan.
Danilo Djurdjevic, a pensioner from the village of Bocac, born on
December 10, 1921 in the village of Bocac, municipality of Banja
Luka, to father Simeun and mother Simeona.
Branko Djuric, born on June 19, 1962 in the village of Kudilja,
municipality of Kupres, to father Bogoljub.
Vukosava Djuricic, from the village of Vrbljani, municipality of
Ribnik.
Nevenko Zarkovic, from Benkovac, born on September 22, 1956 in
Zadar, municipality of Zadar, to father Zarko.
Lazo Zdero, born in 1971 in the village of Blagaj, municipality of
Kupres, to father Gojko and mother Divna.
Borislav Zilic, a worker from the village of Jablan, municipality
of Laktasi, born in 1941 in the village of Glamocani, municipality
of Laktasi, to father Mate and mother Mara, nee Jakovljevic.
Zeljko Zunic, from the village of Gustovare, born on November 26,
1969 in the village of Gustovare, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad,
to father Marko and mother Mileva.
Zivko Zupic, from the village of Gustovare, born in 1971 in the
village of Gustovare, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father
Marko and mother Mileva.
Stevan Zupic, from the village of Gustovare, born in 1967 in the
village of Gustovare, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father
Marko and mother Mileva.
Dusan Ilic, from the village of Gustovare, near Mrkonjic-Grad,
municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, born on July 19, 1947 in Mrkonjic-Grad,
municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father Milan and mother Gospava,
nee Kudra.
Milenko Javorac, from Banja Luka, born on October 14, 1971 in Banja
Luka, municipality of Banja Luka, to father Zivko.
Djuro Jakovljevic, born in 1916, to father Todo, village of Baraci,
municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad.
Milorad Jandric, from the village of Cifluk, born on August 3, 1957
in the village of Cifluk, municipality of Sipovo, to father Petar
and mother Mirjana, nee Jandric.
Milica Jaric, a housewife from the village of Sehovci, municipality
of Mrkonjic-Grad, born on April 19, 1915 in the village of Surjan,
municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father Pera Djukelic and mother
Boja, nee Trivunovic.
Predrag Jacimovic, born on November 18, 1960 in the village of Han
Kolo, municipality of Banja Luka, to father Bogoljub and mother
Vinka.
Mladjen Jovandic, from the village of Jovandic, born in 1920 in the
village of Jovandic, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father Milo.
Ilija Jovanovic, from the village of Velino Selo, born on February
2, 1951 in the village of Velino Selo, municipality of Bijeljina,
to father Vojin.
Milorad Jovanovic, from the village of Plazulja, born on July 17,
1958 in the village of Plazulja, municipality of Gracanica, to
father Ilija.
Djordje Jovic, from Brcko - bb Starine Novaka Street, born on July
16, 1952 in the village of Spijanci, municipality of Srebrenik, to
father Jovan.
Sinisa Jokanovic.
Stanko Jokic, from the village of Vrbovljani, municipality of
Ribnik, born in 1942 in the village of Vrbovljani, to father Ila
and mother Zorka, nee Babic.
Andjelija Jorganovic, from the village of Sehovci, born in 1926, to
father Milan.
Radojka Jorganovic, from the village of Sehovci, born in 1926, to
father Sima Bijekic.
Vlada Jorgancevic, from the village of Sehovci, born in 1941, to
father Jova and mother Cvijeta.
Jelka Jorgancevic, nee Anicic, from the village of Sehovci, born
in 1934 in the village of Surjan, to father Josa Anicic and mother
Petra.
Nedeljko Karac, an engineer from Mrkonjic-Grad, born on July 5,
1958 in the village of Trijebovo, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad,
to father Petar and mother Janja, nee Jerkovic.
Zarko Katana, a construction technician from Banja Luka - 1 N.
Presevica Street, born on September 24, 1967 in Banja Luka, to
father Stanoje and mother Milica, nee Vukovic.
Ratko Kaurin, a construction worker from Mrkonjic-Grad, born on
December 3, 1955 in Mrkonjic-Grad, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad,
to father Mladjen and mother Darinka, nee Eremija.
Nedeljko Kezic, from the village of Trijebovo, municipality of
Mrkonjic-Grad, born on March 4, 1957 in the village of Podbrdo,
municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father Stanko and mother Stanija,
nee Gajic.
Milorad Kekic, a worker from Banja Luka, born on June 5, 1967 in
the village of Stratinska, municipality of Banja Luka, to father
Mirko and mother Aleksina, nee Latincic.
Zivko Kesic, a motor-mechanic from the village of Laktasi, born on
April 14, 1950 in the village of Laktasi, municipality of Banja
Luka, to father Todo and mother Dusanka, nee Balaban.
Dusan Kiza, from the village of Majdan born on May 4, 1956 in the
village of Majdan, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father Mirko
and mother Janja, nee Tarlac.
Milorad Kiza, from Mrkonjic-Grad, born on January 7, 1969 in
Mrkonjic-Grad, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father Mitar and
mother Mileva, nee Gvero.
Uros Kizic, born in 1932 in the village of Gerzovo, municipality
of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father Milan.
Ljeposava Knezevic, from the village of Babin Do, municipality of
Sipovo, born in 1914, to father Vaso and mother Milice, nee Piseric.
Ranko Kovacic, from the village of Mrdjanovci, born on May 15, 1975
in the village of Mrdjanovci, municipality of Kupres, to father
Nedeljko.
Vid Kovjenic, a farmer from the village of Bocac, born on December
1, 1907 in the village of Bocac, municipality of Banja Luka, to
father Ilija and mother Simeuna, nee Uletilovic.
Jovanka Kovjenic, a housewife from the village of Bocac, born on
May 28, 1913 in the village of Bocac, municipality of Banja Luka,
to father Aleksa and mother Joka, nee Josipovic.
Nedeljko Kovjenic, a farmer from the village of Bocac, born on June
28, 1920 in the village of Bocac, municipality of Banja Luka, to
father Pero and mother Mara, nee Diljkan.
Jovan Konjevic, from the village of Baljevina, born in 1938, to
father Mladen.
Milan Kopanja, an electrician from Banja Luka - 2 Carice Milice
Street, born on June 2, 1958 in the village of Vrnograc, municipality
of Sanski Most, to father Steva and mother Desanka, nee Kozlica.
Milos Korica, born on November 2, 1958 in the village of Mogoric,
municipality of Gospic, to father Djura.
Vida Kostic, a housewife from the village of Gustovare, municipality
of Mrkonjic-Grad, born in 1949 in the village of Dujakovci,
municipality of Banja Luka, to father Marko and mother Milena, nee
Delic.
Djuka Kostic, from the village of Surjan, born on March 15, 1921 in
the village of Surjan, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father
Marinko and mother Boja.
Miodrag Kostic, a teacher from the village of Golo Brdo, born on
June 20, 1961 in the village of Golo Brdo, municipality of Knezevo,
to father Nikola and mother Mara, nee Madzar.
Mirko Kostic, from the village of Surjan, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad,
born on January 12, 1913 in the village of Surjan, to father Stanko
and mother Joka.
Jovo Kreka, from the village of Kopljevic, born on June 17, 1968
in the village of Sibovi, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father
Nedjo and mother Mira, nee Tica.
Borivoje Krupljanin, a construction worker from the village of
Surjan, born on June 15, 1933 in the village of Surjan, municipality
of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father Pavle and mother Vida, nee Serval.
Branko Kudra, from the village of Surjan, born in 1937 in the
village of Sehovci, to father Ostoja.
Jovan Lazendic, a farmer from the village of Podbrdo, born on
October 25, 1904 in the village of Podbrdo, municipality of
Mrkonjic-Grad, to father Stevan.
Milosava Lazendic, from the village of Podrasnica, born in 1935 in
the village of Podrasnica, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father
Ilija and mother Janja, nee Danilovic.
Mileva Lekic, a housewife from the village of Trijebovo, municipality
of Mrkonjic-Grad, born on December 20, 1932 in the village of Brdo,
municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father Ilija and mother Milja,
nee Savanovic.
Milenko Lekic, from the village of Sehovci, born on August 25, 1932
in the village of Sehovci, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father
Aleksa and mother Rosa.
Dako Lisica, from Mrkonjic-Grad - residing at Sime Solaje Street,
born on October 1, 1948 in Banatski Despotovac, Municipal Assembly
of Zrenjanin, to father Nikola and mother Danica, nee Radic.
Branko Lugonja, born on March 14, 1946 in the village of Bucovaca,
municipality of Kupres, to father Marko.
Ljubomir Lugonja, born on April 5, 1967 in the village of Gornje
Vukovsko, municipality of Kupres, to father Trivun.
Dragan Lukic, from the village of Kotor, born on October 30, 1965
in the village of Kotor, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father
Mirko and mother Janja, nee Soldat.
Drago Lukic, born on September 19, 1945 in the village of Kukulj,
municipality of Srbac, to father Lazar.
Ranko Malencic, from Banja Luka, born on January 1, 1942 in the
village of Srednja Lomovita, municipality of Prijedor, to father
Branko.
Niko Maric, a lawyer from Mrkonjic-Grad, born on February 2, 1924
in the village of Brdo, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father
Ila and mother Spasenija Drinic.
Smilja Markovic, born in 1926 in the village of Rastok, municipality
of Ribnik, to father Stanko and mother Pava, nee Markovic.
Bosiljko Marusic, born in 1960 in the village of Stratinska,
municipality of Banja Luka, to father Petar.
Ana Marceta, from the village of Potoci, municipality of Ribnik,
born in 1914 in the village of Prekaja, to father Djurdje and mother
Milica, nee Radanovic.
Jovan Marceta, from the village of Potoci, municipality of Ribnik,
born in 1907 in the village of Prekaja, to father Sima.
Rade Marceta, from the village of Potoci, municipality of Ribnik,
born on November 8, 1915 in the village of Prekaja, municipality
of Drvar, to father Pero.
Stana Marceta, from the village of Potoci, municipality of Ribnik,
born on February 8, 1920 in the village of Savic, municipality of
Grahovo, to father Josip Savic and mother Staka.
Momcilo Milic, a worker from the village of Trijebovo, born on
September 29, 1929 in the village of Trijebovo, municipality of
Mrkonjic-Grad, to father Jovan and mother Cvijeta, nee Savanovic.
Mijo Milinovic, from Prnjavor, born on August 28, 1947 in Kupres,
municipality of Kupres, to father Vlado.
Milica Milinovic, a housewife from the village of Bocac, born in
1912 in the village of Baljvina, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to
father Aleksa and mother Stana.
Vladimir Milisic, born on October 10, 1972 in the village of
Barjanovci, municipality of Kupres, to father Djordje.
Dusko Mitric, born on July 28, 1973 in the village of Podrugla,
municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father Branko and mother Dragica
Bozic.
Milorad Mitric, born on October 9, 1954 in the village of Podrugla,
municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father Zarko and mother Stana,
nee Visekruna.
Petar Mitric, born on June 14, 1952 in the village of Podrugla,
municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father Zarko and mother Stana,
nee Visekruna.
Tomo Nerac, from the village of Babin Do, municipality of Sipovo,
born on November 15, 1902 in the village of Babin Do, municipality
of , to father Jovo and mother Joka, nee Knezevic.
Mihajlo Ninkovic, from the village of Podgorje, born in 1928 in
the village of Popovic, municipality of Glamoc, to father Jovan.
Marija Niskanovic, born in 1910, to father Stevan.
Zoran Novakovic, born on August 1, 1960 in the village of Zagoni,
municipality of Bijeljina, to father Bozo.
Desanka Oroz, a housewife from the village of Bocac, born in 1945
in the village of Bocac, municipality of Banja Luka, to father
Jovan and mother Ljubica, nee Uletilovic.
Ljubica Oroz, a housewife from the village of Bocac, municipality
of Banja Luka, born on March 1, 1905 in the village of Bocac, to
father Tode.
Momcilo Pavicar, a salesman, born on January 1, 1953 in the village
of Agino Selo, municipality of Banja Luka, to father Mladjen and
mother Jelena, nee Civic.
Bogdan Pavlovic, from the village of Gornji Ribnik, born on January
3, 1924 in the village of Gornji Ribnik, to father Jova and mother
Mara, nee Krajcer.
Dusko Pavlovic, born on November 19, 1956 in Glamoc, to father
Dragan and mother Gospava.
Stanko Panic, a farmer from the village of Bocac, born on May 20,
1933 in the village of Bocac, municipality of Banja Luka, to father
Djura and mother Stana, nee Popovic.
Lazar Pekez, from the village of , municipality of , born on April
6, 1934 in the village of Donji Sehovci, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad,
to father Pavle and mother Janja.
Bogdan Perencevic, born on October 20, 1956 in the village of
Ostrozelj, municipality of Vrgin Most, to father Stanko.
Petar Periz, born on June 1, 1949 in the village of Bucovaca,
municipality of Kupres, to father Jovo.
Zeljko Pivac, born on October 1, 1966 in the village of Novo Selo,
municipality of Kupres, to father Manojlo.
Jovanka Plavsic, from the village of Pribeljci, municipality of
Sipovo, born in 1915 in the village of Pribeljci, to father Nikola
Loncar and mother Joka.
Vid Podrascanin, from the village of Surjan, born in 1911 in the
village of Surjan, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father Jova
and mother Jelka.
Branko Popadic, from the village of Surjan, born in 1937 in the
village of Surjan, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father Djura.
Branko Popovic, a worker from Banja Luka, born on May 7, 1947 in
the village of Verici, municipality of Banja Luka, to father Dragoje
and mother Cvijeta, nee Lakic.
Ceda Popovic, from the village of Bocac, hamlet of Josici, born in
1936, to father Ranko.
Milorad Predojevic, from Omarska, born on February 15, 1964 in the
village of Omarska, municipality of Prijedor, to father Miodrag.
Ile Prole, from the village of Dragnic Podovi, municipality of
Sipovo, over 100 years of age.
Boro Prolic, from the village of Trijebovo, born on August 8, 1946
in the village of Trijebovo, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to
father Laza and mother Joka, nee Pisar.
Jovanka Radoja, from the village of Brdjani, municipality of Sipovo,
born in 1926 in the village of Brdjani, to father Djuro and mother
Ravijojla.
Nikola Radjevic, from Mrkonjic-Grad - 6 Matije Gupca Street, born
on December 14, 1955 in Krupa on the Vrbas river, municipality of
Banja Luka, to father Momir.
Branko Rozic, from the village of Sehovci, born on July 14, 1926
in the village of Sehovci, to father Simeun and mother Joka, nee
Culic.
Nevenka Rozic, nee Grmas, from the village of Sehovci, born on
August 15, 1932 in the village of Surjan, to father Stanko.
Radojka Rozic, from the village of Sehovci, born in 1961, to father
Branko and mother Nevenka.
Darko Savic.
Ilija Savicic, from the village of Gerzovo, municipality of
Mrkonjic-Grad.
Djuro P. Savkovic, a farmer from the village of Pribeljci, municipality
of Sipovo, born in 1903, to father Pero and mother Milica.
Djuro S. Savkovic, from the village of Pribeljci, municipality of
Sipovo, born in 1900, to father Stanko and mother Stoja.
Ilija Savicic, from the village of Gerzovo, municipality of
Mrkonjic-Grad, born in 1909, to father Stanko.
Gojko Svitlica, born on October 22, 1949 in the village of Donje
Vukovsko, municipality of Kupres, to father Stanoje.
Stanko Svitlica, born on June 20, 1962 in the village of Donje
Vukovsko, municipality of Kupres, to father Milogosta.
Stanko Sladojevic, from the village of Trijebovo, born on July 30,
1937 in the village of Trijebovo, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad,
to father Gojko and mother Mara.
Momir Slijepcevic, from the village of Sargovac, municipality of
Banja Luka, born on May 4, 1944 in the village of Donji Vijacani,
municipality of Prnjavor, to father Stojan and mother Mileva, nee
Kovacevic.
Damjan Smiljic, born in 1930 in the village of Bocac, municipality
of Banja Luka, to father Ilija.
Jovan Smiljic, born in 1931 in the village of Bocac, municipality
of Banja Luka, to father Dusan and mother Jovanka, nee Malesevic.
Simo Stamenic, born in 1954 in the village of Kopljevici, municipality
of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father Jovo and mother Jovanka, nee Bilic.
Nedeljko Stoj(i)cic, from the village of Medna, born in 1949 in
the village of Medna, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father Vid
and mother Janja, nee Savic.
Lujo Stupar, from the village of Stupari, born on November 23, 1949
in the village of Stupari, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father
Dimitrije and mother Milica, nee Cvijetic.
Mile Stupar, from the village of Sitnica, municipality of Ribnik,
born in 1933 in the village of Sitnica, to father Taka and mother
Joka.
Gojko Subic, a locksmith from the village of Laktasi, born on March
28, 1950 in the village of Kokori, municipality of Prnjavor, to
father Bosko and mother Petra, nee Vrhovac.
Branko Tegeltija, from the village of Medna, born on October 21,
1952 in the village of Medna, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to
father Djuka and mother Stana, nee Bozic.
Cedomir Tegeltija, a farmer from the village of Medna, near
Mrkonjic-Grad, born in 1937, to father Stojan.
Teso Tesic, from Bijeljina, born on April 23, 1954 in Tuzla,
municipality of Tuzla, to father Vojislav.
Cedo Todorovic, from the village of Donji Ribnik, born on October
3, 1963 in Kljuc, to father Stanko and mother Mara, nee Vracar.
Simo Tomic, from the village of Gornji Graci, Municipal Assembly
of Mrkonjic-Grad, born on February 17, 1940 in the village of Gornji
Graci, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father Mitar and mother
Andja, nee Sipraga.
Stevan Topic, from the village of Gerzovo, municipality of
Mrkonjic-Grad, born in 1924 in the village of Gerzovo, to father
Sima and mother Andja, nee Prolo.
Dane Trivunovic,born on June 15, 1961 in the village of Rasticevo,
municipality of Kupres, to father Andjelko.
Dara Tutoric, from the village of Podrasnica, born on September
12, 1928 in the village of Podrasnica, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad,
to father Djura and mother Joka, nee Pekez.
Jovo Tutoric, from the village of Podrasnica, born in 1927 in the
village of Podrasnica, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father
Todo.
Pero Cato, a farmer from the village of Pribeljci, Municipal Assembly
of Sipovo, born on June 12, 1912 in the village of Pribeljci, to
father Risto and mother Jovanka, nee Plavsic.
Dusan Cirkovic, born on December 2, 1960 in the village of Gustovare,
municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father Lazar.
Gojko Cubic, from the village of Sehovci, born in 1917, to father
Spiro.
Jane Culibrk, born on November 10, 1942 in the village of Bravsko,
municipality of Bosanski Petrovac, to father Milan.
Nedeljko Ubovic, from the village of Brdo, near Mrkonjic-Grad, born
in 1937 in the village of Brdo, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to
father Petar.
Rodoljub Uzelac, from Kula, born on January 18, 1955 in the village
of Lisane, Tinj, municipality of Benkovac, to father Petar.
Branko Uksan, born in 1925 in the village of Bocac, municipality
of Banja Luka, to father Nikola.
Branko Uletilovic, from the village of Bocac, born on September
16, 1941 in the village of Bocac, municipality of Banja Luka, to
father Aleksa and mother Dragica, nee Sikman.
Dosta Cvijic, from the village of Vrbovljani, municipality of
Ribnik, born in 1907 in the village of Medna, to father Ilija.
Dusan Crncevic, from the village of Brdo, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad,
born on March 9, 1943 in the village of Brdo, to father Panta and
mother Milica, nee Tomic.
Milorad Crncevic, born on March 14, 1950 in Mrkonjic-Grad, municipality
of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father Pantelija and mother Milica, nee Cigoja.
Slobodan Crncevic, born on September 1, 1970 in the village of
Brdo, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father Dusan.
Zoran Cigoja, a technician from the village of Bjelajac, born on
February 19, 1970 in the village of Bjelajac, municipality of
Mrkonjic-Grad, to father Djurdje and mother Zorka, nee Kojic.
Milica Cigoja, from the village of Kopljevici, born in 1939 in the
village of Bjelajac, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to father Jova
Milan and mother Jovanka, nee Bilic.
Ljubinko Cigoja, from the village of Bjelajac, born on October 10,
1957 in the village of Bjelajac, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad, to
father Dusan and mother Dusanka, nee Popadic.
Milos Colic, born on October 14, 1970 in the village of Novo Selo,
municipality of Kupres, to father Obrad.
Ratko Dzajic, a locksmith from Banja Luka, born on July 21, 1951
in the village of Han Kola, municipality of Banja Luka, to father
Jova and mother Savka, nee Jacimovic.
Djuro Serval, a pensioner from the village of Surjan, born on April
15, 1923 in the village of Surjan, municipality of Mrkonjic-Grad,
to father Marko and mother Jovanka.
Danilo Sesum, born on April 14, 1950 in the village of Zanaglina,
municipality of Kupres, to father Marinko.
Novak Sobic, from Sipovo, born on May 26, 1955 in the village of
Olici, municipality of Sipovo, to father Ljuboje and mother Mara,
nee Subasic.
Radovan Sobic, born on August 1, 1963 in the village of Olici,
municipality of Sipovo, to father Ilija and mother Mara, nee
Perkovic.
Jagoda Solic, from the village of Velijasnica, municipality of
Ribnik, born in 1938 in the village of Simici, to father Marko and
mother Boja, nee Kopanja.
Mara Solic, from the village of Velijasnica, municipality of Ribnik,
born in 1911 in the village of Micici, to father Dako.
Dobrivoje Strkic, born on March 10, 1951 in the village of Rekavice,
municipality of Banja Luka, to father Gojko and mother Jela
Blagojevic.
Branislav Surlan, a construction technician from Banja Luka - 11
Ivana Milutinovica Street, born on October 6, 1959 in Banja Luka,
to father Djordje and mother Radmila, nee Popovic.
Following the excavation of the mass grave at the Orthodox cemetery,
exhumation was carried out at the Moslem cemetery in Mrkonjic-Grad
in which additional 6 corpses were found. It was established that
the identified individuals were members of Moslem nationality.
The following two corpses were identified: Enes Salihbasic from
Banja Luka - 121 Rudarska Street, born on October 22, 1954 in Banja
Luka, to father Enver and mother Nedziba Ljeskavica from Banja
Luka, and Sava Ljuboja, born in 1949 in Banja Luka, to father Vejis.
The medicolegal experts from the Belgrade Military Medical Academy
performed the autopsy on the corpses discovered at the Orthodox
and Moslem cemeteries. An invited representative of the Hague
Tribunal, John Garns, a forensic expert was in attendance of the
excavation process over the first two days. Together with present
forensic physicians he examined 22 exhumed dead bodies (16 men and
6 women). Out of that number, on 12 bodies he found injuries in
the form of skull fractures inflicted by smashing or striking.
Forensic team explorations were monitored on a daily basis by
authorized IFOR representatives and other official international
institutions stationed in the territory of Bosnia-Herzegovina,
domestic and foreign media representatives, humanitarian organizations,
such as M(decins sans fronti(res from Belgium, non-governmental
organizations, such as Humanitarian Law Fund from Belgrade, etc.
They were being informed of autopsy findings and themselves were
free to photograph and examine at will the exhumed dead bodies.
Forms of violence
Exhumed bodies from the mass graves at the Orhodox and Moslem
cemeteries in Mrkonjic-Grad were forensically investigated by
experts from the Belgrade Military Medical Academy supervised by
Dr. Zoran Stankovic, a forensic medicine specialist, while a larger
number of the remaining bodies were forensically examined by forensic
medicine experts Dr. Ljubomir Curkic and Dr. Zeljko Karan. Bodies
found in the mass graves were bearing single or combined injuries
in the form of:
impressed fractures of cranium bones and bone fractures inflicted
by smashing and striking with a blunt and heavy mechanical instrument;
beheading and amputating other parts of the body by striking with
a mechanical instrument;
neck lacerations and tears in other regions of the body inflicted
by striking with mechanical instrument blades;
piercing wounds inflicted by gunshots fired from personal firearms;
stabbing wounds inflicted with sharp-pointed mechanical instruments;
gaping wounds and contusions inflicted by striking with a blunt
and heavy mechanical instrument;
blast effect wounds inflicted by the force of fragmentation of
explosive devices.
Deaths of those individuals were caused by: smashing of and damaging
vitally important brain centres, bleeding to death effected by torn
and ripped blood vessels along the existing wounds' channels,
respiratory disorders, and alike.
Thus, for example, on the bodies of Krsta Kovjenic from Bocac, born
in 1919, Nedeljko Kovjenic, from Bocac, born in 1920, Niko Maric
from Mrkonjic-Grad, born in 1924, and Vid Podrascanin from Surjan,
born in 1911, were found injuries in the form of fractures of
cranium bones with damaged and smashed vital brain centers. Sava
Dmitrovic from Smiljanici, born in 1907, and Milka Djukic from
Vrbljani, born in 1907, were found slain in their houses. Mirko
Djukic from Donje Ratkovo, born in 1924, was killed together with
his motionless wife Jovanka, born in 1924, while Milica Danilovic
from Vrbljani, born in 1927, was hung in a shack for smoking meat.
Although motionless, mentally handicapped and seriously ill persons
were also found among the excavated victims, they had also been
killed in the most savage and brutal ways. In the village of Surijan
near Mrkonjic-Grad, at the site of the burnt down house of Pantelija
Grmas were found remains of the carbonized bodies of Pantelija,
his wife Sava and his relatives: Jela and Radojka Jorgacevic,
Branka, Nevenka and Radojka Rozic and Branka Kudra. Also, a
wheel-chair which she had used since she was 7 years old was found
next to Radojka Rozic (age 34) and her dead parents.
Destruction and plundering of property
While the area was under the control of the Military and Police
forces of the Republic of Croatia and Croatian Defence Council,
practically all the households and apartment buildings were demolished
and destroyed, while the property was plundered. Livestock was
collected in an organized way and driven away, although a part of
livestock and other domestic animals were killed. Also, the overall
property of factories, institutions and other socially-owned
facilities was destroyed and plundered and witnessed not only by
the IFOR representatives and other international organizations,
but also by Sadako Oghata and Elisabeth Rehn who visited the region.
STATEMENTS OF WITNESSES
This file of the Committee contains numerous statements of witnesses
who have been heard. Presented here are just some excerpts reflecting
characteristic accounts of the witnesses about the killings of
their family members and the destruction of their property. The
witnesses' names are given under codes in order not to reveal their
identity.
The witness 409/96-12, a housewife from the village of Medna near
Mrkonjic-Grad, born in 1927, testified:
"When in October 1995 the Croatian army occupied our commune I was
in the village with my husband; when the first group of Croatian
soldiers came, they left us alone, but the second group, which came
some time after that, rounded up the cattle in the village and
drove them away. They swore at us cursing our Serbian and Chetnik
mothers and threatened that we would all be killed. They wanted to
know why we had not fled with the rest of the people.
One day in January 1996 a Croatian soldier burst into my flat,
grabbed me by the arm and dragged me into another room asking about
my age and pawing me and ripping my tights off and I screamed.
At that time Croatian troops killed our neighbour Cedo Tegeltija,
whose body was buried by J. and P. who had also remained in the
village.
The witness 409/96-13, a farmer, born in 1909, who also remained
at home in the village of Medna, testified:
"When the second group of Croatian soldiers came to our village,
they maltreated us viciously.
During the occupation they beat me on many occasions with sticks,
fists or kicked me in various parts of the body. They tried to hang
me thrice, putting a noose around my neck and swinging the rope
over a beam and then tightening it. I fainted on such occasions
and I had hematomata on the neck.
I was among those who buried Cedo Tegeltija, who was killed by
Croatian soldiers in January 1996.
The witness 409/96-21, a farmer from Mrkonjic-Grad, born in 1935,
stated:
"I lived in my house in the village of Gostovare near Mrkonjic-
Grad. Before the Croatian army took our village on October 10,1995,
all the villagers had left and fled in the direction of Banja Luka.
I had no intention of escaping and I was the only one who remained
in the village. When Croatian troops appeared I hid in the nearby
woods watching them. I saw them come up to my front door and break
it down. When night fell I went inside the house and found everything
scattered all around the place and I collected the things and tidied
the house up and then took some food and went to my shelter near
the house. I saw Croatian soldiers touring my house every day.
One day two Croatian soldiers came and set my house on fire. Then
they set fire to my brother D's house which was some distance from
mine. My house was burned to the ground and my brother's was only
half-burned. A couple of days after that Croatian soldiers came
again and again set fire to my brother's house. This time it, too,
was burned to the ground. After this I had no place to come to any
longer so I slept in my brother's stable at night and hid in the
forest during the day.
The witness 360/96-32 stated:
"My father was an attorney-at-law in Mrkonjic-Grad.
When on October 10, 1995, the Croatian army took Mrkonjic-Grad, my
father was captured in town as he had had no opportunity to pull
out. From then I knew nothing about him or his fate.
When on February 4, 1996, Mrkonjic-Grad reverted into Serbian hands,
I found the Bar card belonging to my father in the house on Vaskrsije
Samardzije street No. 96, under the staircase. Croatian troops had
been stationed in that house so that I assume that my father had
been taken there for investigation.
After the liberation of Mrkonjic-Grad, I also found the diary that
my father had been keeping until October 10, 1995. On that date he
made the last entry at 6. 30. a. m: The shellfire which started
yesterday continues. Occasional shells were fired all night. In
the morning at 6. 30 a. m. Mrkonjic and the surroundings came under
a cannonade of shells. And the diary of my father ends with those
words.
I found out that my father had been captured in the town by some
Moslems who had come to Mrkonjic-Grad. I also found out that my
father had been killed and buried in a mass grave in Mrkonjic-
Grad, which was confirmed when that grave was opened in the beginning
of April 1996. His "Seiko" watch was found on him, which had stopped
on October 20,1995. The watch could have run for 24 hours after
his death at the most, given its technical characteristics.
The witness 360-96-26, a housewife from Mrkonjic-Grad, born in
1922, stated:
"I lived in Mrkonjic-Grad for over 40 years. In October, 1995, when
the Croatian army occupied Mrkonjic-Grad and the surroundings, the
Serbian population left the town and the adjacent areas. I, however,
stayed at home. Because of an illness affecting my leg which I had
had for 11 years, I was immobile. When the Croatian army came they
would occasionally come to my house, look at me and curse my Chetnik
mother. They threatened me but they did not touch me. When a third
group of Croatian soldiers came, one of them said that I had stolen
his television set in Jajce, although I naturally had had nothing
to do with it, and so he took my television away. Then he also
seized the radio set and all my cutlery and a kitchen blender. I
begged him to leave me at least the radio to have something to
listen to. But he kicked me and left. A couple of days later, at
1 a. m. after midnight, a Croatian soldier came, and kicked open
the locked front door. He swore at my Chetnik mother and demanded
that I surrender the rifle which I did not have, so he hit me and
held me tight around the neck saying that he would strangle me.
Throughout the occupation of Mrkonjic-Grad by the Croatian army I
never went out as I am immobile, but I could see Croatian soldiers
taking away valuables from the houses in the neighbourhood. I also
saw them burn the house of my neighbour M. D.
The witness 360/96-48, a housewife, born in 1968, testified:
"My husband J. K. was captured by the Croatian army when on October
10, 1995 they took the area of Mrkonjic-Grad. As I was returning
to the village of Kopljevic I saw a horrendous sight. Dead cattle
lay all around, and amid them the disintegrating bodies of civilians
killed by the army in their homes.
The witness 360/96-19, a housewife from Mrkonjic-Grad, stated:
"My son D. P. was with his unit manning positions and was captured
in the village of Surjan on October 10, 1995 by members of the
Croatian army. B. B. told me that when they raided the village,
Croatian troops killed all the people they found in it and burned
the houses down, and also that he did not know what had become of
my son after capture. His body was found in a mass grave in
Mrkonjic-Grad..."
The witness 360/96-20, a driver from Podoruglo near Mrkonjic- Grad,
stated:
"My son D. M. was captured in his native village by the Croatian
army. I was informed of this by phone by M. V. , a Croatian woman
from the same village, who told me that they had taken him to some
camp in Livno. I believed all this until the mass grave in
Mrkonjic-Grad was opened, where his body was also found.
My son had been captured by the Split Guard brigade commanded by
general Matijasevim, who was killed in battle after which Croatian
troops killed all Serbs, civilians and prisoners without exception."
The witness 360/96-23, a carpenter from Mrkonjic-Grad, stated:
"My father was apprehended by members of the Croatian army in the
village of Sehovica, on October 10,1995. When they opened the mass
grave in Mrkonjic-Grad, I recognized his body..."
The witness 360/96-27, a housewife, born in 1937, testified:
"My husband S. T. , 55 years old, remained in the village of Gornji
Graci near Mrkonjic-Grad, and when in mid-October 1995 Croatian
troops occupied our village, he was captured and taken away, as I
found out later, to a camp.
His body was found in the beginning of April 1996 in Mrkonjic- Grad
in a mass grave and I recognized it..."
The witness 360/96-54, born in 1924, a Moslem by nationality, stated
the following:
"I and my husband remained in our house in Mrkonjic-Grad. On October
10, 1995, Croatian soldiers occupied Mrkonjic-Grad. They put us
Moslems into the "Ivan Goran Kovacic" elementary school. There they
held us for eight days and then we were sent home.
I and my husband stayed at home until December 9, 1995. We left
the house only very seldom. On December 9 the Croatian army rounded
up the Moslems in Mrkonjic-Grad and took them to Bugojno. We were
transferred to the abandoned Serbian village of Poljice and stayed
there until March 1, 1996, when we were allowed to return to
Mrkonjic-Grad.
I do not know who killed the Moslems who are buried at the Moslem
cemetery in Mrkonjic-Grad whose grave was opened in the beginning
of April 1996.
I know that, apart from my own and another family, there are no
more Moslem families left in Mrkonjic-Grad. The Moslems were taken
away by the Croats during the occupation. Some were taken to Sanski
Most, some to Bugojno and other places..."
The witness 360/96-55, a Moslem woman born in 1925, testified:
"During the war I lived in Mrkonjic-Grad. My daughter is ill and
bed-ridden and I stayed at home with her. While Mrkonjic-Grad was
in the hands of the Serbian army, no one touched me or harassed
me. In October 1995, the Croatian army came to Mrkonjic-Grad and
rounded up the Moslem population and took them to Bugojno and other
places. As my daughter is immobile I did not want to go and the
Croatian soldiers did not force me to go.
I do not know who killed the Moslems buried at the Moslem cemetery
and when..."
The witness 410/96-7 stated:
"The area of the village of Bocaci was occupied by the Croatian
army on October 12,1992.
Only elderly, sick and bed-ridden people had remained in the village.
Among them was my father Danilo Djurdjevic, born in 1921, a pensioner.
He had had a stroke before the war and was bed-ridden and unable
to leave the house..."
The witness 409/96-1, a pensioner from the vicinity of Mrkonjic-
Grad, born in 1924, stated the following:
"I lived in the village of Stupari near Mrkonjic-Grad when on
October 10, 1995 Croatian troops fell upon the village. The majority
of the villagers had fled in the direction of Banja Luka. I tried
to escape but I did not succeed because the Croatian army had cut
off my retreat route. I hid in the forest for a couple of days and
then returned home; three days after that a group of Croatian
soldiers came, searched the house, and on satisfying themselves
that I was alone, left.
While I was in the village of Stupari, Croatian troops came, took
things out of the houses, rounded up the cattle, loaded all this
on lorries and made off with it. In the village of Stupari Croatian
soldiers set fire to about ten Serbian houses. I saw them burning,
and houses in the neighbouring villages had also been set to fire.
I had been at home for 45 days when policemen from Mrkonjic-Grad
came, among whom Stipo Bilandzija from the village of Ljeskovica
near Jajce, and ordered me to come along with them to Mrkonjic-
Grad. They locked me up in the cellar of the police station in
Mrkonjic-Grad, in a separate room. Three days later, the policeman
Pavo Juric from the village of Majdan near Mrkonjic- Grad started
to interrogate me hitting me with a truncheon on the head and
shoulders. He put a knife to my throat cursing my Serbian mother
and threatening that he would first cut my arm off with that knife
and then slit my throat. There was another policeman there who
kicked me and pounded me with his fists. At a certain point, he
took my walking stick, which was about 3 cm in diameter, and whacked
me on the head with it breaking the stick in two. I fainted. When
I regained consciousness they continued to beat me. How long the
beating lasted I have no idea, I only know that I came to the
following morning around 10 o'clock.
After being held for 25 days in the police station prison in
Mrkonjic-Grad I was taken to Jajce, where I was incarcerated for
a further 33 days.
While I was in prison in Mrkonjic-Grad, one Croatian policeman told
me that 191 killed Serbs were buried at the cemetery in Mrkonjic-Grad,
and that they were all soldiers with no civilians among them.
When they came to take me away from my home to Mrkonjic-Grad, the
policemen asked me why I had not left with the other Serbs and
swore at my Chetnik mother, saying that there was no way I could
continue to live in that area...."
The witness 409/96-18, a pensioner from the village of Kopljevici
near Mrkonjic-Grad, born in 1932, stated:
"I remained at home with my wife until October 10, 1995. That
morning the Croatian army pounced upon our village and I and my
wife set out in the direction of Banja Luka to escape. Simo Stamenic
and his sister Milica Cigoja came with us and the four of us walked
to the village of Donji Cehovci. Croatian troops caught sight of
us in that village and stopped us. Simo was in uniform and armed.
The Croatian soldiers disarmed him and one of them took out a big
knife and placed it under Simo's throat telling him that he would
slaughter him. The Croatian soldiers took Simo with them, but he
wrested himself away grabbing hold of his sister Milica. Then the
Croatian soldiers took both Simo and Milica towards the Kojic's
house and, when they were some 20 meters away from us, emptied a
burst of gunfire into Simo and Milica killing them on the spot.
They let me and my wife go and we lived in Banja Luka until February
7, 1996, when, after the liberation, we returned to our village..."
The witness 818/95-10 from the village of Magedovac near Mrkonjic-Grad
stated:
"When in September 1995 the villagers from our village fled in the
direction of Banja Luka, only I and my wife remained at home in
the village. No one came to our house for 15 days.
One morning I went out to look for the sheep. A group of soldiers
stopped me. They asked me if I knew who they were, and I said that
they were soldiers, to which they said that they were Croatian
soldiers.
They ordered me to come with them. They took me to the school and
started questioning me there. They asked whether I had any sons
and where they were, they asked me where Serbian troops were, and
when I said that I did not know, one of the soldiers started pounding
me with his fists on one side of the face and another one on the
other. While they hit me they cursed my Serbian mother. They pointed
to a group of soldiers nearby roasting a pig on a spit and told me
that they would roast me just like that. Some of the soldiers in
that group were sharpening theirknives and, looking at me, told me
that they would slaughter me, while others suggested that I be shot
saying that that would be easier.
I was all covered with blood from the blows. One man came by,
probably their commanding officer and asked me who had beaten me.
I said: "What good will it do for me to tell you", and someone from
the group said that I had been beaten by little Sarim from the
village of Ljeskovica which is adjacent to my own village.
After this they drove me to the camp in the sports hall in Livno
where I remained until the exchange..."
The witness 453/96-32, the secretary of the local community centre
in the village of Sitnica, stated:
"Our village was attacked and occupied on September 15,1995, by
the Moslem army and was under occupation for several days after
which units of the Army of the Republic of Srpska liberated Sitnica.
That is when we found the body of Milo Stupar, who was totally
immobile due to an illness affecting his legs. He had a cut in the
neck and a cross-shaped gash on his chest, around which were numerous
knife pricks..."
The witness 453/96-52, born in 1938, from the vicinity of Ribnik,
stated:
"With my family I lived in the village of Crkveno near Ribnik. When
on September 14, 1995 the Croatian army occupied the village, the
Serbian population left their homes and fled in the direction of
Banja Luka, and I stayed on in the village with my wife on account
of my bed-ridden sister who lived with us.
My sister remained in the house and I and my wife hid in the forest
near the house. We saw Croatian troops come to the village, take
things out of the houses and set the houses on fire. I and my wife
occasionally came to the house late at night to see my sister and
get some food.
As in November the weather grew cold, I and my wife returned home
and one day Croatian soldiers came and ordered us to come with
them.
They escorted us to Livno and placed us in the gym of a school.
There they held us for 25 days and from there took us to be exchanged
on December 7, 1995..."
The witness 453/96-43, a housewife, born in 1948, stated:
"I lived in the village of Zablece, in the commune of Ribnik, which
was within the Republic of Srpska until September 14, 1995. That
day our village and the surrounding area came under attack on the
part of the Croatian army. During the attack most of the Serbian
villagers fled in the direction of Banja Luka while I stayed at
home. Croatian soldiers came and when they saw me they asked me
why I had not fled too, and when I answered that I did not want to
leave my home, they said that I could stay and that no one would
harass me.
I stayed at home until October 4 or 5, 1995. That day Croatian
troops came and told me that I could no longer stay there but had
to go to Kljuc for an exchange. They took me to Kljuc and handed
me over to some Moslem command. Then they took me to a house in
which there already were 4 women and told us to stay put and not
leave the house without permission from them. In the house we cooked
our own food using the supplies we received from the Red Cross. We
stayed there until February 18, 1996, when they allowed us to return
to our village.
While we were being held in Kljuc, Moslem soldiers passing by our
building swore at us cursing our Serbian mothers and saying: "Where
are the Serbs for us to slaughter them!". We were panic- stricken
for we did expect them to walk into the house any minute and really
slit our throats.
M. M. who was brought to our building was all black and blue and
she told us that Moslem soldiers had beaten and maltreated her.
A certain Marica, who was nearly 90, was also brought to the
building. She was brought in by Moslem police. Marica did not say
that they had beaten her, but she died several days after she had
arrived...."
The witness 453/96-46, a farmer, born in 1936, stated:
"I lived in the village of Donja Slatina near Ribnik. Croatian and
Moslem troops occupied our village on September 14, 1995. Our
village was populated exclusively by Serbs. The villagers fled in
the direction of Banja Luka.
As my wife was gravely ill and bed-ridden at the time, I stayed at
home and we were there when the Moslem army came. As they entered
the village, Moslem soldiers set fire to some houses and other
buildings in Donja Slatina. They looted the deserted houses and
drove the cattle away.
When the Moslems reached my house they told me not to leave the
house and that I would come to no harm.
As my wife died on the third day following the occupation, I buried
her. Then the Croatian army came. They told me to stay at home and
not to flee. They said that all the villagers would be returned to
their homes. I remained at home throughout the occupation of the
village. Croatian soldiers came every day to check whether I was
at home.
They kept telling me that I was not to try to escape, for if I did
that they would kill me.
I remained at home until the beginning of February, 1996, when the
Republic of Srpska regained control over our area.
Only D. remained in our village. Her husband Mirko Barjaktarevic
had been taken away by the Croatian army. His body was found in a
mass grave in Mrkonjic-Grad in April 1996. I was present when
Croatian soldiers took Mirko Barjaktarevic prisoner and took him
away, but I do not know when he was killed..."
By this action the army and the police of the Republic of Croatia
and HVO members committed crimes specified in the 1949 Geneva
Conventions and the 1977 Additional Protocols thereto, as well as
violated the 1948 Convention on the Punishment of the Crime of
Genocide, i. e. committed the criminal offences specified under
Articles 141-143 of the Criminal Code of SFR Yugoslavia (the Republic
of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina have incorporated the provisions
of these Articles into their criminal legislation).
PROOF: 156/96-18, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 28, 29, 31, 33; 360/96-16,
17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 36, 38,
42, 45, 46, 47, 48, 50, 51, 52; 409/96-2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11,
13, 14, 16, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32,
33, 34, 36, 37; 410/96-3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 24; 426/96-4, 5,
6, 7, 8, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 23, 29, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36,
37, 40, 41, 42, 44, 46, 47, 49, 52, 54, 55, 56, 59, 62, 64, 65;
818/95-12; 818/95-10; 453/96-4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14,
15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 31, 32, 34,
35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 45, 46, 47, 48, 51, 52, 53,
54, 55, 56; 491/96; 470/96; 549/96; 584/96.
Enclosures:
Video footage of the burial of the victims at the cemetery in
Mrkonjic-Grad and the statement of colonel Dr. Boris Zdilar, HVO
Chief of Medical Corps,
Video footage of the exhumation of bodies from the mass grave in
Mrkonjic-Grad,
Autopsy report S. No. 18 and S. No. 58 for Andja Drinic and Niko
Maric, and,
Statement of witness No. 360/96-32
Military Medical Academy
Forensic Medicine Institute
17, Crnotravska street, Belgrade
tel/fax 011/664-334
No. 58/96
AUTOPSY REPORT
Name and surname and name: NIKO Maric (f. Ile)
Date and place of birth: 1924, Brdo, Mrkonjic-Grad
Residence: Mrkonjic-Grad
Date and hour of death: ?
Autopsy requested by: Investigative judge of the Military Court
in Banja Luka
Place and time of autopsy: Mrkonjic-Grad, April 2, 1996
Autopsy performed by: Lt. col. Zoran Stankovic, M. D.
Capt. Miodrag
Zdravkovic, M. D.
At the request of the investigative judge of the Military Court in
Banja Luka, on Tuesday, April 2, 1996, within the compound of the
"Gradnja" building material storage site in Mrkonjic-Grad, a team
of forensic experts of the Forensic Medicine Institute of the
Military Medical Academy, comprising the following:
Lt. col. Dr. Zoran Stankovic, forensic medicine specialist
Capt. Dr. Miodrag Zdravkovic, M. D. , specializing forensic medicine,
Miladin Zarkovic, medical technician,
assisted by the following:
Snezana Crnojevic, clerk, of the OVT (Military Prosecutor's Office),
Banja Luka
Mikica Marijanac, photographer, of the CJB (Public Security Centre),
Banja Luka
performed a forensic examination of a body exhumed from the local
Orthodox cemetery, which was in a black plastic bag.
To establish the identity of the deceased, the forensic team
cooperated with authorized persons of the Public Security Centre
in Banja Luka:
Milorad Jelisavac, inspector
Gojko Vucenovic, dactyloscopy expert
The following attended the work of the team:
Borisa Ilic, investigative judge of the Military Court in Banja
Luka
Major Srboljub Jovicinac and Capt. I-st. class Slobodan Radulj,
Prosecutor and Deputy Prosecutor respectively of the OVT in Banja
Luka,
Branko Buhavac, Head of the Criminology Lab of the CJB in Banja
Luka,
and the relatives of persons who went missing from Mrkonjic-Grad
and the vicinity in the second half of 1995.
The inclement weather (rain and snow), low temperatures, the lack
of X-ray apparatuses and other technical aids considerably hindered
the work of the team who had to adapt their work to the existing
possibilities weather- and technique-wise.
Military police secured the building in which the post-mortem was
being performed.
The body was identified by the son of the deceased, Goran Maric,
Mrkonjic-Grad, 96, Brdo street.
A. External Findings
1. The cadaver of a male, about 169 cm. long, weight about 65 kg.
Well-developed skeleton and muscles, of medium nutriture. Postmortem
flaccidity manifest in all muscle groups. No livor mortis observable.
Skin colour grayish-greenish with a dark- brownish stain.
2. Hair graying, up to 60 mm. long, partly missing and easily pulled
out from the roots in tufts. The soft tissues of the upper half of
the face disintegrated, putrescent and partly missing. Of the teeth,
the following are missing: 1, 6, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20,
28, 30 and 32; 2 and 5 have caps of yellow metal with a dental
bridge for the missing Nos. 3 and 4 teeth, which is externally the
colour of teeth and internally of a yellow- coloured metal, 11 and
25 have fallen out, 22, 29 and 31 are carious, while the masticating
surfaces of other teeth are
worn out. The soft tissues of the neck putrescent and partly missing.
Rib cage cylindrical, symmetrical. Stomach flush with the rib cage.
Male type pubic area hairiness.
3. In the central portion of the face is an impressed fracture with
the destruction of nasal bones in the direction of the cranial
cavity, from which a number of capillary fractures radiate across
the facial bones, which intersect to form osseous fragments of
various forms and sizes.
4. The skin and subcutaneous tissue are putrescent, and partly
missing in the upper half of the face, grayish-greenish with a dark
brown stain in the other parts, and in the area of both shoulders,
the front side of the lower half of the face, the neck and the
right forearm they have turned into a saponaceous, sticky mass of
gray-whitish colour.
5. There is no extraneous matter in the genital opening and anus,
while the destroyed nasal and oral cavities and both ears contain
a whitish sticky mass and a dark-reddish substance.
6. Apart from the described ones, there are no other visible and
substantial changes or injuries on the body.
7. The following clothes were on the body: a white shirt with dark
vertical stripes, grayish trousers with a herring-bone pattern and
violet lining, white underpants and black woolen stockings. There
were no shoes on the feet.
The clothes are wet, and the part adhering to the lower section of
the neck is steeped in a dark reddish substance.
Two rings of keys were found in the clothes, a "Seiko" wrist watch
on the left wrist, while no personal documents were found.
B. Internal Findings
a. Head
8. The scalp tissue is decayed, bloodstained. The calvarium and
the cranial base present no signs of fracture or damage.
b. Neck and Chest
9. External examination did not establish any signs of injuries of
or damage to the neck and rib cage, so that the chest cavity was
not opened to examine the neck and sternal organs.
c. Abdomen
10. No signs of injury or damage of the abdominal wall established
by external examination, so that the abdominal cavity was not opened
to inspect the abdominal organs.
d. Bones
11. The present bones of the head, neck, torso and limbs were
examined, and apart from the described impressed facial bones
fracture, no signs of fracture or damage were established on the
other bones.
PATHOLOGICAL-ANATOMICAL DIAGNOSIS
Mors violenta. Homicidium. Cadaver ex terra in stadio putrefactionis
progressa et saponificationis. Fractura impressiva ossium faciei
regionis nasi.
TRANSLATION OF PATHOLOGICAL-ANATOMICAL DIAGNOSIS
Violent death. Homicide. Cadaver from the earth in an advanced
stage of putrefaction and saponification. Impressed facial bones
fracture in the region of the nose.
OPINION
I. Cadaver from the earth, in an advanced stage of putrefaction
and saponification, so that the actual cause of death cannot be
established with certainty only on the basis of external examination.
However, on the basis of the autopsy findings, it may be claimed
with great probability that death was violent and due to damage to
vitally important cerebral centres, caused by an impressed fracture
of the facial bones in the area of the nose.
II. The impressed facial bones fracture, described under item 3.
of the External Findings, was inflicted by a blow of a blunt, heavy
and swung mechanical object.
III. The putrefactive changes on the body are due to the lengthy
time elapsed since the time of death, and on certain parts changes
have been registered in the form of a saponaceous gray- whitish
mass, due to the protracted time the body was in a wet grave.
IV. Homicide is the most probable cause of death.
CORONERS:
Lt. col. Dr. Zoran Stankovic, Specialist in Forensic Med.
Capt. Dr. Miodrag Zdravkovic, Specializing Forensic Med.
Supplement to Autopsy Report:
During the identification of the body by the son, the coroners were
requested to establish the presence of the gallbladder, appendix
and cutaneous scars due to the extraction of the mentioned organs
by surgery. However, due to the advanced putrefaction of the skin,
the presence of scars could not be established, but the coroners
established on opening the abdominal cavity that there was no
appendix and gallbladder, indicating that the same had been removed
long ago by experts for treatment purposes.
Drawing 1. Location of the facial bones impressed fracture.
SOCIALIST FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA
SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA
Mrkonjic Grad Commune
WITNESS HEARING RECORD
made on 4 May 1996 before an investigative judge of the Basic Court
in Mrkonjic Grad in criminal proceedings against JOHN DOE for the
criminal offense from article 142 of the Criminal Code.
JOVANKA VASIC, judge
RATKA COLIC, clerk
Witness:
GORAN MARIC - INJURED PARTY
Hearing also attended by:
Public Prosecutor
__________________________
Defendant
_________________________
Counsel
________________________
Started at 12:20 hrs.
The witness has been advised of his/her duty to tell the truth,
not withhold anything, warned of the consequences of perjury, and
told that he/she could refrain from answering questions likely to
inflict upon the witness or a close relative of his/hers serious
outrage, considerable material damage or entail criminal prosecution
(article 229 of the Criminal Proceedings Law). The witness provided
the following general information:
1) Name and surname GORAN MARIC
2) Father's name NIKO
3) Occupation Attorney from Mrkonjic Grad, presently in Banja
Luka
4) Place of residence BRDO village, Mrkonjic Grad, office at
Banja Luka, tel. 078-33070
5) Place of birth MRKONJIC GRAD
6) Year of birth 21 June 1957
7) Relation to the unrelated
defendant and the
injured party
Having provided the above facts, the witness proceeded to make the
following statement:
Before and during this war I lived with my family in the village
of Brdo, the commune of Mrkonjic Grad, at the mentioned address.
My late father Niko Maric and I had a lawyer's office in Mrkonjic
Grad at Karadjordjeva 12a.
At the beginning of the war Mrkonjic Grad was in the hands of the
Army of the Republic of Srpska (RS) all until 10 October 1995. I
was drafted in the RS Army. In the second half of 1995 the Croat
Army very often attacked the Mrkonjic Grad commune from its positions
by shelling from all weapons. The shelling grew more intense during
September 1995 and culminated in early October. Therefore, an attack
of the Croat Army on the Mrkonjic Grad commune was expected,
especially since they held positions about 2 km away from Mrkonjic
Grad.
According to my late father's diary he was in the Mrkonjic Grad
commune all until 10 October 1995, 6:30 a. m., as he wrote down in
his diary. He also wrote that "yesterday's shelling continues".
Grenades could be heard all over the night. Around 6:30 a. m."Mrkonjic
Grad and its surroundings came under an hailstorm of shells ". The
diary I found in our family house ends with these words.
On the same day, the Croat Army occupied the Mrkonjic Grad commune
and the town itself and probably captured my father in the town
since he was not able to escape. Since that moment I knew nothing
about his fate until 3 April 1996. I tried to learn anything about
him but it was all unofficial, uncertain and unreliable. In early
March I learned from some Moslems who were visiting Mrkonjic Grad
that my father had been killed and buried in a collective grave,
as confirmed when that grave was exhumed at the Mrkonjic Grad
cemetery. On that occasion I positively identified my late father's
body. Namely, I saw the scars from the stomach operations he had
undergone. Besides, I recognized the golden cap in his upper jaw,
as well as a malformation of a left foot toe. He had the keys of
our lawyer's office in his pocket. I could also recognize his
clothes. In his pocket I found a "Seiko" watch which stopped on 20
October 1995. Given its technical performances, the watch probably
functioned at least 24 hours after his murder. The watch was given
to the exhumation team.
Professor Dr. Zoran Stankovic, pathologist, examined the body of
my late father Niko Maric. He noted all the injuries. I personally
saw that the head and facial bones were impressed, which could mean
that he had been strongly hit by a dull object.
My father Niko Maric was born on 2 February 1924 in the village of
Brdo, the commune of Mrkonjic Grad, of father Ile and mother
Spasenija, nee Drinic. My father always carried most of his personal
documents in his brief-case; when I returned to Mrkonjic Grad on
4 February when the Republic of Srpska regained control, I found
his lawyer's identity card under the staircase of the house at 96
Vaskrsija Samardzija. Since members of the
Croat Army stayed in that house, it can be assumed that my father
was taken there and interrogated.
For some time my father was a judge and the president of the Mrkonjic
Grad Basic Court. From 1972 to 1984 he was a judge of the High
Court in Banja Luka. Then he retired and started working as a
lawyer.
My father collected data on war crimes committed in World War 2
and I have many of these documents. Some of them were submitted to
the Yugoslav Red Cross and are probably still there. In any case,
their copies exist.
This is all I have to say for the time being.
I subscribe to the demands for the criminal prosecution of those
who killed my father although I do not know what Croat unit or
individual did it.
I have been informed that I have the right to read the record,
however, since the record was read aloud, I shall not use that
right.
Finished at 13 hrs.
CLERK
Ratka Colic (signed) Goran Maric (signed)
JUDGE
Military Medical Academy
Institute for Forensic Medicine ZPSM
Crnotravska 17, Beograd
Tel. /Fax 011-664-334
AUTOPSY REPORT
Name and surname: ANDJA DRINIC
Date and place of birth: 1910, Bocac village, Banja Luka
Residence: Bocac
Day and hour of death: ?
Autopsy requested by: Investigative judge of the Banja Luka
Military Court
Place and time of
autopsy: Mrkonjic Grad, 1 April 1996
Autopsy performed by: Lieutenant Colonel Zoran
Stankovic, M. D.
Captain
Miodrag
Zdravkovic,
M. D.
S. No. 18/96, page 2.
At the order of the investigative judge of the Banja Luka Military
Court, on Monday, 1 April 1996, in the "Gradnja" construction
material storehouse in Mrkonjic-Grad, the following forensic medical
team of the Institute for Forensic Medicine of the Military Medical
Academy:
Lieutenant Colonel Zoran Stankovic, M. D. , specialist in forensic
medicine,
Captain Miodrag Zdravkovic, M. D. , specializing in forensic
medicine,
Miladin Zarkovic, medical technician,
assisted by
Snezana Crnojevic, clerk from OVT Banja Luka,
Mikica Marjanac, photographer from CJB Banja Luka,
performed an autopsy of a body exhumed from the local Orthodox
cemetery; the body was in a black plastic bag without a number.
In order to identify the deceased, the forensic team cooperated
with the following competent persons from the Banja Luka Public
Security Centre (CJB):
Milorad Jelisavac, inspector
Gojko Vucenovic, dactyloscopy expert.
The following persons were present during the autopsy:
Captain Borisa Ilic, investigative judge in the Banja Luka Military
Court,
Major Srboljub Jovicinac, and First Class Captain Slobodan Radulj,
prosecutor and deputy prosecutor of the OVT in Banja Luka,
Branko Buhavac, head of Department for Criminal Technology (CJB)
in Banja Luka,
as well as the relatives of those who disappeared from Mrkonjic
Grad and the surrounding places in the second half of 1995.
The bad weather conditions (rain and snow), low temperatures, the
absence of an X-ray apparatus and of other technical aids, made
the work very difficult, so that the team had to adjust its activities
to the weather conditions and technical capacities.
Military Police secured the facility in which the autopsy was
performed.
The body was identified by a close relative named Veseljko Tadic,
Bocac, Banja Luka.
A. External Findings
1. Female body, around 160 cm long, weighing around 55 kg. Well
developed skeleton and muscles, well fed. Flaccidity obvious in
all the muscle groups. Livor not distinctive. Skin gray-green, with
dark-brown stains.
2. Hair gray, in braids, up to 180 mm long, basically missing and
easily pulled out in locks. Soft face tissues in the process of
putrefaction, dark-greenish, almost entirely missing. Teeth:
- 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21,
29, 30, 31 and 32 missing;
- 6, 8, 9, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 fell out of the alveolus.
S. No. 18/96, page 3.
Neck cylindrical, movable normally. Chest cylindrical, symmetrical.
Breasts of the size of a female fist, wrinkled and in the process
of putrefaction. Stomach at the level of the chest. Pubic hairs of
female old age type.
3. On the back of the middle third of the right thigh, around 57
cm above the right foot plane, there is an oval wound, 15x10mm,
with uneven edges and sides, blood-stained, putrefactive and turned
inward, the bottom of which continues in the form of a channel
directed forward, downwards and to the right through the skin, the
subcutaneous tissue, muscles, right thigh bone which is at that
point broken diagonally, the subcutaneous tissue and skin on the
front external side of the right thigh, where around 53 cm above
the right foot plane there is an oval wound, 50x40mm, with uneven
edges and sides, blood-stained, putrefactive and turned outside.
4. On the external side of the upper third of the left lower leg,
around 42 cm above the left foot plane, there is an oval wound,
15x10mm, with uneven edges and sides, blood-sained, putrefactive
and turned inwards, the bottom of which goes, in the form of a
channel directed forward, downwards and to the right, through the
skin, the subcutaneous tissue, muscles, both bones of the left
lower leg which are diagonally broken at that point, the subcutaneous
tissue and skin on the front internal side of the upper third of
the left lower leg, where around 39 cm above the left foot plane
there is an oval wound, 60x40cm, with uneven edges and sides,
blood-stained, putrefactive and turned outside, whose space is
filled with putrid soft tissue and tiny fragments of broken bones.
5. The skin and subcutaneous tissue in the process of putrefaction,
largely missing on the head and the neck, of dark- greenish colour;
on the front side of the upper half of the rib cage, both shoulders,
both arms, both lower legs and both feet turned into a soapy,
sticky, gray-whitish mass.
6. In the genital opening and the anus no foreign substance, while
the soft tissues of the nose, the mouth and both ears are putrid
and almost entirely missing.
7. Apart from the described changes and injuries, there are no
other obvious and significant changes and injuries on the outside
of the body.
8. The body had the following clothes on: a dark-blue stout coat
with a dark- blue lining, a light-blue cardigan, a dark-green
long-sleeved blouse with a key attached onto it with a safety pin,
a white sewn slip, a black wool skirt, a dark-blue wool waistcoat,
a blue scarf with white patterns, tan and black cotton knee-length
socks and dark-red socks.
No shoes.
Three keys for locks, one "elzet" key and one key without the part
which goes into the lock, were found in the clothes.
The clothes are wet and soaked with water, and in the part which
covers the wounds described under items 3 and 4 of the External
Findings, torn and soaked with dark-red matter.
S. No. 18/96, page 4.
B. Internal Findings
a. Head
9. The tissue of scalp in the process of putrefaction, almost
entirely missing. On the bones of the cranial roof and face no
damage or fracture, which is why the scull was not opened nor was
its contents examined.
b. Neck and Chest
10. Soft tissues of the neck and its organs in the process of
putrefaction, largely missing, so that when the body was turned
the head separated from it. No traces of damage or fracture were
seen on cervical vertebra. In the chest cavities around 300ccm of
murky, dirty, red liquid. Both lung lobes and the heart putrid and
amorphous.
c. Abdomen
11. In the abdominal cavity around 300ccm of murky, dirty, red
liquid. The organs in the abdomen putrid and amorphous.
d. Bones
12. The bones of the head, neck, torso and limbs examined and no
fractures or damage established except for the described fracture
of the right thigh and of both bones of the left lower leg.
PATHOLOGICAL AND ANATOMICAL DIAGNOSIS
Mors violenta. Homicidum. Cadaver ex terra in stadio putrefactionis
progressa et saponificationis. Vulnera sclopetaria regionis femoris
dextri et cruris sinistri.
TRANSLATION OF THE PATHOLOGICAL AND ANATOMICAL DIAGNOSIS
Violent death. Homicide. The body from the ground in an advanced
phase of putrefaction and saponification. Penetrating injuries of
the right thigh and the left lower leg.
O P I N I O N
I The body from the ground in an advanced phase of putrefaction
and saponification. Therefore, the actual cause of death cannot be
established with certainty on the basis of external examination
alone.
However, on the basis of the autopsy findings it can be stated with
great certainty that it was a violent death which occurred as a
result of hemorrhage from the ruptured blood vessels, along the
channels of the penetrating wounds of the right thigh and the left
lower leg.
S. No. 18/96, page 5.
II The wound on the back side of the right thigh, described under
item 3 of the External Findings, is an entry penetrating point
inflicted by a projectile shot from a side fire arm, the bottom of
which continues, in the form of a channel, through the skin, the
subcutaneous tissue, muscles, the right thigh bone which is broken
at that point, the subcutaneous tissue and the skin on the front
external part of the lower third of the right thigh where there is
the exit wound described under item 3 of the External Findings.
The direction of the wound channel is from the back forward, from
above downwards and from the left to the right side.
III The wound on the external side of the upper third of the left
lower leg, described under item 4 of the External Findings, is an
entry penetrating point, inflicted by a projectile shot from a side
fire arm, the bottom of which continues in the form of a channel
through the skin, the subcutaneous tissue, the muscles, both bones
of the left lower arm which are broken at that point, the subcutaneous
tissue and skin on the front internal side of the upper third of
the left lower leg, where there is an exit wound described under
item 4 of the External Findings.
The direction of the wound channel is from the back forward, from
above downwards and from the left to the right side.
IV The shooting distance could not be established on the basis of
the presence of unburnt gunpowder particles on the clothes and the
body, since the body was in the wet ground for several months and
in an advanced phase of putrefaction.
V The putrefaction of the body is the result of the time which has
elapsed from the moment of death; on certain parts of the body
there is a gray-whitish soapy mass as the body was in a wet tomb
for a long time.
VI Homicide is the most probable cause of death.
Autopsy performed by:
Lieutenant Colonel Zoran Stankovic, M. D. Specialist in Forensic
Medicine
Captain Miodrag Zdravkovic, specilizing forensic medicine
Drawing 1 Direction of missile through the body
