S/1994/674/Add.2 (Vol. I)
28 December 1994
Final report of the United Nations Commission of Experts
established pursuant to
security council resolution 780 (1992)
Annex III.A
Special forces
Under the Direction of:
M. Cherif Bassiouni
Chairman and Rapporteur on the Gathering
and Analysis of the Facts, Commission of Experts
Established Pursuant to Security Council Resolution 780 (1992)
Principal Legal Anaylst:
Mark W. Bennett, IHRLI Staff Attorney
Contributors:
Georgann M. Grabiec, IHRLI Staff Attorney
Diane Silverman, IHRLI Volunteer Analyst
John Stompor, IHRLI Staff Analyst
John Tomasic, IHRLI Staff Analyst
Carson A. Wetzel, IHRLI Staff Attorney
Stacey White, IHRLI Staff Analyst
The conflict in the former Yugoslavia has seen the widespread use of paramilitary organizations within the territories of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), the Republic of Croatia, and to a lesser extent, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY). The use of paramilitary organizations by all «warring factions» must be viewed in the context of the breakup of Yugoslavia and the structure of the military before the breakup. *1 In the period of 1989-1991, political ferment indicated that a breakup of Yugoslavia was likely. However, there were no indications as to how the country would be divided. The rise of nationalism and ethnic tension caused Yugoslavs to become concerned for their own safety. This concern over their own self-defence, combined with the rhetoric of nationalist politicians, led many Yugoslavs to arm themselves. Furthermore, uncertainty about the Yugoslav National Army's (JNA) role in post- Communist Yugoslavia led many to conclude that paramilitary organizations were a necessity.
The creation of paramilitary groups was further fueled by the wide circulation of stories of atrocities committed by all sides. Serbs, for example, were shown pictures allegedly depicting the Mujahedin forces holding the severed heads of Serb soldiers. All sides viewed themselves as victims, not as perpetrators, thereby creating a desire for revenge and providing justification for their own deeds.
Paramilitary organizations exist in several forms. Some are highly-organized groups and operate in several theatres in conjunction with regular military formations. Others are loosely organized and act alone in a single village or on an ad hoc basis. Some of the groups preceded the conflict, others followed it. Still others were formed as the need arose during the conflict. These groups have been organized by the governments or militaries of the warring factions, by political parties, as well as by local police, political, military or community leaders. The members of these paramilitary organizations have been drawn from the regular army, Territorial Defence forces, local militia and police, local civilians, expatriots, and foreign nationals. According to some reports, the paramilitary organizations also include criminals released from prison solely for the purpose of forming these units.
For purposes of this report, the paramilitary forces operating in the territory of the former Yugoslavia can be classified into four categories: Special Forces, «Militias», «Paramilitary units», and «police augmented by armed civilians». *2 Special Forces usually operate with substantial autonomy under the command of an identified leader. They operate in several theatres, and sometimes engage in joint operations with the regular militaries. These groups are supplied, and often trained, by the governments they serve. Many of these Special Forces report solely to senior political officials. «Militias» consist of members of the former Territorial Defence Forces. They frequently operate jointly, in the geographic area from which they originate under the command of the regular army. «Paramilitary units» are forces under the command of a local leader. Their area of operation is often confined to the town or village from which the members were drawn, although they may occasionally operate alongside similar groups in other towns or villages. The «police augmented by armed civilians» are forces that operate within a given county *3 under local, sometimes political, leadership. These forces frequently act with autonomy, although they are reported to be under the control of the Ministry of Interior or other political organizations. For purposes of this report, groups from these categories will be referred to generically as paramilitary groups, unless otherwise indicated.
This report attempts to identify the paramilitary organizations working in support of all three warring factions in the former Yugoslavia. It also discusses how these groups operate in relation to the regular military command of the respective factions. Furthermore, this report discusses the reported activity of these groups.
This report begins with a discussion of the research methodology, and is followed by a brief discussion of the pre- conflict military defence doctrine of the former Yugoslavia. This doctrine, with its reliance on a decentralized command structure and locally-based weapons caches, provided fertile ground for the creation of paramilitary groups. This discussion is followed by a summary analysis of the data. Section II discusses the activity of six of the most prolific paramilitary organizations: the Green Berets and Mujahedin, working in support of the government of BiH; the HOS and troops under the command of Jusuf Prazina, working in support of the Croatian government; and those groups under the command of Vojislav Seselj and Zeljko Raznjatovic (nom de guerre Arkan), working in support of the government of Serbia and the self-declared Serb Republics. Section III is a listing of the other identified paramilitary organizations containing all reported vital statistics, and Section IV discusses paramilitary activity by geographic location.
This report is based on information contained in documents and audio and video tapes received by the Commission of Experts and the International Human Rights Law Institute (IHRLI), as well as on information gathered from searches of the NEXIS and FBIS media databases. All of the organizations referred to in paragraph 4 operated in substitution for, or supplementing, a regular military force.*4 All documents and media reports in the possession of IHRLI were reviewed, and those containing allegations of paramilitary activity were analysed. A large number of these reports referred to paramilitary groups generically (i.e., Serbian paramilitaries or irregular forces). Although these reports were consulted, only those reports referring to a paramilitary organization by name (i.e., Tigers, Yellow Ants), or by specific leaders or group members (i.e., paramilitary forces under Dragan Ikanovic), are included in the statistical data below.
Information sheets were created for each identified paramilitary organization containing the following information: name of unit, ethnicity, uniform, number of troops, place of origin, area(s) of operation, political affiliation, leader(s), alleged members, source of information, and the alleged activity. These information sheets were then used to compare information on the paramilitary groups in a standardized format.
This report is limited by the quality and quantity of the documents received by the Commission. In addition, the Commission was not able to verify much of the information that it received. Consequently, this report should not be considered all inclusive, though it is comprehensive. Subsequent investigation may identify additional paramilitary groups and facts that have not yet been discovered that may bear upon the information contained in this report.
Stalin's expulsion of Yugoslavia from the Cominform led to fears of a Soviet invasion. These fears resulted in the development of a new military defence doctrine in the former Yugoslavia called «Total National Defence». *6 This doctrine was designed to defeat a Soviet invasion by mobilizing all of the nation's cultural, societal, and military resources. The Communist party apparatus was tightly integrated into the military scheme, with the military structures accommodating a «shadow» chain of command responsible to the Communist party.
Yugoslav military strategists realized national command, control, and communications facilities were vulnerable. Therefore, they decentralized the system of command and control. The governments of the various republics would participate with the federal government for regional defence.
This strategy required universal military service and coordinated training in guerilla warfare. This ensured that cadres of soldiers, trained in guerrilla warfare, would be available nationwide and capable of operating in a decentralized command fashion. Training facilities, weapons caches, and supply stores were placed throughout the country. The military also organized reserve units (Territorial Defence Forces) around workplaces to ensure the wide distribution of weapons.
Thus, with the breakup of the former Yugoslavia, trained soldiers were available for mobilization, and weapons and ammunition were also available for distribution to national and local political or military leaders and their followers. These leaders sometimes used these resources to further their own political, military, or personal goals. This, along with the other factors, led to the proliferation of paramilitaries throughout the republics of the former Yugoslavia.
The first report of paramilitary activity occurred in April of 1991. However, Arkan and Vojislav Seselj began forming paramilitary organizations as early as 1990. The first reported paramilitary operation involved Seselj's troops in Vukovar County, Croatia. The most active period for Serb paramilitary activity in Croatia was in October of 1991. Those areas reporting the greatest amount of paramilitary activity in Croatia were Knin, Podravska Slatina, and Vukovar.
There were no reports of paramilitary activity in BiH until early 1992. The first reports concerned paramilitary groups supported by Arkan and Seselj. The activity in BiH was strongest in May and June of 1992 in the areas of Bijeljina, Bratunac, Brcko, Doboj, Foca, Konjic, Modrica, Prijedor, Sarajevo, Visegrad, and Zvornik.
Paramilitary groups working in support of FRY, or the self- proclaimed Serbian Republics, have operated in the territories of BiH, Croatia, and FRY. Those groups working in support of Croatia were reported to have operated in both BiH and Croatia, while those supporting BiH have not been involved in operations outside BiH territory. *12
The vast majority of the paramilitaries acted locally, with their operations confined to a single county, or opstina. *13 They operated under the command of a local leader with local command and control. These groups would often coordinate their operations with regular forces or other paramilitaries. *14 The local groups would then take control of the area after it had been secured.
The most active paramilitary groups operating throughout the area of conflict were the Serb groups under the command of Arkan and Seselj. *15
Reliance on, or tolerance of, paramilitary and special forces served several purposes for the military and political leaders of the respective republics. It clouded the issue of command and control, reduced the chances of being identified, and therefore permitted the greater use of illegal violence. Many of these groups, for example, did not wear uniforms or other conventional military badges or symbols.
Involvement of paramilitary groups in the commission of grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions and other violations of international humanitarian law is alleged in the vast majority of the reports in which paramilitary groups are mentioned. The most frequently reported violations are the killing of civilians, torture, rape, destruction of property, and looting. *16 There is also a strong correlation between reports of paramilitary activity and reports of rape and sexual assault, detention facilities, and mass graves. These types of activities (i.e., paramilitary activity and grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions) tended to occur in the same counties *17 and evidence the localized nature of the activity.
FRY, Croatia, and BiH used paramilitary forces. However, the disproportionate number of paramilitary and special forces of Serbian ethnicity indicates that the Serbs more heavily relied on the use of special forces to accomplish their military and strategic goals. Of 39 counties where Serb paramilitary activity was reported, Serb paramilitary units were operating in conjunction with the JNA in 24 of them. In comparison there were reports for five counties of joint operations between forces operating in support of Croatia, the Croatian Army (HV), and the Croatian Defence Council (HVO), *18 and reports for only two counties of joint operations between the Army of BiH and forces operating in support of the Government of BiH.
The JNA was operating with the highest paramilitary activity in eight counties simultaneously: Bijeljina, Bratunac, Brcko, Doboj, Prijedor, Sarajevo, Visegrad, and Zvornik. Excluding Sarajevo, these counties are within the strategic arc the Serbs need to link all Serbian populations from BiH and Croatia within a contiguous Serbian state.
There is substantial evidence that Serbian government or military officials have coordinated, or at least have been aware of, the activities of the Serbian paramilitary or special forces:
While paramilitary groups have links to their respective governments, the nature of these links vary according to which agency furnishes funds, supplies, and military equipment to the group. Thus, Arkan is said to have strong links to Serbia's Ministry of Interior. The HOS in Croatia have links to political figures in that country, and the Green Berets have links to the Presidency of BiH. Control of the paramilitary groups is largely a function of the internal politics of the warring factions.
Members of ethnic and religious groups, such as Serbs, Croats, and Bosnian Muslims residing outside of the territory of the former Yugoslavia, have participated in the conflict as mercenaries. Some members of these groups, as well as persons of other nationalities, have been paid by the «warring faction» which they supported. *20
In most cases, paramilitary groups have coordinated their activities with the armies of the «warring factions». The groups that have operated with the most independence are the HOS in Croatia and the Mujahedin in BiH. The smaller the group, the greater the tendency to operate outside of the army's control.
In many counties, Serbian special forces supported the work of local «crisis committees» when local militia or local police were unavailable. This further evidences the localized nature of most paramilitary activity. In some respects, it also reflects the doctrines of guerilla warfare inspired by Tito's World War II experience.
In BiH, Serb paramilitary activity was at its greatest level in the second half of 1992. During this period, immediately after the JNA was officially withdrawn, there was disorganization and confusion within the regular armed forces of the Bosnian Serb Army. This led to a lack of command and control, and it was during this period that the greatest number of violations by Serb paramilitary groups occurred.
Serb paramilitary members have been recruited largely from the population of persons between the ages of 18 to 30. This population of young persons is more capable of violence and less susceptible to control than older age cohorts. Paramilitary members have also been recruited from prisons. It has been reported that persons convicted of violent offences were released to fight in BiH. The Army apparently had the first pick from among these offenders. The others served in paramilitary units.
Most of the paramilitary units sustained themselves through lootings, thefts, ransoms and trafficking in contraband. This is especially true of the groups associated with Arkan, as discussed below.
The largest number of violations were committed by Serb paramilitary groups fighting in BiH in support of the breakaway Serb Republic. This can be explained, in part, by the following: There are more Serb paramilitary groups than those fighting on behalf of the other warring factions; Serb paramilitary groups have more members than the other groups; Serb paramilitary groups have operated over a wider range of territory, thus they have been in contact with a larger number of potential victims; and the Serbs have pushed a policy of «ethnic cleansing» on a wider scale than the other groups.
As mentioned earlier, this study identifies 83 separate paramilitary forces operating in the former Yugoslavia. Six of these forces are discussed in greater detail below. These are the Green Berets and Mujahedin operating in support of the government of BiH, the HOS and Juka's Army *21 operating in support of the Republic of Croatia, and the forces under the command of Arkan, *22 and Seselj, *23 operating in support of FRY and the self- declared Serbian Republics in BiH and Croatia. These forces receive special attention because of the scope and significance of their military operations; their direct links to their respective governments and the regular militaries of those governments; the numerous allegations that these forces have committed «grave breaches» of the Geneva Conventions and other violations of international humanitarian law; and, in the case of Arkan and Seselj, their political prominence.
Reports received by the Commission on the activities of BiH paramilitary units were essentially supplied by opposing warring factions. Their designations may not necessarily reflect those of the BiH paramilitary units. Thus, there is not a single unit called the Green Berets or the MOS, but several units which may have different names, but are identified as Green Berets or MOS. For example, the 7th Muslimanska Brigada is often referred to as MOS. It should also be noted that the Patriotic League was the political organization which organized cells of resistance fighters, many of whom had served in the JNA or seen action in Croatia in 1991. References hereinafter to the Green Berets does not, therefore, specifically identify the real BiH name of the unit, if any.
Most paramilitary organizations working in support of the government of BiH are referred to by others as «Green Berets» or «MOS». It is important to note that several different paramilitary units wore green berets. Therefore, there was no one unit called the «Green Berets». However, the reports of the violations committed by units wearing green berets are combined here under one section. The units wearing green berets were reportedly active in at least 17 counties throughout BiH. *24 They have often acted with the Muslim Territorial Defence (MTD), and at times with the Croatian Defence Forces (HOS), the Croatian Defence Council (HVO), other Muslim paramilitary groups, and local Bosnians. *25 They were reported to be conducting operations against the JNA, Serbian military and paramilitary groups the Croatian Liberation Union, and in some instances the HVO. *26 The total number of Green Berets troops is unknown. *27
The Green Berets appear to be well-armed, *28 yet there is no clear information indicating from where or whom they received their weapons. It has been reported that Turkey supplied the Green Berets. The Turkish Prime Minister, Suleyman Demirel, denied this during a meeting with then Prime Minister of FRY, Milan Panic. *29
Most of the reported Green Beret activity occurred between April 1992 and June 1993, with the highest level of reported activity occurring between May and September of 1992. These activites were directed by the Patriotic League.
The well-armed Green Berets often acted alongside regular army battalions and often conducted large-scale operations throughout the territory of BiH. This was in furtherance of the government's strategic goals, which implies the government was exerting some command and control over this group.
In the 21 October 1992 attack on Vitez, the Green Berets reportedly acted under the command of MTD and their commander Rasim Delic. It was reported that this attack was carried out under the orders of the MTD's Supreme headquarters in Sarajevo. *30
It has also been reported that the units that wear the green berets are loyal to President Alija Izetbegovic. Since 1993, the Green Berets are reported to be under the command and control of the BiH army. However, as stated before, several different units wore green berets. Therefore, there is not a single unit per se called the «Green Berets» under the control of the BiH army. Rather, there could be several different paramilitary groups wearing green berets under its control.
Several reports allege that the Green Berets have committed grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions and other violations of international humanitarian law. The Green Berets have been implicated in the killing of civilians, rapes, the operation of prison camps (in which civilians were unlawfully detained and sometimes tortured or killed), the destruction of property, and interference with humanitarian aid.
Green Berets were highly active in military operations throughout BiH. Many reports indicate that in the second half of 1992, the Green Berets conducted joint operations with the HVO. In July 1992, both forces launched an offensive on the Dubrovnik-Trebinje front in the south-west section of BiH. *32 In September 1992, the Green Berets and HVO attacked the villages of Dobrinja, Otocac, Rajlovac, Stup, Vogosca, Zuc, and all suburbs of Sarajevo. *33 On 10 November 1992, the Green Berets and HVO forces unsuccessfully attempted to join in Gradacac due to the HVO's inability to break through Serbian lines. *34
When conducting offensives against towns or villages, the Green Berets, in some instances, are reported to have targeted schools, residences, and local industries. *35
In addition to military activity against other armed forces, there are also many instances in which Green Berets directed military action against innocent civilians. Five reports describe Green Berets as «picking up» Serb civilians for questioning about the location of Serb camps and weapons. *36 Serbs were usually taken from their homes to camps or other detention facilities. Torture was often used in questioning. *37 Those arrested were often kept in detention for unreasonably long periods of time after questioning.
There are three reports of women being picked up and taken to camps for the purpose of being raped. *38 One report states that a young Serbian woman was arrested by two Green Berets and taken to Viktor Bubanj in Sarajevo where she was questioned and raped repeatedly. She only indicates that she was raped by «Muslim soldiers» and does not specifically indicate that the Green Berets were involved. *39 Another report suggests that the Green Berets in the village of Dzepa converted a house into a rape camp in the months of July and August 1992. *40 It was also reported that the Green Berets would rape women upon seizing a village. In Bradina, for example, 15 women were reportedly raped in a local school when the village was attacked in July 1992. *41 Many of these incidents and others are described in Annex IX, Rape and Sexual Assault.
There are several reports of Green Berets killing Serb civilians. In some instances these civilians were killed during the attacks of villages and ambushes of transit caravans. *42 Of particular note is an attack on Bradina on or near 25 May 1992. Eight hundred Green Berets from Hrasnica are reported to have acted with the HVO from Kosovo and Muslim villagers from the surrounding area in a large-scale attack on Bradina. *43 It was reported that between 3,500 and 4,000 people took part in this attack. Fifty-seven Serb refugees who were in Bradina were killed and buried in the churchyard of an Orthodox Church. *44 In other instances, Green Berets entered prison camps to take Serbs to be raped or killed. *45 The most graphic killings are reported to have occurred at the Kosevo Stadium in Sarajevo.
Mujahedin, or «holy warriors», is a generic term for Muslim volunteers fighting in the former Yugoslavia. Many Mujahedin originate from Muslim countries outside the former Yugoslavia. It was reported that the Mujahedin began arriving in BiH as early as June 1992. *46 Reports on the number of Mujahedin forces operating in BiH vary, but it is unlikely that the Mujahedin forces have made a significant military contribution to the BiH Government's war effort. *47 The Mujahedin forces came from several Muslim states and many of them were veterans of the Afghan war. *48
The Mujahedin forces were reported to be under the command of the BiH Army. *49 However, they frequently acted with independence and their presence is no longer welcomed. *50 They are alleged to be terrorizing the Muslims they came to protect in an effort to enforce Islamic practices. *51 Their presence, the Serbs and Croats have argued, is evidence that the Bosnian Muslims intend on turning BiH into a fundamentalist Muslim state. *52
Mujahedin forces were actively involved in military operations in seven counties throughout BiH. *53 The dates of reported activity range from June 1992 through June 1993, with the heaviest activity reported in Travnik, Zenica, and Konjic.
Several reports indicate that the Mujahedin were placed under the command of the BiH Army. *54 The Mujahedin forces were closely associated with the 5th Corps, the 6th and 7th Zenica Brigades, the 7th Travnik Brigade, and the 45th Muslim Brigade which belongs to the 6th Corps in Konjic of the Army of BiH. *55 They also allegedly fought alongside the Muslim Police, the Krajiska Brigade from Travnik, units of Kosovo Muslims, Albanian soldiers, and paramilitary groups such as the «Green Legion» and the «Black Swans». *56
Reports also indicate that the Mujahedin had the support of President Izetbegovic and his government. *57 This was demonstrated in the Bihac pocket, where the Mujahedin joined BiH forces loyal to Izetbegovic. Together, these forces battled separatist forces who entered into a separate peace treaty with Bosnian Serbs. *58
Reports submitted to the Commission of Experts alleged that the Mujahedin have been responsible for the mutilation and killing of civilians, rape, looting, the destruction of property, and the expulsion of non-Muslim populations. The deputy commander of the BiH Army, Colonel Stjepan Siber, has said, «it was a mistake to let them [the Mujahedin] here . . . They commit most of the atrocities and work against the interests of the Muslim people. They have been killing, looting and stealing.» *59
In Zenica, between 31 August and 2 September 1992, 250 Mujahedin troops allegedly come to BiH from Turkey, Qatar, Bahrain and Iran. These troops worked alongside the Green Legion and HOS paramilitary groups stationed in Zenica. The Mujahedin allegedly also operated a camp at Arnauti. *61 It was reported that a unit of the Mujahedin, called the «Guerilla», participated in the 16 April 1993 attack on Vitez and attempted to exchange 10 HVO hostages for foreign prisoners held in HVO prisons. *62
The Croatian Ministry of Defence is reported to have provided information about an event occurring in June 1993 -- a joint BiH/Mujahedin unit reportedly attacked Travnik, allegedly forcing 4,000 Croatian civilians and military personnel out of the town. *63 The Mujahedin allegedly fought alongside the 6th Muslim Brigade from Zenica and the Krajiska Brigade from Travnik. Witnesses stated that they saw Mujahedin operating in small patrols ahead of the approaching BiH troops. *64
According to HVO intelligence, Mujahedin forces arrived in Travnik sometime before June 1993 and came from Algeria, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran. The Mujahedin trained at a camp at Mehurici, where they were allegedly financed and equipped by a man named Abdulah, the owner of the «Palma» video store in Travnik. *65 Once in town, the Mujahedin were linked to the Seventh Brigade of the BiH Army, and were reportedly assembled into units of 10 to 15 men, and moved about on regular patrols. *66 The Mujahedin created tension in Travnik in the days prior to the attack on 3 June. One witness stated that the Mujahedin directed their actions towards the HVO personnel in town. They allegedly demonstrated, shouted slogans and fired their rifles in the air. *67
Mujahedin allegedly participated in the attack on Maljine in Novi Travnik on 8 June 1993, killing 20 to 30 HVO members and transporting Croatian women and children to the training centre at Mehurici. *68
In Konjic, the Mujahedin were part of a 100 member force stationed at Liscioi and led by Haso Hakalovic. The unit was assembled in February 1993 and included some Kosovo Muslims and members of the Black Swans from the Igman mountain region. *69 Allegedly, Mujahedin troops killed and expelled villagers, and looted and burned homes, when they moved against the Jablanica- Konjic area. *70 The Mujahedin troops and members of the Black Swans reportedly conducted occasional raids without members of BiH forces. *71 Reportedly, the Mujahedin volunteers arrived in Konjic in small groups. It was reported that they were from Afghanistan and that they claimed to be students. They were allegedly armed with Hekleri automatic weapons and former JNA equipment. *72 Some Mujahedin were reportedly former students with no military experience.
Mujahedin forces were present in Mostar since early June 1993. They were reportedly stationed in the Santica neighbourhood on the Muslim/HVO front, where they manned bunkers, usually in groups of six or seven, armed with 7.62 millimetre semi-automatic weapons, machine-guns, and Zolja anti-tank weapons. They were billeted in a building they shared with the Muslim military police on the east bank of the Neretva River. The Mujahedin forces apparently left Mostar on 15 August. *73
FRY reported that the Mujahedin began operations near Teslic in July and August of 1992. Troops from Saudi Arabia allegedly killed three Serbian Territorial Defence members and placed the victims' severed heads on poles near the «Tesanj turret». *74 Beheadings of Serbs by Mujahedin forces have also been reported in other areas.
The Mujahedin were also alleged to be part of the forces that invaded the village of Trusina near Foca on 15 April 1993. According to the report, attackers wore white ribbons on their arms and fought beside Albanian Muslim troops. Twenty-two civilians reportedly died in the attack. *75 The Mujahedin allegedly performed crude circumcisions upon Serbian police forces, who were later treated by an American surgeon at the Kosevo hospital in Sarajevo. *76
Dobroslav Paraga formed the HOS in 1991 as theo paramilitary wing of the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP). The HOS fought Serbian rebels in Croatia and Bosnian Serb rebels throughout western BiH until August 1992. Under General Blaz Kraljevic, the HOS established paramilitary headquarters at Ljubuski, BiH, but the HOS reportedly took orders from Zagreb. Local Croats and Muslims, Croatian emigres and foreign mercenaries all fought for the HOS. Muslim fighters reportedly joined the Croatian HOS because its leaders pledged to keep the territory of BiH intact. *77 According to military analyst Dr. Milan Vego, Muslims made up 30 per cent of HOS forces and at least 50 per cent in the Mostar area in March 1992. *78
The HOS reportedly wore black uniforms bearing the Croatian checkered shield, *79 that were similar to those worn by the Ustase of the Second World War. The HOS also were reported to use the Ustase form of saluting. They carried Kalishnikov rifles, Scorpions, Uzis, shotguns, and daggers. *80 They detained large numbers of Serbian civilians from Capljina and Mostar counties at the Dretelj military facilities south-west of Sarajevo and in detention centres situated along the Dalmatian coast. Villages near Bradina and Donje Selo were reportedly targets of HOS ethnic cleansing operations. According to witness accounts, HOS units often operated alongside Muslim Green Berets, who fought in support of the government of BiH.
Because of its success in fighting Serb forces throughout the summer of 1992, the HOS gained many new members. However, HOS strength was undermined after General Blaz Kraljevic was killed in early August 1992. In an effort to maintain unity, the HVO and the HOS signed an agreement on 23 August 1992, which officially linked the two forces under the banner of the HVO. *81 By the early months of 1993 when relations between the Croatian and Muslim forces fighting in western BiH broke down, Muslim civilians and former HOS soldiers became a target of the HVO. As a result, camps like Dretelj, which released many of the Serbian inmates imprisoned by the HOS, began filling up with Muslim soldiers and civilians captured in fighting between Muslim forces and the HVO. *82
The HOS operated in Croatia and in Konjic, Mostar, Sarajevo, Bosanski Brod, Novi Travnik, and Zenica Counties in BiH. The HOS reportedly ran camps where civilians were tortured, raped and killed. Their detention facilities ranged from metal sheds in Capljina to large camps like Dretelj in south-western BiH, where 500 prisoners were reportedly held.
Formed as the paramilitary wing of the ultra-right HSP, the HOS reportedly trained soldiers at former JNA facilities in Slovenia *83 and was supplied, in part, by the Republic of Croatia. *84 There are also reports that HOS units served directly under the regular Croatian army. A Croatian military court tried HSP leader, Dobroslav Paraga, in 1993 for attempting to overthrow the Croatian Government. A Reuters report on the trial stated that the «majority of HOS units were proved to be under Croatian Army Command». *85 After 1993, the HOS soldiers were integrated into the HVO.
Witness statements, media accounts, and reports from FRY allege that HOS paramilitary units committed grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions and other violations of international humanitarian law in Croatia and in BiH. The HOS reportedly looted, destroyed Serbian property, including 24 Orthodox churches, and killed, raped, and mutilated civilians, including women and children. They also engaged in ethnic cleansing and operated detention facilities where civilians were starved and tortured.
Reports sent to the Commission of Experts allege that the HOS detained civilians, including women and children, in facilities in Croatia and in BiH. These prisoners were often killed or abused by members of the HOS. An officer, whose name is known but not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons, and other HOS members allegedly kept 40 women confined in a metal shed, which was a former munitions warehouse outside of Capljina. *87 An HOS unit and a Muslim paramilitary unit controlled the «Viktor Bubanj» detention facility in Sarajevo, where Serbian civilians were subjected to killing, torture, and rape. *88 An identified HOS member allegedly interrogated prisoners at a secondary school (perhaps at Ahmici). *89 A witness alleged that she was taken from her home in Capljina to a tobacco factory where she was raped by members of the HOS. *90 From April to October 1992, the HOS ran the Dretelj detention facility, which contained civilians from the Mostar and Capljina municipalities. *91 Victims stated that they were subjected to sexual torture, beaten with truncheons and sticks, burned with cigarettes and candles, and forced to drink urine and eat grass. *92 One victim reported that she was held in a room with three other professional women for 10 days during which time women in the room were raped repeatedly. *93
During the spring of 1992, the HOS and Muslim Green Berets reportedly burned two villages in southern BiH, Donje Selo, and Bradina, and sent the inhabitants to nearby detention facilities. Donje Selo was attacked first. Bradina was attacked on 25 May 1992. The HOS transferred women prisoners to Konjic Sports Hall, where some of the victims were raped. The men were taken to Celebici camp. The HOS returned to Bradina on 13 July burned the town, and imprisoned all those who remained in an elementary school. Many civilians allegedly died in the attacks. *94
The FRY Mission to the United Nations reported that two Serbian civilians were tortured for a month before being killed at an HOS detention facility at Ljubuski. One of the victims was impaled and burned to death and the other was killed with a knife. *95
In Croatia, the HOS allegedly operated the Lora camp at Split and detention facilities at Tomislavgrad and Metkovic. All of these facilities reportedly held prisoners from the Capljina municipality of BiH. *96
Many witnesses alleged that the HOS killed civilians outside of the camps as well, often in the victims' homes or villages. In mid-1992, members of the HOS allegedly killed a man and his daughter outside the B. Lalic school in Novi Travnik. On 6 May 1992, in Majevije, BiH, members of the HOS allegedly stabbed a man over 100 times, severed his head, spilled his brains and intestines onto the ground, and cut off his genitals and placed them in his mouth. *97
The HOS reportedly looted and stole from civilians throughout the regions where they operated. Statements report forced entries into apartments and theft of valuables including money, jewelry, and documents. In Kakanj, the HOS reportedly confiscated and rented out apartments. *98
HOS units allegedly destroyed property in BiH and in Croatia. *99 During the summer of 1992, members of the HOS destroyed 24 Orthodox churches and two monasteries. *100
According to The Daily Telegraph, Jusuf Prazina, alias Juka, was a racketeer and underworld figure in Sarajevo before hostilities broke out in April 1992. During the war, Juka and his troops are reported to have killed and raped civilians in Sarajevo and Mostar. He allegedly took hundreds of prisoners, looted houses, stole cars, and handed out Mostar apartments to the HVO. According to these reports, he never stopped racketeering; throughout the siege of Sarajevo, Juka reportedly controlled the black market, which included stolen United Nations humanitarian supplies. *101
Juka, who was 30 years old in 1992, admitted being sent to jail five times before the war. He survived an armed assault outside the military hospital in Sarajevo in May of 1992, sustaining injuries which caused him to limp. *102
Juka attained notoriety by using his weapons and small, private army to defend Sarajevo during the Serbian assault. His men were allegedly armed with sawed-off shotguns, Kalishnikovs, Kochs/Hecklers. *103 Estimates of the number of men under Juka's command during his two year involvement in the conflict range from 24 to 3,000. His troops, called the «Wolves», reportedly wore crew-cuts, black jump-suits, sunglasses, basketball shoes, and sometimes masks. *104
Juka joined forces with the HVO in early 1993. After the formal break between Bosnian Muslims and Croats later that spring, Juka sided with the Croats and fought alongside the HVO in Mostar, where he apparently led ethnic cleansing operations against Muslim civilians. Juka had already been forced off Mount Igman (near Sarajevo) and most of his men jailed in January 1993.
Juka reportedly flew from Sarajevo to Zagreb with the assistance of UNPROFOR and French Lieutenant General Philippe Morillon. *105 He lived for a time in a villa on the Dalmatian coast, given to him by the Croatian authorities, and later moved to Liege, Belgium, where a small Yugoslav expatriate community resided. He was killed there by one of his body guards by two gunshots to the head on 3 December 1993. *106
Juka operated first with his own private army in Sarajevo, commanded up to 3,000 men as a BiH Army commander, and later led paramilitary forces in Mostar. In the fall of 1992, Juka reportedly set up a stronghold on Mount Igman from which he attacked soldiers and civilians. He also reportedly ran prison camps including the Viktor Bubanj military facilities and the heliport detention centre outside of Mostar. Many of the prisoners at both camps were reportedly malnourished, physically abused, and killed. Juka was defeated by Zuka in January 1993.
Due to his early success in defending Sarajevo, the BiH Government granted Juka a position as Head of Special Forces during the summer of 1992. *107 Before his appointment to a regular army position, Juka and his men reportedly received arms through the HSP paramilitary organization, the HOS. *108 In September, he reportedly fell out with the Sarajevo authorities over what he perceived as the failure of commander-in-chief Sefer Halilovic's plans for defeating the attacking Serbian forces. *109 He was asked to resign his position as part of the General Staff after an allegedly threatening confrontation with Alija Izetbegovic at his offices in Sarajevo. *110 His renegade activities involving his private army and his alarming attitude towards the BiH authorities ultimately led them to issue a warrant for his arrest in October 1992. *111 By January 1993, a Sarajevo radio broadcast stated that Juka was being sought for «permanently working to break up the order and hierarchy in the armed forces of the Republic of BiH». *112
After severing his ties to the BiH Government, Juka reportedly stationed himself and approximately 200 men on Mt. Igman overlooking the city of Sarajevo. On Mount Igman, Juka battled the BiH Army, attacking their headquarters and General Staff. According to The Daily Telegraph, much of the fall and winter witnessed battles between Juka and the BiH Government forces on the mountain. Command on Igman was reportedly split between the regular army and forces loyal to Juka, which included some Muslim soldiers and the HVO. In December 1992, the BiH Government, hoping to break the Serbian siege of the city, reportedly supplied the Mount Igman force with artillery and T- 34, T-55, and Leopard-I tanks. *113
After Juka joined forces with the HVO in Mostar, Croatian authorities reportedly supplied him with a villa on the Dalmatian coast where he stayed before relocating to Belgium during the fall of 1993. *114
Paramilitary forces operating under Juka reportedly operated in Sarajevo and Mostar counties, BiH. Media accounts, witness statements, and reports submitted to the Commission of Experts allege that Juka and his men ran detention facilities for Serbian civilians near Sarajevo and for Muslims at the heliport near Mostar. On Mount Igman, Juka's paramilitaries allegedly hijacked vehicles and detained civilians. Juka's forces reportedly practised extortion, looting, rape, ethnic cleansing, and killing of civilians.
It was reported that Juka's forces abused their position as the city's defenders to extort money and valuables from residents and raid the city's warehouses and shops. Witnesses stated that Juka's men appropriated apartments and abducted and abused civilians. *116 One witness claimed that three members of Juka's army and a commander entered an apartment and raped a woman on 30 September 1992. According to the report, the woman died as a result of the attack. *117 The Washington Post reported that Juka's army looted the Yugo Sport warehouse and stole 20,000 pairs of shoes. *118
As head of the BiH Army's paramilitary units, Juka became the warden of a prison camp set up in the Viktor Bubanj army barracks. The detention facility became known as «Viktor Bubanj», but was also called «Juka's Prison». Over 200 prisoners were held there and subjected to torture, hunger, and hard labour. The camp commander allegedly committed many criminal acts, including rape and murder. *119
On Mount Igman, Juka beat and stole from soldiers and civilians alike regardless of nationality. He reportedly confiscated automobiles and, according to The Daily Telegraph, beat one fleeing civilian's head against the hood of a car. *120
Juka and his men reportedly conducted ethnic cleansing operations in Mostar after joining forces with the HVO. Juka's forces evicted, imprisoned, physically abused, and killed many civilians. The London Times reported in May 1993, that Juka and his men drove out every Muslim civilian living in Mostar on the west bank of the Neretva river to «deny vantage points to snipers». *121 Homes were looted and men were beaten up and arrested. *122 Witnesses stated that sometime before 15 July 1993, Juka's forces allegedly evicted the wealthy Muslim residents of Mostar from their apartments, which were then looted and turned over to members of the HVO paramilitary formations. According to reports, Juka's forces were masked and heavily armed when they surrounded the apartments. They then blocked exits, fired their weapons in the air, and demanded that all Muslim residents evacuate the building. *123 Witnesses stated that Juka and his men killed as many as 700 people in and around Mostar and that they ran detention facilities for Muslim civilians at the heliport outside the city. *124
Seselj's and Arkan's troops were the most active of all the paramilitary groups identified. Seselj's troops were reported to have operated in 34 counties *125 and Arkan's troops in 28 counties throughout BiH, Croatia, and FRY. *126 The vast majority of these counties are located within BiH. These counties lie within the strategic arc the Serbs need to control in order to link all Serbian populations in BiH, Croatia, and Serbia. *127 Once linked, the counties could form a contiguous Serbian state.
Seselj began organizing and arming his paramilitary forces in late 1990 and early 1991. The first reported activity of his troops was on 1 April 1991, six weeks before Stipe Mesic, a Croatian, was to become president of the collective head of state of the former Yugoslavia. Seselj's operation took place in the Vukovar village of Borovo. His troops were sent to the region to protect local Serbs. They surrounded and attacked two local police patrols, injuring five policemen, one critically. *128 In mid- July, Seselj's Serbian Radical Party (SRS) announced its intention to form volunteer forces in the Krajina region of Croatia. *129 In August 1991, in an interview with Der Spiegel, Seselj said his troops were sent «from Belgrade to the crises areas» in Croatia and BiH. He stated, «If there are 20 to 30 Cetniks in every village, this is sufficient to encourage the people there». *130 Seselj's troops were allegedly involved in the first paramilitary operations in BiH in April 1992.
Arkan's first reported involvement in the conflict came on 28 November 1990. Arkan was present at a meeting of the «council of war» of the Knin uprising. *131 On the way back from the meeting, Arkan and his three companions were arrested in Dvor na Uni, Croatia. They had several weapons and bombs in their possession. Arkan was tried and convicted, but he was released from prison pending appeal. *132
It was not until October 1991, however, that Arkan formed the Serbian Volunteer Guard, later renamed the Tigers. *133 Training centres were established in Tenja and Erdut, Croatia. *134
When fighting began in Croatia, the Tigers were thought to have no more than 200 troops, but their regular strength was said to be only 60. *135 Although Arkan had more recently claimed that his Tigers had as many as 8,000 men, independent military analysts estimated the number to be closer to 500 to 1,000. *136 The Tigers are well-armed with tanks, mortars, sniper guns, AK-47 sub- machine-guns, and Scorpion sub-machine-guns. *137
There is substantial evidence that Seselj and his paramilitary formations have direct links to, or the support of, the Serbian governments and the JNA:
Evidence of Arkan's ties with the governments of FRY and with the self-declared Serbian republics, as well as with the JNA, includes:
In early 1991, Seselj formed the SRS. Previously, he had been the leader of the Serbian Freedom Movement, was instrumental in the formation of the Serbian Renaissance Movement, and had finished fourth in the 1990 presidential election under the banner of his Serbian Cetnik Movement. The Movement was banned after the election.
In June 1991, Seselj was elected to the Serbian Assembly in a special election to fill a vacancy. Seselj's campaign was said to be tacitly supported and funded by President Milosevic. *149 In the Federal elections on 31 May 1992, Seselj and the SRS won 33 of the 138 seats in parliament, making it the largest opposition party. In the Serbian parliamentary elections held in December 1992, the SRS made an even stronger showing. To insure a majority in Parliament, Milosevic's Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) formed a coalition with Seselj's SRS.
In late September 1993, Seselj challenged Milosevic's leadership by calling for a vote of no-confidence in the Serbian government led by Milosevic's SPS. This action prompted President Milosevic to dissolve the Serbian parliament and to call for special elections in December 1993. During the campaign, the SPS attacked Seselj, claiming he was involved in the commission of war crimes. Seselj was also denied access to the state-run media, in contrast to the intense coverage he had received in previous elections. Seselj and his SRS suffered a 44 per cent reduction in the number of seats they held in parliament in the December 1993 elections, however Seselj was re-elected.
Arkan entered the political arena during the 1992 Serbian elections. Along with three of his followers, Arkan sought election in Serbia's southern province of Kosovo, even though he had no known ties there. Arkan and his followers were elected deputies for the Serbian parliament in the 1992 elections. The elections were boycotted by the ethnic Albanians, who comprised 90 per cent of Kosovo's population.
Arkan formed a political party, the Party of Serbian Unity, before the special elections of December 1993. He was thought to have the backing of Milosevic--who was no longer supporting Seselj. *151 Arkan reportedly spent three million US dollars on his campaign. However, despite the spending, the support of Milosevic, and pre-election polls assuring that Arkan and the Party for Serbian Unity would win at least half the parliamentary seats in Kosovo, Arkan failed to win re-election and the Party for Serbian Unity failed to obtain any seats.
The forces of Seselj and Arkan have been accused of committing some of the most serious violations of the Geneva Conventions and other international humanitarian law. Their operations in Brcko led then United States Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger to identify them as possible war criminals. Accusations that Arkan and Seselj committed atrocities also emerged from within the former Yugoslavia. A month before the fall of Vukovar, in late 1991, an internal JNA memo identified Seselj's and Arkan's forces as dangerous to «military morale» and stated that their «primary motive was not fighting against the enemy but robbery of private property and inhuman treatment of Croatian citizens». *152
In the 1993 Serbian Parliamentary elections, Milosevic, Seselj and Arkan accused each other of committing war crimes. Milosevic's SPS publicly attacked Seselj, announcing that they considered him to be «the personification of violence and primitivity», that he contributed «to war crimes, abetting war profiteers and criminals», and that he was involved in «crimes committed by paramilitary groups against Moslem, Croat and Serb civilians». *153 Government authorities arrested 40 members of the SRS on charges of murder, rape, kidnapping, and illegal arms possession. *154 Seselj responded by implicating members of the Milosevic government in the paramilitary operations and by claiming that the government was attributing crimes committed by Arkan to him. *155
In an overwhelming majority of the counties in which Seselj's and Arkan's forces were operating, there are alleged killings of civilians, rapes, looting, destruction of property, and prison camps.
As mentioned above, Seselj's forces were reported to be operating in 34 counties and Arkan's forces in 28 counties throughout the territory of the former Yugoslavia. In many of these counties, Seselj and Arkan exercised command over other forces operating in the area. These forces consisted of local paramilitary groups, and sometimes the JNA. *157 In some counties, Seselj's and Arkan's forces operated under the command of the JNA. *158 At other times, they operated either independently or in conjunction with other paramilitary groups. The presence of Seselj's and Arkan's forces was sometimes requested by local Serb authorities.
In the majority of the counties in which Seselj and Arkan were operating, their forces, often in the company of the JNA or other paramilitary forces, would surround the village before entering it. In some instances, Seselj and Arkan would speak to the local Serbs in the village to incite them and the other Serb forces. *159 They would often warn the non-Serb residents before entering the village and request that they surrender their weapons. *160 Because of the reputations of Arkan's and Seselj's forces, these warnings often prompted non-Serb civilians to leave the village.
Upon entering a village, sometimes under the cover of shelling, particularly in those counties where they were operating simultaneously with the JNA, Seselj's and Arkan's troops would begin their reign of terror. In an overwhelming majority of the counties in which Seselj's and Arkan's troops were operating, there are allegations of killing of civilians, *161 rape, *162 looting, *163 destruction of private or cultural property, *164 and prison camps. *165 In some instances specific individuals were targeted, such as prominent non-Serb leaders or intellectuals. *166
After securing an area, Seselj's and Arkan's troops would usually turn over control to a local paramilitary group or to local Serb leaders. *167 In some instances, however, members of Arkan's and Seselj's units remained and performed administrative functions. *168
Vojislav Seselj was born in 1950 in eastern Herzegovina. *169 He grew up and attended college in the BiH capital of Sarajevo. *170 Seselj received a Ph.D. at the age of 26, after completing his doctoral thesis on Marxist justifications for war, making him the youngest Ph.D. in Yugoslavia. *171 He spent one year teaching at the University of Michigan and then returned to Yugoslavia. *172
After returning to Yugoslavia, Seselj lectured in political science at Sarajevo University. *173 On 22 May 1984, Seselj was arrested after police searched his apartment and found an unpublished manuscript of an article criticizing Tito and the Communist Government. *174 Seselj was convicted of counterrevolutionary activities and sentenced to eight years in prison. *175 After 22 months in prison, where he was allegedly beaten and tortured, Seselj was released. *176 According to his friends, Seselj left prison emotionally disturbed as a result of this treatment. *177 Seselj settled in Belgrade, joined the leading Serb Nationalists, and began publishing nationalistic books. *178 By 1990, he had lost the support of his academic colleagues as he began carrying a gun and interrupting theatre performances he viewed as anti-Serb. *179 At this time, he began his rise in the Serbian political arena.
(ii) Domestic political activity
In 1990, Seselj became the leader of the Serbian Freedom Movement, one of 11 alternative movements and parties established in Serbia. *180 In March of that year, Seselj merged his Serbian Freedom Movement with a faction of the Serbian National Renaissance to form a new party led by Vuk Draskovic, and known as the Serbian Renaissance Movement. *181 This alliance lasted until June 1990, when Seselj was expelled from the party for his extreme nationalistic views. *182 Seselj formed a new party, the Serbian National Renewal, within a week. *183 His political party changed names again by the end of 1990. The Serbian National Renewal became the Serbian Cetnik Movement. *184
In December 1990, Seselj ran for president of Serbia although imprisoned for recruiting volunteers in Knin. *185 While his party had no more than 10,000 members, he received 100,000 votes and finished fourth. *186 Before the election, the Belgrade government reportedly did not take Seselj and his followers seriously. *187 However, Seselj's strong showing and his ultra- nationalist platform resulted in the banning of the Serbian Cetnik Movement after the election. *188 Seselj went on to form the SRS.
By April 1991, Seselj claimed that the SRS had at least 25,000 members, with about 80 city committees in Serbia as well as Baranja, Western Srem, Slavonia, BiH, Krajina, and Kosovo. *189 SRS membership was growing rapidly in large part due to the almost daily party promotions and rallies. Oftentimes, they were attended by 3,000 to 5,000 participants. *190
In June 1991, Seselj was elected to the Serbian Assembly in a special election to fill a vacant seat from Rakovica, a working- class suburb of Belgrade. *191 Seselj's campaign was reported to be quietly supported and funded by Slobodan Milosevic. *192 Evidence of Milosevic's support was the uncritical, prime-time coverage Seselj received on the Milosevic controlled, state-run television, which, for many Serbs, is the only source of information. *193
As a member of parliament, Seselj continued his attacks and threats against Albanians, Croatians, Muslims, and the West and became more popular. *194 In the Federal elections held on 31 May 1992, Seselj and the SRS won 33 of the 138 seats in parliament *195 making it the largest opposition party. *196
Seselj and the SRS made an even stronger showing in the Serbian parliamentary elections held in December 1992. A few days before the election, Seselj stated that the SRS had 100,000 members, but in the election the SRS received over a million votes. *197 The SRS won nearly 30 per cent of the seats in parliament, twice what was expected. *198 The SRS gains meant that Milosevic would have to form a coalition with it to ensure a majority in parliament. *199 Seselj quickly used his political strength to force a no-confidence vote against the moderate Yugoslav Premier Milan Panic. *200
The coalition between Milosevic's ruling SPS and Seselj's SRS thrived *201 until early May 1993, when Milosevic endorsed an international peace plan and seemed to abandon his support of the Bosnian Serbs. *202 The Bosnian Serb parliament rejected the plan prompting the Serbian government to cut off all but humanitarian aid to them. *203 Seselj, without naming Milosevic personally, criticized the government for turning its back on fellow Serbs. *204 Seselj led 70 delegates out of the Serbian Parliament when a vote on the plan was scheduled, embarrassing Milosevic. *205 Though the plan was accepted, fewer than 200 of the 636 deputies eligible to vote were present. *206 The plan was later rejected by the Bosnian Serb population in a referendum. *207 The future of the SRS/SPS coalition was in doubt. *208
In an attempt to mend the fences between himself and Seselj, and possibly out of fear of losing control of the nationalist movement, Milosevic engineered a vote to remove President Dobrica Cosic from the Yugoslav Parliament. Cosic had been criticized for abandoning the Serbian nationalist cause. *209 Milosevic relied on his alliance with Seselj to defeat Cosic. Seselj had long been a prominent critic of Cosic. *210 The removal of Cosic triggered a large anti-government demonstration in front of the Parliament building. *211 The demonstration, led by Vuk Draskovic of the Serbian Renewal Movement, turned violent after one of Seselj's parliamentary deputies, an ex-boxer, punched an opposition deputy. *212 Vuk Draskovic and his wife were arrested and imprisoned for instigating the riot, and the Serbian Renewal Movement was banned. *213 With the moderates, Cosic and Draskovic gone, and Milosevic's withdrawal of support for the peace plan, Seselj was clearly the second most powerful politician in Yugoslavia. *214
In late September 1993, Seselj called for a vote of no- confidence in the Serbian government led by Milosevic's SPS. *215 This action prompted Milosevic to dissolve the Serbian Parliament and call for elections on 19 December 1993, rather than see his government embarrassed. *216 The SPS then began their public attack on Seselj, announcing that they considered him to be «the personification of violence and primitivity», that he contributed «to war crimes, abetting war profiteers and criminals», and that he was involved in «crimes committed by paramilitary groups against Moslem, Croat and Serb civilians». *217 The authorities arrested 40 members of the Radical Party on charges of murder, rape, kidnapping and illegal arms possession. *218 None of those detained, however, were charged with crimes that occurred outside the territory of the rump Yugoslavia. *219
Seselj responded to the charges regarding his paramilitary activities by alleging that Milosevic's government was backing these activities. *220 Seselj said: «I have already expressed my readiness to go to the Hague and testify on war crimes, but I don't know how anyone can go to the Hague if Slobodan Milosevic does not go». *221 While denying any involvement in atrocities, Seselj said his fighters were armed and supervised by Milosevic's police. *222
Seselj indicated the involvement of the following individuals in Milosevic's government: Radmilo Bogdanovic, Milosevic's reputed second in command officially dropped as Serbian Interior Minister in 1991; Mihalj Kertes, a former Yugoslav deputy interior minster and now a Serbian minister without portfolio; Radovan Stojcic, a deputy Serbian interior minister; and Franko Simatovic, a senior Serbian secret police commander. *223 Seselj said that his troops never acted outside the umbrella of the JNA and the Serbian police. *224 He said two other groups, the White Eagles and Arkan's Tigers, were also operating under the instructions of Yugoslavia's counterintelligence organization, *225 a claim also made by Dragoslav Bokan, the leader of the White Eagles. *226
Seselj's counter-attacks on Milosevic were not widely heard within Serbia, since he was denied access to the state-run media, a situation in sharp contrast to the intense coverage he had received the year before. *227 Furthermore, Seselj and the SRS did not hold public meetings before the election because they did not want to create the opportunity for provocations or incidents that might lead authorities to ban the party. *228 These factors resulted in a poor showing for Seselj and the SRS in the 19 December 1993 elections. The SRS won 39 seats in the Serbian parliament, a 44 per cent reduction in the number they had held before parliament was dissolved. *229 In turn, the SPS and Milosevic increased their representation by 20 per cent. *230
Tracing the command and control of particular military or paramilitary groups is generally difficult. The task of determining which units are under the control of Seselj is difficult as well. Seselj has both confirmed and denied the existence of particular paramilitaries under his control or the control of his party. *231 The paramilitary groups most often associated with Seselj are the White Eagles, Cetniks *232 and Seseljovci, which are estimated to have a combined force of 8,000 men. *233
The name «Cetniks» was originally used by Serbian royalist units that fought to restore the Serbian-dominated monarchy after Nazi Germany invaded Yugoslavia in 1941. *234 Seselj's Cetniks claim to be the heirs of the Cetniks who fought in World War II, and Seselj has proclaimed himself their Vojvoda (Duke). *235 The command structure of the original «Cetniks» was based on small, locally controlled units that were better suited for guerilla warfare. *236 Seselj, having written his master's thesis on the theory of guerrilla resistance, *237 has followed this same pattern. *238 The name White Eagles was originally used in World War II by the only orthodox anticommunist youth organization that existed at the time. *239 Many youths were killed for allegedly being members. *240
Seselj's original White Eagles group was founded in late 1990 by the Serbian Renaissance Movement (SPO), which was the party he formed with Vuk Draskovic. *241 However, Seselj left this party in June of 1990, and the current leader is Mirko Jovic. *242 These White Eagles are now under the command of a 30 year-old graduate student in Philosophy, Dragoslav Bokan. *243
Seselj has armed his troops in a variety of ways. *244 Weapons have been given to his troops by people who have permits to carry them, *245 and some guns and ammunition have been stolen from police stockpiles. *246 Seselj has said that his men bribed former communist officials to sell surplus arms, which were then smuggled across the Croatian border. *247 He has also claimed to have purchased guns from Croats. *248 The World War II vintage American Thompson gun was standard issue in mid-1991. *249 Seselj claims to have purchased these guns from a European arms dealer, but press reports claim their presence is circumstantial evidence of direct Serbian Government involvement. *250 Seselj acknowledges that the federal army has not opposed their efforts, however, he refuses to disclose that he might be receiving any support from Milosevic and the Serbian army. *251
Arkan was born on 17 April 1952 in Brezice, Slovenia. *252 He was the fourth child of a retired air force colonel, and the only son. *253 At the age of 14 or 15 he allegedly began to support himself through theft and burglary. *254 At the age of 15, Arkan was incarcerated in a home for juvenile delinquents. *255 After his release, he left Yugoslavia to travel abroad.
Arkan continued his criminal activities throughout Europe. He is wanted in several European countries for crimes ranging from robbery to murder. *256 The Italian police seek Arkan in connection with the killing of a restaurant owner in 1974. *257 He robbed banks in Stockholm and Goteborg, Sweden, leaving the bank tellers bouquets of roses. *258 He was convicted of armed robbery in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany. In all cases, he escaped from prison. *259
While travelling through Europe, Arkan also was alleged to be working for the Yugoslavian Federal Secretariat for Internal Affairs (SSUP). *260 In the early 1980s, the SSUP carried out assassinations of nationalist organization members abroad. *261 Arkan engaged in technical operations such as servicing agents and acting as a courier. *262 He and Stane Dolanc, head of the SSUP, are repeatedly mentioned in connection with the 1983 murder of the former director of a Croatian oil company, who defected and began publishing books critical of Yugoslavia's Communist Government. *263
When Arkan returned to Belgrade in the early 1980s, his ties to the SSUP remained strong, despite his continued criminal activity. When Belgrade police would arrest Arkan, they allegedly counted the minutes that went by until someone from the SSUP, often times Stane Dolanc, would intervene on his behalf. *264 He was often seen wearing a white suit in casinos, disco clubs and night spots. *265 He became a well-respected member of the Belgrade underworld, with a reputation for being a boss with a refined sense of justice. *266 During this time, he also had a legitimate business in an ice cream and pastry shop located in a wealthy neighbourhood in Belgrade. *267
Before the war, Arkan was most known in Belgrade as the leader of the city's Red Star soccer team fan club. *268 On at least one occasion, Arkan offered the services of the fan club to Radmilo Bogdanovic, a Serbian police minister, to disperse a crowd demonstrating against Milosevic in June of 1990. *269 The offer was accepted. *270 It is thought that many of the members of his paramilitary group, the Tigers, are members of this club.
Arkan's first reported active involvement in the conflict in the former Yugoslavia came as early as November of 1990, when he traveled to Knin for a meeting of the «council of war» of the Knin uprising. He was accompanied by the following individuals: Dusan Bandic, a retiree and Cetnik commander from Belgrade; Zoran Stevanovic, a construction technician from Belgrade; and Dusan Caric, an electrician from Uncani near Dvor na Uni. *271 This meeting, held in a shack in the village of Golubic, was also attended by Mile Martic, then the secretary of the SUP (Secretariat for Internal Affairs) of the Krajina SOA; Marko Dobrijevic, then the secretary of the Serbian Democratic Party (SDS); and Nebojsa-Neso Mladinic and Dusan Orlovic, active organizers of the uprising in the Knin Krajina. The parties discussed how Belgrade would help in organizing and arming the Serbs in Krajina, and specific assignments were given to individuals. On the way back to Belgrade after the meeting, Arkan and his three companions drove into Dvor na Uni after midnight on 29 November. They were allegedly trying to familiarize themselves with the layout of the town so that they could better plan its «liberation». They were stopped by police around 2:30 a.m. and arrested. There were a number of automatic weapons, pistols and bombs in the car. The four were convicted on 14 June 1991 after a 42 day trial. Arkan was sentenced to 20 months in prison, including the six months and 15 days already served. The judge then released all four of the defendants, pending appeal of the convictions. Arkan left Croatia and sent a message from Belgrade that stated, «You will never take me alive!» *272
b. Breaking United Nations sanctions and other business ventures
Arkan not only gained notoriety through his leadership of the Tigers, but also through his business activities during the war. United Nations sanctions against Serbia resulted in unprecedented growth in the Belgrade underworld, in which Arkan is allegedly a leader. *273 Arkan reportedly made millions of dollars on the Belgrade black market by selling looted goods from the territory his Tigers have captured. *274 Arkan has also been successful in smuggling oil into Serbia. Reportedly, Milosevic had agreed to turn over state-run gas stations to anyone who could get oil into Serbia. Arkan's success in smuggling oil has resulted in his ownership of several gas stations. *275 It is estimated that for every tanker load of oil delivered in defiance of international sanctions, Arkan makes $30,000. *276 In addition to his gas stations and previously mentioned ice cream parlor, Arkan was also reported to own a shopping centre, a detective agency, and a savings bank, all allegedly supported by smuggling operations. *277 Arkan also promotes boxing matches, *278 operates a protection racket in Belgrade, *279 and a private prison used in kidnapping for ransom. *280 There are reports that Arkan's gang is linked to Milosevic's government and the local police. *281
Arkan entered the political arena during the 1992 Serbian elections. Arkan, along with three of his followers, ran in Serbia's southern province of Kosovo, even though he had no known ties there. *282 Although 90 per cent of Kosovo's population of two million are ethnic Albanians, Serbs have long considered the province as an integral part of their cultural heritage. It was here that the Serbs lost to the Turks in the 14th Century in the Battle of Kosovo Polje, *283 a defining moment in Serbian history. It was at this battle site, on the 400th anniversary of the battle in 1989, that Slobodan Milosevic first declared his policy of Serbian nationalism. *284 It is feared that Kosovo will be the next major flashpoint in the conflict in the former Yugoslavia. *285
Fueling concerns that «ethnic cleansing» was eminent in Kosovo during the 1992 campaign, Arkan delivered a speech, in the presence of Milosevic, swearing that he was an enemy to Albanian infants. *286 While campaigning, Arkan drove a car with license plates that said «Vukovar» as a reminder of his role in the attack on that city. *287 His campaign posters featured a picture of himself in a World War I Serbian uniform, complete with ceremonial sword. *288
Arkan and his three followers were elected deputies of the Serbian parliament in the 1992 elections, which were boycotted by the Albanians. *289 While a deputy in parliament, Arkan and his deputies always supported government policies. *290
In late September 1993, the Serbian Radical Party, led by Vojislav Seselj, called for a vote of no-confidence in the Milosevic led government. *291 To avoid embarrassment, Milosevic dissolved the Serbian parliament and called for new elections to be held on 19 December 1993. *292 It is reported that Arkan had advance knowledge of this and got a head start on his political opponents by forming a new political party, the Party of Serbian Unity. *293
Arkan and his Party for Serbian Unity campaigned with zeal. He spent over three million dollars *294 and held large campaign rallies, complete with Serbian folk singers and fireworks. *295 In addition to the lavish campaign, Arkan was thought to have the backing of Milosevic who was eager to fill the far right void created by his falling-out with Seselj. *296 During the campaign, Arkan and Seselj traded accusations of responsibility for war crimes. *297 Despite the spending, the reported support of Milosevic, and pre-election polls assuring that Arkan and the Party for Serbian Unity would win at least half the parliamentary seats in Kosovo, *298 Arkan failed to win a single seat. *299
Arkan formed the Serbian Volunteer Guard, better known as the Tigers, on 11 October 1991, *300 as a paramilitary group with no party affiliation. *301 Training centres were established in Tenja and Erdut, Croatia. *302 The camp in Erdut, on the grounds of a Croatian winery, is a few hundred yards from the UN headquarters. *303 An UN official has reported that every morning at 7:30 a.m. the soldiers speed march around Erdut with weapons. *304 The units contain some women, as well as boys 13 to 15 years old. *305 On 25 March 1994, in a ceremony attended by both Milan Martic and Arkan, the Erdut training facility was turned over to the Serbian Republic of Krajina to serve as a training facility for its special units. *306
When fighting began in Croatia, the Tigers were thought to have no more than 200 men, and their regular strength was thought to be only 60. *307 Although Arkan has more recently claimed his Tigers have as many as 8,000 men, the number is thought to be closer to 500 to 1,000. The exact number is difficult to determine as regular soldiers sometimes wear Tiger uniforms. *308
The Tigers are well-armed with tanks and mortars and were trained by Radovan Bazda and Arkan himself. *309 The Tigers have been seen with new sniper guns, AK-47 submachine-guns, and Scorpion sub-machine-guns. *310 The Tigers have worn three types of uniforms: camouflage, all blue, and all black. *311
| Ethnicity : | Muslim |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Konjic County, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | An identified man from Konjic, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| According to the Serbian Council Information Centre, the Akrepi killed 11 Serbs and burned 24 houses in the village of Blace on 15 May 1992. *313 | |
| Ethnicity : | Muslim |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Konjic, Sarajevo and Livno Counties, BiH *314 |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | N/A |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| Alija's Army members, along with Croatian Armed Forces (HOS), Croatian National Guardsmen (ZNG), and members of the Yellow Ants converged on Konjic on 26 April 1992. Upon arrival, the units allegedly established road blocks, set up machine-guns in nearby villages, murdered civilians and looted the villagers' homes. *315 | |
| Ethnicity : | Muslim |
|---|---|
| Uniforms : | Black clothing with a round unit patch on the sleeves. The patch depicts a black swan having intercourse with a supine woman. «Special Unit Army of BiH» is written in white lettering above the picture and underneath in black letters are the words, «Black Swans». |
| Number of Troops : | At least 100 |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Igman, Jablanica, and Konjic Counties, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | Three identified people, whose names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons |
| Alleged Members : | Five identified people, whose names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons *317 |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
|
The Black Swans allegedly committed most of the crimes against
Bosnian Croats in the Konjic area. *318 According to reports, the Black
Swans arrived in the Konjic area on 1 April 1993. They reinforced
Muslim troops, under commander Tulomovic and were primarily deployed
at the village of Handici, seven kilometres north-west of Konjic. *319
In negotiations with the HVO, Tulomovic denied that the Black Swans
were under his control and blamed them for the criminal activity in
the area.
The Black Swan force established at Handici, allegedly attacked the Croatian village of Celopeci in early April 1993. The Black Swans reportedly burned three empty buildings and killed two elderly women and one elderly man, cutting off the man's arms and slitting his throat with a machete. Later, the Handici force was joined by Black Swans from Pokojiste, who used four or five Croatian civilians as human shields during the attack on the village. At least 70 men *320 comprised the attacking force. After the action, Muslim forces allegedly prevented Spanish UNPROFOR troops from investigating the activities at Celopeci. *321 Also in the Konjic region, the Black Swans and Mujahedin troops allegedly launched infantry attacks on the village of Vrci every four or five days and helped run the P.O.W. camp for HVO soldiers at Parsovici. *322 According to a witness from Jablanica, more than 100 Black Swans and MOS forces attacked Doljani on 28 July 1993, the fiercest action in the hamlets of Krkaci, Stupari, and Kosna Luka. Allegedly, the attackers killed and mutilated 24 people, including some soldiers. The witness stated that the corpses' eyes were plucked out, their ears were cut, and their stomachs were slit open. *323 | |
| Ethnicity : | N/A |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | Thirty-two |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Benkovac County, Croatia |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | Bogdan Gagic |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| On 21 December 1991, Bogdan Gagic and the other 31 members of his formation killed nine Croatians and one Serbian in the village of Bruska, in Benkovac, Croatia. Other inhabitants were either killed, tortured or evicted. *324 | |
| Ethnicity : | Muslim |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Konjic County, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | Hasan Hakalovic |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| According to reports, the paramilitary forces of Hasan Hakalovic executed two civilians, ages 60 and 75, in the village of Mrkosovice. *325 | |
| Ethnicity : | Muslim |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Konjic County, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | An identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
|
According to reports submitted to the Commission of Experts,
during May 1993, in the village of Zaslivlje, the Hrasnica forces
cut off the ears and noses of Zlatka Trlin, Joze Brvenik, and
Ante Banovic. *326
The Hrasnica forces allegedly desecrated churches, looted houses and mistreated Croats in the villages of Celebici and Radesine. *327 | |
| Ethnicity : | Muslim |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | Bosnian army insignia |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | Travnik, BiH |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Travnik County, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | The leader's full name does not appear in the documents, but he is identified by nickname. |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| The Mecetove Bebe allegedly carried out criminal activity, including theft and sabotage in the Travnik area. *328 | |
| Ethnicity : | Muslim |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | Scarves on their heads, olive fatigues, beards, and often green berets |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | MOS stationed on the Vjetrenica mountain near Zenica were from Zepce. *329 Other MOS were from Jablanica. *330 |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Vitez, Zenica, Doljani, and Jablanica Counties, BiH. |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | An identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons. *331 |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
|
According to Croats fleeing villages in south-west BiH, 18
civilians were killed by the MOS in Stipica Meadow, near Borovac,
on 28 July 1993. Witnesses stated that they were cut down by
gunfire when crossing Stipica Meadow while fleeing from Borovac. *332
The survivors said that they were taken to a small room nearby
where they were detained with others, including one HVO soldier
who had been shot in the chest. They were given nothing to eat
and only water to drink for the day they spent in detention. The
prisoners allegedly heard shooting before they pried the bars
loose on the windows where they were held and escaped. One of
the victims recognized the MOS forces, saying that they were from
Jablanica. *333
In the towns of central BiH, in the Vitez and Zenica municipalities, the MOS allegedly looted and burned homes and threatened Croat civilians. *334 The MOS reportedly acted as police and arrested HVO personnel, who had been released earlier by the army of BiH. | |
| Ethnicity : | Muslim and some Croatians. |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | 150 |
| Origin : | Zvornik, BiH |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Zvornik County, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Alleged Leader(s) : | N/A |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
|
Quoting Tanjug, the Democratic League of Kosova reports that
in the second week of October 1992, a unit of Muslim fighters
calling themselves the Mosque Doves attacked the villages of
Pantici and Milosevici, approximately 20 kilometres from Zvornik.
Tanjug reports differed as to the number of people killed in the
attack. On 12 October, Tanjug reported that 50 villagers, mainly
elderly civilians were killed in the attack. A day later Tanjug
reported that the victims included 13 civilians and 23 members of
Serb forces.
According to the reports, the Mosque Doves used «rifles from Hungary and Arabic countries», and included some Croatians and Muslims from the Zvornik area who were trained in the Croatian Adriatic town of Sibenik. The Doves allegedly knew their victims and called them by name. *335 | |
| Ethnicity : | Muslim |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | The Patriotic League insignia contains Lilies. |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | The members of the Patriotic League were the original wearers of the green berets. They were largely JNA officers of Muslim religion who prepared for the war once they saw that it was inevitable. |
| Area(s) of Operation : | BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | Patriotic League |
| Leader(s) : | An identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
|
One unconfirmed and unsubstantiated allegation has been made
that members of the Patriotic League were active in Prijedor. *336
The Patriotic League was also implicated in the 25 April 1993, attack on Zenica, in which civilians were killed and imprisoned. According to reports from the Croatian Information Centre, the Patriotic League acted in concert with several other military groups, including the MOS led by Commander Karalic, the BiH army, Third Corps, Brigade 314, and the Green League (or Legion) also known as the Zenica Hoodlums. *337 | |
| Ethnicity : | Muslim |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Odzak County, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | Party of Democratic Action (SDA or PDA) |
| Leader(s) : | N/A |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
|
Paramilitary formations of the Party of Democratic Action
(SDA), together with members of the Croatian Democratic Union
(HDZ), allegedly perpetrated crimes against civilians in Odzak
County. The reports include allegations of rape, murder of
civilians, looting, detention, and forced labour. *338
Allegedly, the SDA received military supplies from abroad, primarily from Croatia. Weapons dealers affiliated with the CDU and the SDA, centred in Odzak and Tarevci reportedly moved freely between Croatia and BiH. *339 | |
| Ethnicity : | Muslim |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | Brown battle fatigues |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | Bihac, BiH |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Bihac County, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | N/A |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| Reporting on clashes in the Bihac pocket, between the Fifth BiH Corps and Krajina militia, United Nations Protection Forces (UNPROFOR) noted the presence of paramilitary units dressed in brown battle dress and assessed them as members of the Muslim organization, White Pumas. *340 | |
| Ethnicity : | Muslim |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Konjic County, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | N/A |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| The Yellow Ants, along with HOS, Croatian National Guards (ZNG) and members of another paramilitary unit called Alija's Army, converged on Konjic on 26 April 1992. Upon arrival, the units allegedly established road blocks, set up machine-guns in nearby villages, murdered civilians, and looted the villagers' homes. *341 | |
| Ethnicity : | Muslim |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Zenica County, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | An identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
|
On the morning of 25 April 1993, Muslim forces attacked
villages near Zenica. Some civilians were killed and others were
taken to detention facilities at the former conservatory of music
in Zenica. Several Muslim groups allegedly participated in the
attack : the army of BiH, Third Corps, led by Enver
Hadzihasanovic; Brigade 314; The Green League, also called the
Zenica Hoodlums; and members of the MOS led by commander Karalic. *342
The Green Legion reportedly operated a prisoner of war camp in the nearby village of Bilimisce. *343 | |
| Ethnicity : | Croatian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | Black, except for the words «Black Legion» in white letters |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | Allegedly, the members of the Black Legion are expatriates who lived in Germany before the war. |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Tomislavgrad and Odzak Counties, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | N/A |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
|
Witness testimonies, reported by the Serbian Council
Information Centre, name members of the Black Legion as jailers.
Allegedly, the Black Legion took prisoners from Split and Kupres
and held them in deplorable conditions at Tomislavgrad. Detained
women said that they were kept in cellars with no toilets or
beds. The witnesses described the members of the Black Legion as
wearing black and riding in a black Mercedes. One witness quoted
one of the guards as saying that he entered the war to «protect
his Fatherland». *345
One witness stated that the «Black Legion» or «Black Shirts» *346 arrived at a prison camp in Odzak on 16 July 1993, and asked prisoners for gold or money. The witness reported that once she surrendered her money to the Black Legion, she was released. *347 | |
| Ethnicity : | Croatian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | Virovitica County, Croatia |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Grubisno Polje County, Croatia |
| Political Affiliation : | Croatian National Guard (ZNG) *348 |
| Alleged Leader(s) : | An identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
|
According to witness testimonies reported by the Serbian
Council Information Centre, Black Shirt troops from Virovitica
arrived in Grubisno Polje on 13 August 1991, and proceeded to
arrest and kill civilians, destroy property, and steal money and
valuables from the villagers.
The Black Shirts allegedly began their activities in the area by blocking roads and setting up check-points. They also took over police duties and made arrests according to a previously compiled list. Allegedly, 124 people were arrested and held in the Grubisno Polje Hotel. Twenty well-respected men in the community, who were arrested according to the list, were later found dead. *349 | |
| Ethnicity : | Croatian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | Black headbands and fingerless gloves |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Odzak, Novi Grad and Bosanski Brod Counties, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | Croatian Democratic Union (CDU) |
| Leader(s) : | N/A |
| Alleged Members : | An identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| The Serbian Council Information Centre alleged that the CDU financed many paramilitary groups in Slavonia, and that the CDU paramilitary forces were responsible for shelling Donja Dubica on 18 April 1992. CDU forces allegedly killed, raped, and tortured prisoners. They also allegedly evicted Serbian villagers, looted, operated a prison camp called «Tulek» in Bosanski Brod, and used detainees for digging trenches, clearing minefields, and other war operations. *350 | |
| Ethnicity : | Croatian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Vukovar County, Croatia |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | Mile Dedakovic, alias «Jastreb» *351 |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| The commander of this Croatian paramilitary unit is reported to have committed several violations. *352 | |
| Ethnicity : | Croatian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Osijek County, Croatia |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | Glavas allegedly lived outside of Croatia for many years, *354 held several positions of authority in Osijek, including Mayor, and was a member of the extreme wing of the Croatian Democratic Community (HDZ). *355 |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| Glavas was the reported leader of paramilitary formations in Osijek. He was responsible for criminal acts, including murder, which were intended to intimidate the ethnic Serbian community and force them to flee. *356 By the fall of 1993, Glavas was elected Mayor of Osijek *357 after serving as the town council president. *358 There are also reports of a number of violations, such as killings. *359 | |
| Ethnicity : | Croatian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Sisak County, Croatia |
| Political Affiliation : | The Hawks are affiliated with the Croatian Ministry of Internal Affairs. *360 |
| Leader(s) : | N/A |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| In Sisak during the first half of 1991, the Hawks allegedly destroyed a slaughterhouse and four shops owned by Dragan Novakovic. *361 | |
| Ethnicity : | Croatian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | Fifty-eight identified members. According to reports submitted to the Commission of Experts, members of the Horses of Fire were recruited from the 102nd Brigade of the Croatian Defence Council (HVO). *363 |
| Origin : | Odzak County, BiH *364 |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Odzak, Mostar, Bosanski Brod and Trebinje Counties, BiH *365 |
| Political Affiliation : | Bosnian Croatian Defence Council (HVO) *366 |
| Leader(s) : | Four identified men, whose names are not disclosed, for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons *367 |
| Alleged Members : | Fifty-eight named people, whose names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
|
The Horses of Fire were a special unit of the HVO, *368 created
from the HVO's 102nd Brigade. *369 The founders of the Horses of
Fire included four identified men, whose names are not disclosed
for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons. *370 These
individuals allegedly established concentration camps to house
Serbs in the Odzak commune and illegally furnished arms to the
Horses of Fire. *371
The Horses of Fire are named repeatedly in reports to the Commission of Experts as perpetrators of ethnic cleansing against Serbian civilians. *372 Allegedly, the Horses of Fire raped and killed Serbian civilians, and looted and destroyed Serbian property, including Serbian homes, and religious establishments. *373 Odzak County, on the border of Croatia and BiH, was the target of such attacks between April and August 1992. *374 Acording to a UN report, in June 1992, members of Horses of Fire locked 16 Serbian women and children inside a house in Novi Grad and set the house on fire. The survivors were forced to jump from windows. *375 FRY reported that an elderly civilian was killed by the Horses of Fire on 15 July 1992. Reportedly, the victim lay sick in bed when a member of the paramilitary group beat him to death by striking him in the head and chest with a rock. *376 Witness statements allege that the Horses of Fire frequently engaged in sexual assault and gang rape activities. *377 Prior to defeat by the Serbs in mid-July 1992, the Horses of Fire allegedly indulged in mass rape, and gang rape of Serbian girls and women. *378 Witness reports contain relevant details which are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons. One witness recalled how she was raped and abused in the middle of the night by six members of the Horses of Fire. *379 In a similar case, 15 members of the Horses of Fire broke down the door of another witness's apartment where she resided with a relative. They were forcibly removed and taken to a location where they were raped by at least seven of their captors. The witness recognized the perpetrators as her neighbours. *380 Witness statements also document an incident which occurred in early June 1992. One member of the Horses of Fire allegedly raped four women and brutally beat another, throwing her to the ground and stomping on her chest and stomach. *381 Also in June 1992, the Horses of Fire Commander and several of his men allegedly participated in the rape of several women. *382 In early June 1992, a woman was raped and forced to walk naked through her village. *383 On the evening of 4 July, nine rapes were reportedly committed by the Horses of Fire. *384 Another report alleged that in July 1992, a notorious criminal and member of the Horses of Fire raped a young girl. *385 Allegedly, between 8 May and 15 July, several Serbian women from Odzak County were taken prisoner and raped. The women were detained in the village while men were taken to a camp. Reportedly, the Serbian men held at Odzak were forced to rape Serbian women who were brought to the camp. *386 | |
| Ethnicity : | Croatian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | Black uniforms *387 |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Vitez County, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | An identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
|
Bralo (Cicko) Miroslav allegedly commanded a special unit of
Bosnian Croat soldiers called «The Jokers». *388 The Bosnian War
Crimes Commission suspects Miroslav himself of killing 20 people. *389
In one account collected by the Bosnian Commission, a Muslim
woman from the area alleged that she was raped repeatedly by
Miroslav and other Bosnian Croat soldiers during the month that
she was held captive. *390
A resident of Ahmici, a village in Vitez county, reported that the Jokers shelled and occupied the village on 16 April 1993. The witness stated that after the Jokers arrived, a crowd of approximately 20 people, including Croatian neighbours, surrounded the witness' home and shot several of the witness' relatives. Time magazine reported that 107 Muslims died in Ahmici that day. *391 Bosnian Defence Minister, Hamdo Hadzihasanovic, identified the Jokers (dzokeri) as one of the special units of the HVO which received training and support from the Croatian Army. *392 A report in The Independent described a group known as the Jokeri as gangsters with «fascist inclinations». *393 The Jokeri were allegedly responsible for attacks in violation of the cease- fire signed by Bosnia's Muslims and Croats in February 1994. *394 | |
| Ethnicity : | Croatian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Vitez County, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | Occasional ties to the HVO |
| Leader(s) : | N/A |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
|
According to UNPROFOR personnel, the Croatian Knights
paramilitary group set up a check-point approximately three
kilometres north-west of Vitez where they detained a convoy of
trucks for several days. Although the convoy was eventually
returned, the action was apparently one of many designed to
agitate the Muslim population and to inrease tension in the
region.
HVO officials in Vitez said that the Knights were a renegade group which did not follow official military command. *395 | |
| Ethnicity : | Croatian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | Police uniforms |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | Travnik County, BiH |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Travnik County, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | N/A |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| In talks with UNPROFOR personnel, the HVO said that a paramilitary formation called the «Medici» was responsible for the attacks, kidnappings, bombings and errant artillery fire which were perpetrated upon Muslims in and around Travnik in central BiH during the first weeks of April 1993. The HVO claimed that the Medici were not under military control. *396 | |
| Ethnicity : | Croatian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | N/A |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | N/A |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| UNPROFOR documents report that the «Sombor» group, allegedly a Croatian organization guilty of sabotage, are being detained in FRY. In December of 1993, the Yugoslav government was considering exchanging the Sombor group for Serbian prisoners of war who were being held in Croatia. *397 | |
| Ethnicity : | Croatian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | Kiseljak, BiH |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Mostar and Vares Counties, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | Occasional ties to the HVO |
| Leader(s) : | N/A |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
|
The Tigers allegedly joined the HVO in Mostar on 1 June
1993. With the Tigers, arrived additional materiel, including
305 millimetre «Slavuj» guns and grenades manufactured at
Slavonski Brod. *399
UNPROFOR reports stated that «an HVO unit named `Tigers from Kiseljak' or `United to Death'» *400 participated in the attack on the Muslim village of Stupni Do on 23 October 1993. In a press release dated 27 October 1993 (one day after the UNPROFOR forces were allowed access to the village), UNPROFOR related that the village was attacked by HVO forces and that all 52 houses in the village were burned, that civilians were killed, and that women may have been raped. *401 Later reports stated that the attacking force contained 300-600 troops, and that 42 civilians were killed, including nine children. *402 | |
| Ethnicity : | Croatian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Donji Rakic (County and Country unknown) |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | N/A |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| Cvijetin Maksimovic alleged that he was captured by Croatian forces called «Vjesta» in May 1993. He said that he was held in a detention facility operated by the Vjesta at Donji Rakic. *403 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | Prijedor County, BiH |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Sanski Most County, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | N/A |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| According to the Croatian Information Centre, the Fifth Kozara Brigade is a paramilitary formation in the Banja Luka Corps of the Serbian Army. On 24-25 July 1992, the Fifth Kozara Brigade, the Sixth Krajina Brigade and local Serb paramilitaries attacked the Bosnian Croat villages of Stara Rijeka, Brisevo, Raljas and Carakovo in the Ljubija region. Seventy-three Croatian civilians were killed during the attack by over 3,000 Serbs. *404 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | Sanksi Most County, BiH |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Sanski Most County, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | N/A |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| According to the Croatian Information Centre, the Sixth Krajina Brigade is a paramilitary formation of the Banja Luka Corps in the Serbian Army. On 24-25 July 1992, the Sixth Krajina Brigade, along with the Fifth Kozara Brigade and local Serb paramilitaries, attacked the Croatian villages of Stara Rijeka, Brisevo, Raljas and Carakovo in the Ljubija region of BiH. Over 3,000 Serbs participated in the attack, during which 73 Croatian civilians died. *405 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Daruvar, Grubisno Polje, Pakrac, Virovitica, Podravska Slatina and Slavonska Pozega Counties, Croatia |
| Political Affiliation : | Serbian Democratic Party (SDS) of Slavonja and Baranja |
| Leader(s) : | N/A |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
|
In June 1991, the JNA and the Serbian Democratic Party (SDS)
for Slavonia and Baranja formed the XII Slavonian Shock Brigade
for the area of Daruvar, Grubisno Polje, Pakrac, Virovitica,
Podravska Slatina and Slavonska Pozega. One formation of the
brigade was the Unit of Daruvar, headquartered in Bijela. *406
The Unit of Daruvar and members of their police units allegedly participated in the following attacks and incidents, often in concert with other Serbian paramilitary forces and JNA :
| |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Pakrac, Podravska Slatina Counties, Croatia |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | N/A |
| Alleged Members : | Sixteen identified men, whose names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
|
In June 1991, the JNA and the Serbian Democratic Party (SDS)
in Slavonia and Baranja formed the XII Slavonian Shock Brigade. *419
Units of the Brigade include the Unit of Daruvar *420 and the
Bilogorian Order. *421
On 19 August 1991, 39 members of the XII Slavonian brigade attacked Pakrac, Lipik and Prekopakra. An unspecified number of Croatian civilians were killed, evicted, or imprisoned in the camp at Bucje. Croatian property was stolen or destroyed. *422 Between 13 August and 31 October 1991, 61 members of the XII Slavonian Shock Brigade allegedly participated in the following actions :
The XII Slavonian Shock Brigade allegedly attacked the following villages with mortars, tank grenades, and rocket launchers during the months of October to December 1991 : Cetekovac, Golenic, Hum, Ivanbrijeg, Lisicine Mackovac, Mikleus, Podravska Slatina *431 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | Uniform of a Militia (police) reservist |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | Bjeljina County, BiH |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Brcko County, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | An identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons |
| Alleged Members : | This is a one man unit. |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
|
An identified member of this group reportedly killed 150
unarmed Muslim and Croat civilians in early May 1992, in Brcko.
According to the witness, Adolf found these civilians on the
streets, briefly interrogated them, and made them form a line in
front of the Old Hotel near the centre of Brcko. He then shot
them one by one, with a Scorpion automatic pistol fitted with a
silencer. *432
During the time of the initial killings, the police from Bijeljina and the local Serbian police operated in Brcko. The leader of the group worked with neither and was only being helped by a few reservists from Bijeljina. Yet, many people thought that he and the others had special permission to do the killing. Those killed by the group are buried in mass graves in Brcko. *433 Others killed were reportedly thrown into the Sava River. Adolf allegedly participated in killings at the Brcko-Luka camp. *434 However, because Adolf was not formally affiliated with the JNA, the Commander of Serb forces at the camp insisted that Adolf leave Brcko-Luka. Reportedly, Adolf then returned to Bijeljina. Other identifying information is available, but not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons. *435 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Zvornik County, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | N/A |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| According to the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights, the Anticevci participated in the Serbian attack on Zvornik which began on 26 April 1992. Allegedly, the Anticevci attacked Zvornik alongside Territorial Defence units, Arkanovci, Seseljovci, Draganovci, White Eagles, Dusan Silni, Vukovarci, and other smaller units. According to the report, the Anticevci carried only light arms, but are accused of perpetrating the assault in the district of Srpska Varos in which an entire village was killed on 15 April. *436 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | Banja Luka County, BiH |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Teslic County, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | N/A |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| According to Zdravko Grebo, a professor at Sarajevo University, the Armada Forces «terrorized» Muslim prisoners from Banja Luka. Reportedly, the Armada Forces came to Teslic to perform «ethnic cleansing» operations there. Serbian Militia and Red Berets also operated in Teslic. *437 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Grubisno Polje, Daruvar, Pakrac, Virovitica, Podravska Slatina and Slavonska Pozega Counties, Croatia |
| Political Affiliation : | Serbian Democratic Party (SDS) of Slavonia and Baranja |
| Leader(s) : | N/A |
| Alleged Members : | An identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons. |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
In June 1991, the JNA and the Serbian Democratic Party (SDS)
for Slavonia and Baranja formed the XII Slavonian Shock Brigade
for the area of Grubisno Polje, Daruvar, Pakrac, Virovitica,
Podravska Slatina and Slavonska Pozega. The Bilogorski Odred was
formed as part of this Brigade, and allegedly took part in the
following attacks, in concert with JNA and «Cetnik» forces :
| |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | Vukovar County, Croatia. |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Vukovar County, Croatia |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | N/A |
| Alleged Members : | An identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons *446 |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| On 8 October 1991, a group of civilians were reportedly imprisoned in Borovo Naselje, near Vukovar, when they attempted to extinguish a fire at the «Komerc» building. A paramilitary group from the town allegedly captured and then transported the civilians in JNA vehicles to the Stajicevo prison camp in Serbia. The prisoners were abused during the ride to Stajicevo by four members of the paramilitary unit. A witness also described Stajicevo camp as holding 6,500 persons from Vukovar, Borovo Naselje and Miklusevci, Croatia, and said that many of the prisoners were women. At least one local member of the group was identified by a local witness. *447 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Bratunac County, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | Serbian Democratic Party (SDS) |
| Leader(s) : | Miroslav Deronjic |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| On 23 May 1992, local paramilitary forces, commanded by Miroslav Deronjic, killed 70 Muslims in front of the mosque in the village of Glogova in Bratunac County. Deronjic, alias «Momo- Penzica», was President of the Serbian Democratic Party (SDS) in Bratunac. *448 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | Captain Dragan reportedly wore a Red Beret, featuring the Serbian cross and the four cyrillic S's, and olive fatigues, with no insignia except for a metal plate on the shoulder bearing the name «Captain Dragan». |
| Number of Troops : | As many as 1,000 |
| Origin : | Dragan's special forces consist of 1,000 soldiers of the «Republic of Serbian Krajina» and some volunteers from countries outside the Former Yugoslavia. |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Vukovar, Zadar, and Knin Counties, Croatia; and Brcko, Zvornik, and Zavidovici Counties, BiH *449 |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Alleged Leader(s) : | Captain Dragan Vasiljkovic or Daniel Sneden. *450 Dragan is allegedly an Australian citizen who was born in Belgrade. He was a military advisor in both Tanzania and Angola, and, as a result, when speaking English, his accent is more South African than Australian. He reportedly arrived in Knin, Croatia, in 1990, returned to Belgrade in 1991, and left Krajina sometime in 1992. He later returned to Krajina to operate a training camp for special forces volunteers. *451 Dragan also reportedly led paramilitary groups called the Knindze and the Red Berets. *452 |
| Alleged Members : | Four identified men, whose names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons. |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
|
According to the UN, Captain Dragan led a force called the
Knindze from Knin, Croatia, on raids in Croatia in 1990. He also
participated in operations in Vukovar with other paramilitary
formations, including those commanded by Arkan and Seselj. In
February 1993, having gained celebrity status in Krajina and in
Belgrade, Captain Dragan was appointed to head a training camp
for Alpha Special Forces in Knin in February 1993. As a result,
forces trained by Captain Dragan moved throughout the territory
of the former Yugoslavia under various commanders and as members
of larger units. The training camp in Croatia allegedly
contained over 1,000 troops. Most of the volunteers were
soldiers of the army of the Republic of Serbian Krajina, but
troops from outside the former Yugoslavia also trained there
under Dragan.
Dragan claims to have deployed the Garibaldi Fighters from Italy in the Velebit mountains north of Zadar in Croatia. The size of the Garibaldo unit is unknown, but reportedly carried out reconnaissance and sabotage missions behind enemy lines on behalf of Serbian paramilitary commanders fighting in Croatia. Dragan claimed that by July 1993, as many as 114 missions had been performed by units trained by him at the camp. *453 Dragan has been accused of intimidating civilians and of orchestrating «ethnic cleansing» throughout Krajina. In November 1991, Captain Dragan and two other identified men used the burned remains of a human body to intimidate a Croatian civilian prisoner and force him to reveal information. This happened at the carpentry workshop in «Velepromet» in Vukovar. Captain Dragan was also an investigator for the «People's Court-Martial» at the carpentry workshop, where Serbian JNA and paramilitary forces condemned Croatian prisoners to death. *454 A witness alleged that Captain Dragan and another identified man took a woman from «Velepromet». The woman was beaten and then returned to the room after being questioned about events in Vukovar and the treatment of Serbian residents there before the 1991 elections. *455 A 110-man unit under Captain Dragan allegedly attacked a village called Divic, near Zvornik, in May 1992. The group was billeted in Zvornik, which was occupied by Arkanovci at the time. *456 A witness stated that on 23 September 1991, civilians in Tovarnik, in eastern Croatia, were forced into a courtyard and divided according to nationality. One hundred Croats were reportedly separated from the group and taken towards Sid in Serbia. Reportedly, Captain Dragan claimed authorization to kill whomever he chose. Allegedly, one man was killed and left on the side of the road. *457 A unit named the Draganovci also allegedly participated in the April 1992 attack on Zvornik in north-eastern BiH along with other paramilitary units including Arkanovci, Dusan the Mighty, Anticevci, the White Eagles, the Vukovar Unit under Pero Elez, and others. *458 In January 1993, paramilitary formations under Captain Dragan allegedly participated in the «ethnic cleansing» operation of the Knin district, along with Arkan and Seselj units. *459 Captain Dragan's troops allegedly removed prisoners from Luka camp to Belgrade during June 1992. *460 Groups commanded by Captain Dragan reportedly include the Knindze, the Red Berets, and the Munja or Flash (lightning) troops. | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Vukovar, Croatia |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | An identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons |
| Alleged Members : | Nine identified men, whose names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| Drago's Group was allegedly responsible for killing civilians in Tovarnik, a town near Vukovar in eastern Croatia, during 27-30 September 1991. About 80 persons were killed with knives, guns, bombs, etc. An identified Captain raped and killed young girls. Other members of Drago's Group, who allegedly participated in the attack on Tovarnik, were identified, but their names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons. *461 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | Camouflage, headbands or scarves and hats with insignia |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Vukovar County, Croatia and Zvornik County, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | An identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons |
| Alleged Members : | Six identified men, whose names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
|
According to the Croatian Information Centre, on 7 September
1991, in Tovarnik, Dusan the Great forces killed a Catholic
priest and set fire to Croatian houses. *462
Dusan forces were also allegedly involved in abuses conducted in the village of Lovas in eastern Croatia. Allegedly, male civilians in Lovas were mistreated and some were killed on 17 October 1991, when they were called to a meeting in a cooperative. Dusan the Great forces surrounded the cooperative, then searched and beat the prisoners. Later, the leader allegedly arrived and ordered some of the prisoners to perform work detail, and detained them in a house for the night. One witness reportedly was detained for roughly three months and made to perform work detail. He stated that Ljuban Devetak was in charge of operations and was encamped at the main police station in Lovas. The same witness also stated that Jovicevci, Seseljovci and Arkanovci were also present in Lovas during the fall of 1992. *463 Victims were reportedly beaten, forced to sit still in front of machine-guns, and forced to walk through a minefield. Another witness reported that 21 people died and that 13 were wounded. *464 Dusan the Great allegedly participated in the April 1992 attack on Zvornik in north-eastern BiH, along with other paramilitary units including Arkanovci, the Vukovar Unit, Anticevci, the White Eagles, Captain Dragan's men, and others. *465 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | Dvor, Croatia |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Dvor, Croatia |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | N/A |
| Alleged Members : | Thirteen identified men, whose names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| According to the Croatian Information Centre, a paramilitary group from Dvor na Uni attacked two nearby villages, Kozibrod and Struga, on 26 July 1991. The attack began at 10:30 a.m. and lasted until 9:00 p.m. Allegedly, the attackers used civilians from the two villages as shields as they advanced on the Croatian police station at Kozibrod. Once in control of the police station, the paramilitaries reportedly killed seven civilians and eight policemen. The report also lists eight civilians as seriously wounded by gunfire. *466 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | Camouflage fatigues bearing the red, white, and blue flag of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and\or the JNA star on the left front pocket |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | Foca County, BiH |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Foca and Zvornik Counties, BiH and Vukovar County, Croatia |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | Pero Eles |
| Alleged Members : | Two Deputy Commanders *467 and others *468 were identified, but their names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons. |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
|
A Government report named the commander of the Vukovar Unit
paramilitary force, which operated in Vukovar County, Croatia,
and in Foca, Gacko, Zvornik, and Brcko Counties, BiH. *469
Allegedly, many civilians were killed, imprisoned, or evicted
from their homes by the Vukovar Unit. Reports also document that
this group destroyed and looted property. The group is also
accused of detaining women and young girls in separate facilities
and raping them. Two identified members of the group allegedly
transported women to detention facilities in FRY and Germany.
The US Government reported that the Vukovar unit participated in the 4 May 1992, attack on Foca, alongside members of the White Eagles and the Montenegro Guard. According to the report, the paramilitary units arrived together in seven military buses and followed orders to «comb» the area for Muslim and Croat civilians. The troops reportedly shot many of the civilians in outlying areas and detained the others at Foca Prison. *470 Several witnesses stated that the commander operated in Foca from a hotel in Miljevina. Allegedly, many female prisoners were taken to the Miljevina hotel headquarters and then escorted to private homes, where they were detained for months and raped. The commander reportedly was the first to rape many of the women. The victims said that if they resisted, they were threatened with transfer to a local hotel, where many paramilitary troops raped prisoners regularly. Victims stated that they were held at the house of Nusret Karaman, *471 who was allegedly part of a transport network run by the commander. Karaman reportedly provided passports for the women and took them from BiH to Belgrade and to Germany. *472 A report submitted to the UN estimated that 250 buildings in Foca, including a mosque, were burned to the ground, that the entire agricultural stock was burned, and that farming machinery was destroyed. Allegedly, 1,000 civilians were taken to Foca prison and abused. The prisoners included Muslims, Croats, Serb resisters, and patients and staff at the Foca Medical Centre. Witnesses stated that as many as 10,000 detainees were moved through the prison. *473 The Vukovar Unit also allegedly participated in an attack on the villages near Zelengora mountain in Gacko. Serbian forces allegedly began shelling the villages on 1 July 1992. Civilians were killed with knives or captured and sent to Kalinovik, where they were held in an elementary school. Witnesses stated that two identified men took 12 young women from the elementary school prison. Witnesses also reported that two elderly women died hile in captivity at the school. *474 The Vukovar Unit allegedly participated in the April 1992 attack on Zvornik in north-eastern BiH, along with other paramilitary units including Arkanovci, Dusan the Great, Anticevci, the White Eagles, Captain Dragan's men, and others. *475 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | Serbian Royalist Party (SRP) |
| Leader(s) : | An identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons. |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| In May 1993, the group was reported to have 350 men training at Subotica, Serbia. *476 Groups such as Helsinki Watch suspect the SRP paramilitary group, the Serbian Falcons, of atrocities. As of November 1992, an estimated 600 Serbian Falcons were fighting in BiH, with 700 to 800 in Serbia. *477 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Gorazde County, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | N/A |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| According to the Bulletin, in June 1992, the Garavi Sokak paramilitary unit looted Muslim property and frightened Muslim residents of Gorazde and surrounding villages. The Garavi Sokak unit worked together with Uzice military units, Arkan's men, and local paramilitaries working under Braco Rakanovic. Allegedly, these forces attacked a settlement near Kokino village and another near Povrsnica mountain. *478 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | The Grey Wolves wore distinct, black wool caps and green uniforms with patches on both sleeves. The right- arm patch depicted a grey wolf; the left-arm patch bore the four Cyrillic S's. |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Bosanski Samac County, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | Stepo Todorovic, Minister of Internal Affairs, who originally lived in Serbia |
| Alleged Members : | |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
|
The National Organization for Victim Assistance reported an
attack on Bosanski Samac on 17 April 1992, by Serbian
paramilitary forces, including the Grey Wolves and Arkanovci.
One witness stated that the paramilitary troops arrested and
killed civilians in the days before and after the attack, and
that the same troops mined and destroyed all of the bridges in
the area. The witness stated that he was arrested and repeatedly
beaten. *479
On 18 April the paramilitary forces were allegedly joined by the Territorial Defence and the JNA, who came with tanks and transport vehicles. Politically active Croats and Muslims were arrested, as well as anyone who remained outside. Seven or eight days later, all intellectuals were arrested. In the third and final wave of arrests, the only civilians who were not taken were those with «working obligations». Allegedly, detention centres were established at a Territorial Defence storehouse and the police headquarters. The prisoners were reportedly beaten and detained for a month. *480 Todorovic was reportedly from Serbia and married to a Muslim woman. He allegedly demanded that civilians give up their arms for peace, and claimed that if even one Grey Wolf was killed, 100 Muslims and Croats would die. According to the witness, the civilians who surrendered their weapons were arrested. *481 A man, identified by one name only, was reportedly a member of the Arkanovci or Grey Wolves, killed 21 people in retaliation for the death of a 21 year-old Serb. A 60 year-old man was also reportedly shot to death. *482 The witness stated that he was eventually taken out of Bosanski Samac and taken to Brcko and other camps. *483 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Karakaj (county unknown), BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | An identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons. |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| The chief of the Serbian guard in Karakaj is reported to have engaged in several activities not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons. *484 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | N/A |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| The name «Serb Hawks» is reported in at least one newspaper article, but no information is available regarding their activities. *485 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Zvornik County, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | Dragan Ignjatovic, Ljubisav, and Mile Mijatovic (alias «Cicvara») |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| Cetniks led by Dragan Ignjatovic, a former clerk in the Zvornik town hall, Ljubisav, a policeman, and Mile Mijatovic, alias «Cicvara», attacked Kostjerevo village near Zvornik in May 1992. According to a witness, the entire population of Kostjerevo was taken to Drinjaca. Thirty-five men were beaten and killed in a hall there and 12 teenage boys were taken prisoner and led in the direction of Zvornik. Women were raped and tortured. On 31 May about 150 women and children were taken in two buses in the direction of Tuzla, while others were allegedly kept for exchange. *486 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Vogosca County, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | Dragan Ikanovic |
| Alleged Members : | An identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosectorial reasons. |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| A witness reported that Dragan Ikanovic and his men were responsible for the deaths of approximately 50 Muslim prisoners. According to the witness, Ikanovic and his men loaded the prisoners onto a bus and drove them from Vogosca towards a village called Srednje. At one point in the journey, the passengers were told that the bus had overheated. The three Serbian guards left the bus, which was then fired upon by Serbian forces using rocket launchers, bazookas, machine-guns and hand grenades. *488 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | N/A |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | Dragan Ilic |
| Alleged Members : | One man was identified, but his name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons. |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| Twenty-two year-old Dragan Ilic, son of Dragoljub Ilic, allegedly led a team that confiscated weapons from Muslims. One member of the team was identified. *489 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | Camouflage |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Vukovar County, Croatia |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | N/A |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| According to witness statements reported by the Republic of Croatia, the Jovicevci forces were involved in abuses conducted in Lovas in eastern Croatia. Male civilians in Lovas were allegedly mistreated and some were killed on 17 October 1991, when they were called to a meeting at the town cooperative. Jovicevci allegedly participated in searching and beating the prisoners. Twenty-one people were killed on the night of 17 October when they were forced to walk in a minefield located in front of the Borovo factory. A witness stated that the paramilitary groups present in Lovas at the time were the Jovicevci, Seseljovci and Arkanovci. Also, many witnesses have corroborated that Ljuban Devetak, an economist, was in charge of the forces operating in Lovas during the fall of 1992. *490 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Prijedor County, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | N/A |
| Alleged Members : | Three identified men, whose names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
|
A Serbian paramilitary unit called Zoran Karlica was
allegedly responsible for killings, rapes and other abuses in the
village of Biscani in Prijedor county in July 1992. A witness
recognized and identified three men among the group. One
identified man allegedly beat a man to death because of an
earlier incident between them. *491
The witness claimed that there were few survivors after «ethnic cleansing» in the village. Survivors were loaded into two buses and driven towards Prijedor. There were reportedly unburied bodies alongside the road during the drive. At Crna Jaruga, half of one bus' passengers were killed. One of the buses drove to the Omarska camp and then on to the Trnopolje camp because there was no room at Omarska. Later in the day, an identified member of the paramilitary group returned and reportedly removed and executed 13 people. *492 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | Knin County, Croatia |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Modrica and Doboj Counties, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | N/A *493 |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
|
According to an eyewitness, during May 1992, a paramilitary
group who called themselves the Knindza Turtles, together with
members of the White Eagles, interrogated prisoners at the
Sutjeska school. The witness reported that he was held in a
classroom with approximately 50 other men of military age.
Women, children and older men were held in the school sports
hall. The witness said that local Serbs acted as guards, while
the two paramilitary groups performed interrogations. *494
The witness was questioned about where the Muslims kept their weapons and about his activities before apprehension. He said that he was not beaten during the interrogation, but that one of the prisoners, a 47 year-old Muslim, was beaten with a pickaxe handle. *495 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Vukovar County, Croatia |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | Vlado Kovacevic |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| On 19 November 1991, Serbian paramilitary units, referred to by witnesses as «Cetniks», took Vukovar civilians from their basements to the Pekara bakery, where they were killed with knives and burned in a baker's oven. Vlado Kovacevic was seen among the perpetrators, apparently dressed as the commander. *496 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Visegrad and Rogatica Counties, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | Rajko Kusic, Major Commander Battalion Borika, 1 Brigade Drina Corps, Serbian Republic of BiH *497 |
| Alleged Members : | An identified person, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| According to a witness, Serbian paramilitary forces under the command of Rajko Kusic killed 49 prisoners during a fake prisoner exchange. Serb forces under the command of an identified member of the group forced prisoners from Visegrad onto a bus, under the pretence of a prisoner exchange in Han Pijesak. However, once the prisoners were on the bus, several Serb soldiers tied them up, and then beat and taunted them. Eventually, the bus arrived at a curve along a muddy road. The Serb forces ordered the prisoners off the bus, walked them up the road, then killed 49 of the prisoners and piled them in a pit. *498 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | Masked with camouflage uniforms and «Cetnik insignias». |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | Visegrad County, BiH |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Visegrad County, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | Milan Lukic |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
|
According to reports submitted to the Commission of Experts,
Milan Lukic from the village of Rusti in Visegrad, BiH, commanded
paramilitary forces operating in the Visegrad region. Lukic's
forces allegedly abducted two sets of Muslim civilians who have
since disappeared. He is also accused of murder, deliberate
destruction of Muslim property, and molestation of young Muslim
women at the «Vilina Vlas» and «Bikavac» hotels. *499
A report, based on information received from the BiH Ministry of Internal Affairs, states that on 18 June 1992, 22 Muslims were killed on the new bridge in Visegrad by Lukic and his men. According to the report, the Lukic forces killed the civilians by various methods : children were dropped from the bridge and shot before they hit the water, others died when their kidneys were torn out, and some were tied to car bumpers and dragged through the streets. The report states that Lukic's forces did not act alone on 18 June but were linked with members of the Popovic Group (another paramilitary group operating in Visegrad at the time and commanded by Srpko Popovic). *500 Milan Lukic and his men allegedly abducted 16 Sandzak Muslims from the village of Sjeverin on 22 October 1992. According to Amnesty International, eight armed and masked men boarded a bus the victims were travelling in as it entered BiH in the Visegrad municipality. The men then escorted the Muslim passengers off the bus and onto an army truck. The truck, which had no license plates, carried the civilians towards the town of Visegrad. According to witnesses, the Muslims were told that they were to be exchanged for Serbs who were captured the night before. The Belgrade newspaper, Borba, citing military sources in Serbia, reported that the Muslims were killed near Visegrad later that same day. *501 On 19 February 1993, Lukic's forces allegedly performed a similar operation at the Strpci train station in BiH. Witnesses state that 19 Muslim passengers on the train were abducted by paramilitary forces under Milan Lukic. The forces all wore camouflage with «Cetnik insignia». The victims were led onto a military truck and driven away from the train station. *502 Lukic was reportedly arrested and detained briefly in relation to both of these incidents on 26 October 1992 and again in February 1993. According to Amnesty International, the leaders of the «Serb Republic of BiH» deny the existence of paramilitary forces in the Visegrad region and refer to Lukic and his paramilitary forces as «volunteers» fighting under the command of the Visegrad Brigade. However, according to Borba, Lukic's forces were not controlled by the army or the local authorities in Visegrad. *503 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | Reportedly had access to federal army uniforms. |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | Krajina, Banija, Kordun, Slavonia. |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Regions of Krajina, Kordun, Banija, Western Slavonia, Eastern Slavonia, Croatia; and Brcko, Doboj, and Hadzici Counties, BiH. |
| Political Affiliation : | Affiliated with Milan Martic, former police chief and Interior Minister of the Krajina region, and currently the president of the RSK. |
| Leader(s) : | Milan Martic, Captain Dragan, Dane Bunjevac (unit commander of Krajina militia in Plaski), *504 Mladenovic (local commander in UNPA Sector East) *505 |
| Identified Members : | Five identified men, whose names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
|
Milan Martic became the most prominent organizer of Serbian
militia forces in the Krajina region of Croatia. When the armed
conflict between Croatians and Serbians began in the Serb strong-
hold of Knin in August 1990, Martic served as the local Serb
police chief and military organizer. Martic apparently continued
as the leader of the Krajina militia when Croatian Serbs declared
the autonomous region of «SAO Krajina» in March 1991 and when the
Republic of Serbian Krajina (RSK) was established. Martic served
for a long period as the Interior Minister of the RSK and was
elected president of the RSK in January 1994.
It is difficult to establish Martic's role in particular military and paramilitary activities. The reports submitted to the Commission of Experts do not clearly delineate Martic's authority over the various paramilitary groups which operated in the Serbian-controlled regions of Croatia and do not clearly signify how Martic's authority may have expanded or diminished as his own role within the rump RSK government changed. While Martic, as the Knin police chief and RSK Interior Minister, clearly controlled a large force of police and police reservists, it is not clear how this force was related to the «SAO Krajina Militia», which has also been closely identified with Martic. A number of reports mention both Martic and a Krajina militias, suggesting that they may have been different forces. *506 The organization of a RSK army separate from Krajina militia and police forces is not well understood, but by October 1993, the Politika newspaper reported that the RSK military supported RSK President Goran Hadzic, while the police backed Interior Minister Martic in their political disputes. *507 For these reasons, this report summarizes only the activities of groups clearly identified as Martic forces. Most of the reports on which this summary is based do not describe the personal involvement of Martic in planning or executing actions attributed to Martic forces. They are connected to him only because reports describe the groups involved as Marticevci, Martic Police or Martic Militia. An exception is the report from Croatian authorities, stating that Martic met with Komazec Ozren and Adam Davor on 10 April 1991 and instructed them to ignite explosives in Zadar, which they allegedly did. *508 Serbs in Croatia began to organize paramilitary forces in 1990, prior to the declaration of an independent Serbian Krajina within the borders of Croatia. By mid-July 1990, the paramilitary forces reportedly had an estimated 12,000 members. *509 The forces commanded by or loyal to Milan Martic were known as Marticevci. In an interview reported in July 1991, Martic claimed that the Krajina forces he commanded had 7,000 police regulars and 20,000 reservists. *510 Several reports indicate that Captain Dragan commanded one of the Marticevci forces, *511 but the links between Captain Dragan and Martic are not clear. When the Serbs in Knin declared the autonomous region of «SAO Krajina», Martic headed the Secretariat of Internal Affairs (SUP) of the government led by Milan Babic. *512 As Interior Minister and military organizer, Martic was widely regarded as effective in building the strength of the Krajina militia. *513 Initially, the Marticevci was comprised largely of ethnic Serbian members of the existing Croatian police forces. Serbian members of Territorial Defence Forces and volunteers from other parts of Yugoslavia also joined the militia loyal to Martic. *514 In the early stage of the conflict, Marticevci police forces attacked Croatian police stations and clashed with Croatian police forces in several villages. Federal army units were deployed to separate the Croatian and Serbian police after the battle for control of the Plitvice National Park, during which two people were killed. *515 Following the fighting in the Plitvice region, the Serb authorities in Knin announced that they were uniting with the Republic of Serbia. Martic claimed that Serbian President Milosevic had promised weapons and assistance to the Krajina Serbs if they came under attack. Officials in Serbia did not comment on his remarks. *516 The Republic of Serbia and the Serb-dominated federal army reportedly backed the Marticevci and other Serb insurgents in Croatia. The Marticevci had access to federal uniforms, maps, vehicles, and weapons. *517 The federal army also fought with the militias against Croatian forces, even as federal army officials continued to insist that the army was only acting as a buffer between Croatian and rebel Serb forces. *518 Following the Croatian declaration of independence on 25 June 1991, the Serbian rebels attacked the Croatian police station in Glina. Three policemen were killed and seven injured. On 2 July Krajina militia forces attacked Croatian police in Licki Osik, and, according to Martic, 10 people were killed. *519 Other Croatian villages were reportedly attacked as well. The federal army moved to separate the Croatian and Serbian fighters; Croatian sources claimed that the army was protecting the rebels. *520 Marticevci forces and Croatian forces clashed often during the summer and fall of 1991. Fighting erupted in the regions of Krajina, Banija, Kordun and Western and Eastern Slavonia. Numerous cities and villages were engulfed in the conflict, including Gospic, Zadar, *521 Vinkovci, Mirkovci, Josipdol, *522 Dvor na Uni, *523 Plaski, *524 Selo Plastovo, Sibenik, Otocac, *525 Beli Manastir, Borovo Selo, Borovo Naselje, Topusko, *526 Pakrac, and Okucani. *527 Federal army and Serbian rebel forces jointly attacked Croatian towns and villages on several occasions. On 21 August 1991, the combined forces shelled Osijek, killing three civilians and damaging a cathedral and apartment buildings. *528 The army did not deny taking part in the shelling but claimed that it was responding to an attack by the Croatian National Guard on a federal army installation near the city. *529 On 28 August 1991, the village of Korana in Slunj County was allegedly attacked by army tankfire and Martic forces. Women and children reportedly fled from the village, while the fate of 20 remaining Croatian men is unknown. The village was allegedly destroyed. *530 The federal army also allegedly followed a pattern of occupying Croatian towns and villages after attacks by Marticevci and other rebel forces. Therefore, even when the army did not directly participate in the fighting, it helped rebel Serb forces gain control of a large portion of Croatia. *531 In addition to fighting other armed forces, the Marticevci and other Serb rebels have been accused of attacking civilians, «ethnic cleansing», and abuses in detention. «Ethnic Cleansing» and Attacks on Civilians : Members of the Martic Police and Yugoslav Army allegedly killed civilians, burned houses, and looted property in Saborsko from 1 August to 12 November 1991. During this period, 40 civilians were killed and 34 people were reported missing in Saborsko. *532 In the village of Siroka Kula during August to October 1991, Martic police forces based in Licki Osik allegedly restricted the movement of Croatian villagers, cut off telephone links, and subjected prisoners to forced labour. Citizens of Siroka Kula were allegedly tortured and killed, but it is unclear whether Martic police or other paramilitaries were responsible. *533 Approximately 70 members of Martic's group, along with other paramilitaries, were responsible for «ethnic cleansing» in the area of Donji Vakuf. *534 In December 1991, a named man and other members of Martic's police killed civilians, burned houses and evicted people from their homes in the Croatian villages of Smilcic, Sopot and Paljuv. *535 In December 1991, about 22 Croatian citizens were killed in their homes by Martic's militia, reportedly in retaliation for 19 Martic members allegedly killed while fighting against the Croatian Army. *536 A named member of Martic's Militia, along with members of the Territorial Defence of SAO Krajina, allegedly attacked civilians in Catrnja on several occasions. On 1 June 1992, he reportedly killed a civilian man from Catrnja; on another occasion, he killed three women from the village and then burned their bodies. *537 Abuses in Detention : Martic's militia and other paramilitary groups allegedly organized camps and prisons in Croatia at Beli Manastir, Knin, Stara Gradiska, Glina, Titova Korenica, Zeljava, and Bucje. *538 In these camps, civilians, Croatian Army troops, and Croatian Ministry of Interior troops were mistreated and executed. *539 Martic and his forces imprisoned Croatian policemen in several cities. Croatian authorities alleged that two Croatian policemen from Sibenik were arrested by Martic in Civljane on 1 April 1991, and detained for 15 days. According to one account, 120 Croatian policemen were being held in Knin on 26 June 1991, and Martic threatened to capture more. *540 According to a Belgrade radio report, eight Croatian policemen from Dvor na Uni were imprisoned in Knin in July 1991, at which time the Knin prison contained 42 members of Croatian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) forces. *541 In September 1991, six members of Martic's militia were accused of torturing and terrorizing imprisoned civilians and members of the Croatian Army held at the fortress in Knin. *542 On 31 December 1991, three Croatian soldiers travelling from Podgradina to Novigrad were captured in Paljuv by members of the ex-Yugoslav army and handed over to members of the Martic police forces. Martic's men allegedly killed one of the soldiers with a bullet to the head; the fate of the other two is unknown. *543 Martic police allegedly arrested a Catholic priest from Dreznik in the Kordun region and imprisoned him in Titova Korenica. *544 Marticevci Activity in BiH : In addition to the widespread involvement of the Marticevci in the conflict in Croatia, Martic forces also operated in BiH. On 8 June 1991, a special battalion of the SUP staged a one-day exercise in Titov Drvar to gauge combat-readiness. The exercise was reportedly commanded by Martic, who stated that there would be further exercises in BiH and that the exercise had erased the border between Krajina and BiH. *545 In October 1991, a group of Marticevci allegedly stormed a polling station in Hadzici near Sarajevo, to stop voting on a referendum on Sandzak autonomy. *546 Martic forces from Bosanska Krajina were allegedly the last Serbian forces to hold Brcko following the Serbian attack which began on 1 May 1992. *547 Martic forces were allegedly involved in the Serbian attack on Doboj, which began on 3 May 1992. A husband and wife were attacked and robbed by Serbian soldiers, identified by the victims as the «Martic gang». The man was beaten and cut with a knife; his wife was raped. *548 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | Camouflage with white cloth tied around the left shoulder |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Foca County, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | N/A |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| According to the US Government, the Montenegro Guard participated in «ethnic cleansing» operations in Jelec, a village near Miljevina in south-eastern BiH. Allegedly, the Montenegro Guard and members of other paramilitary units, including the White Eagles and the Vukovar Unit, shelled the town and killed remaining Muslim civilians after 23 April 1992. The raid on Jelec began on 18 April 1992, when paramilitary forces blocked the roads to the town and ordered Muslims to surrender their weapons by 22 April to a Bosnian Serb delegation at the military complex in Miljevina. On 23 April Serb forces began shelling Jelec and the surrounding villages, forcing the residents into hiding in the surrounding hills. The Montenegro Guard and other ground forces moved into Jelec on 4 May. They arrived in seven military buses and were given orders to search the area for Muslims. At least 16 Muslims were allegedly shot and buried in two graves in a potato field one kilometre west of Jelec. *549 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Zvornik County, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | Radoja Nikolic |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| Radoja Nikolic allegedly led Serbian paramilitary groups in Grbavci near Zvornik. *550 | |
| Ethnicity : | Montenegro Serbs |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | Niksic, Montenegro, FRY |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Gacko County, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | N/A |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
|
Witnesses from the villages around Gacko, BiH, stated that
in June 1992, their villages were destroyed and Muslim civilians
were tortured and killed by Niksic paramilitary forces, White
Eagles, local Serbs and JNA soldiers. On 18 and 19 June, the
villages in the area allegedly were shelled, and Muslims were
rounded up for interrogation and transportated to Trebinje. Many
of the civilians fled into the forests in the nearby mountains
from where they could see the paramilitary forces moving through
the villages and burning the homes. *551
According to one witness, many of the civilians hiding in the forests surrendered on 12 July 1992. They were taken in military trucks to Gacko and interrogated at the police station, where witnesses reported many village possessions were stored. The civilians were asked where their male relatives could be found. The male Muslim prisoners were reportedly held in the basement of a hotel in the suburbs of Gacko. *552 Eventually, in late July, the women and children were deposited at the front-line near Berkovici, where Serb forces were fighting members of the Croatian Defence Council (HVO). The civilians were forced to cross the battle lines over minefields towards the HVO who fed them and transferred them to Mostar, Capljina, or Ljubuski, BiH. *553 Witnesses from the Gacko region alleged that the Serbian forces, including the forces from Niksic, destroyed and looted villages, blew up at least one bridge, shot and burned some civilians and mutilated others. Witnesses stated that almost none of the Muslim males from the area survived. *554 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | Large, black cowboy hats with ribbons |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | Padinska Skela, FRY |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Zvornik County, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | N/A |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| According to the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights, paramilitary forces from Padinska Skela participated in the April 1992 attack on Zvornik in north-eastern BiH, along with other paramilitary units including Arkanovci, Seseljovci, Dusan the Great, Anticevci, the White Eagles, Captain Dragan's men, the Vukovar Unit, and others. *555 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Visegrad County, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | Risto Perisic |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| Risto Perisic, President of the Serbian community, was one of the organizers of «ethnic cleansing» in the Visegrad region. He was formerly a teacher of Serbo-Croatian. *556 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Visegrad, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | Srpko Popovic |
| Alleged Members : | An identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| The Popovic Group was reportedly involved in the deaths of 22 Muslims in Visegrad on 18 June 1992. The Popovic unit worked with forces under Milan Lukic to kill Muslim civilians. A report also states that the Popovic Group killed many Muslims at the Visegrad Electric Plant and threw the corpses into the Drina river. The Popovic Group burned a group of 60 civilians in a house, drowned victims by tying them up and throwing them into the river, and looted Muslim homes in Visegrad. According to the report, Popovic once killed 17 civilians in a single day. *557 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Podravska Slatina County, Croatia |
| Political Affiliation : | Serbian Democratic Party (SDS) |
| Leader(s) : | Borivoje Lukic and Borivoje Radosavljevic |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| During June 1990, the Serbian Democratic Party (SDS) was established in Podravska Slatina, led by lawyer Ilija Sasic. Party members armed themselves and established «camps for the education of terrorists» *558 in Vocin, Sekulinci, Bucje, Zvecevo and Ceralije. On 19 August 1991, a «terroristic unit» under the command of Borivoje Lukic and Borivoje Radosavljevic disarmed and mistreated Croatian policemen at the police station in Vocin. *559 On the same day, «Cetniks» *560 harassed Croatians in the «Prevenda» quarter of the city, searching their homes and confiscating their weapons. While Serbians remained in control of Vocin, Croatians were tortured and arrested, and suffered forced labour and property confiscation. When the «Cetniks» retreated on 12-13 December 1991, they killed Croatian civilians in Vocin, Hum, Kraskovic and Bokane. Public and private buildings were destroyed, including the Catholic church in Vocin. | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | Zecovi (county unknown), BiH |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Prijedor County, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | N/A |
| Alleged Members : | Three identified men, whose names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| Several members of this group were identified for their alleged violations in locations not identified for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons. *562 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | 3 |
| Origin : | Gorazde County, BiH |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Gorazde County, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | Braco Rakanovic |
| Alleged Members : | Two identified people, whose names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| Several members of this group were identified for their alleged violations in locations not identified for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons. *563 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | Webbed masks, black gloves, and black ribbons tied around their foreheads |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Prijedor County, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | N/A |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| According to one witness, the Rambos carved the Cetnik insignia (four cyrillic S's) into a victim's chest, cut the sinews in one individual's leg and the spine of another so that he was instantly paralysed. *564 The witness noted that the Rambos were sexually aggressive and assaulted both men and women interned in the camp. On one occasion, the men allegedly took five 13 year-old girls to a private home and returned them the following day, bearing obvious signs of abuse. A resident physician managed to suture two of the victims, but the others had to be sent to the hospital in Prijedor. *565 In another incident, the Rambos chopped off the testicles and gouged out the eyes of a Czechoslovakian medic. *566 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | Nis, Serbia, FRY |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Brcko, Doboj, Prijedor and Teslic Counties, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | N/A *567 |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
|
In late December 1992, UNCIVPOL and local police authorities
inspected a Red Beret camp near Bapska village. The UNPROFOR
report, which described the inspection, did not specify the
incident under investigation or the nature of the camp. *568
On 1 May 1992, Red Berets from Nis arrested two Bosnian Muslim brothers at the railway station in Brcko, while trying to escape from the city. The men were taken to the Luka prison camp, where they were mistreated and witnessed many atrocities. *569 In May 1992, Red Berets participated in the attack on Gornja Puharska, a village of about 300 Muslim families and six Croatian families. On 17 May regular JNA forces surrounded and attacked the village. On 29 May, Red Berets entered the village in tanks, accompanied by some non-uniformed Bosnian Serb irregular forces. *570 The village surrendered and all the men were taken 23 kilometres south-east to Omarska on two buses and a cattle truck. Women and children remained in the village. At Omarska, Red Berets, JNA, and police provided security and coordinated guard shifts. *571 Red Beret troops allegedly raped women at the Secondary School Centre in Doboj. One victim reported that three Red Berets (whom she believed were part of the Knin Corps) raped her simultaneously after she had been taken to the school by other «Cetniks». *572 Red Beret formations from Banja Luka participated in the «ethnic cleansing» of the Teslic region, along with the Serbian Militia and the Armada Forces of the Serbian Republic of BiH. These groups also mistreated 600 prisoners in four prisons in the region, particularly in Banja Vrucica where 300 Muslims were imprisoned. *573 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Dragovic, Pakrac County, Croatia |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | N/A |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| On 12 April 1993, five armed members of the SAO Krajina Militia robbed a Croatian family of money, valuables and a vehicle in the village of Dragovic, 400 metres from an UNPROFOR checkpoint. The family was released with the assistance of UNPROFOR and local police. According to witnesses, the SAO Krajina militia wore uniforms which were different from the regular army. *574 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Visegrad County, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | Momir Savic |
| Alleged Members : | Six identified men, whose names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| Momir Savic, an independent toolmaker, allegedly organized «ethnic cleansing» in the Visegrad region. On 13 April 1992, he and his Cetniks reportedly set fire to the villages of Repusevici, Jarci, Brezje, Sip, Bodeznik, Bluz and Moremeslje. They reportedly stole humanitarian aid, but their actions worsened after the Uzice corps left Visegrad on 18 June 1992. They then harassed and arrested Muslims, defaced a mosque, and destroyed the property of Muslims. *575 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | Vukovar County and the Crna Gora Region, Croatia |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Gacko and Sarajevo Counties, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | Serbian Democratic Party |
| Leader(s) : | Miso Radulovic, Vojin Popovic |
| Alleged Members : | Five identified men, whose names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
|
The State Department reported that the Serbian Democratic
Party (SDS), along with members of the Banja Luka Corps, attacked
the village of Kozarac on 23 May 1992. *576 The strength of their
combined force was approximately 3,000 men, 70 T-84 and T-55
tanks, and an unknown number of armoured personnel carriers.
Miso Radulovic, commander of the SDS troops, and a large number
of his troops were reportedly from Vukovar and the Crna Gora
region in Croatia.
Seven hundred Muslim villagers defended Kozarac for three days. Approximately 4,500 residents of the village were killed in direct fighting and by artillery and tank shelling. Once the Serbian force had taken the village, hundreds of Muslims fled to the forest. The SDS and Banja Luka Corps forces mined the perimetre of the forest to prevent Muslims from finding refuge there. As a result, many Muslims were killed or badly wounded. A named member of the SDS Central Committee was located in Pale where he worked for the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the «Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Hercegovina». He helped arm local Serbs with weapons obtained from the JNA and actively participated in the arrest of Muslim intellectuals outside Sarajevo by providing lists with their names and addresses for Serbian paramilitary units. *577 Another identified member was the former Deputy Commander of the District Highway Patrol Police in Sarajevo. *578 He joined the SDS in early 1992 and was a commander of troops in Stari Grad in April 1993. He worked with JNA officers to coordinate an attack on an army depot at Feletici in May 1992, during which over 20,000 weapons were taken. He and a man named Drago Sucur also participated in ethnic cleansing in the area around Stari Grad. *579 Another identified member headed the police department in Gacko county and the SDS in Gacko. *580 Popovic came to Gacko from Serbia in early 1992. He ordered a named man to rid Gacko County of its non-Serbian population. Within two or three weeks, all Muslims were killed, sent to Macedonia, or to camps in Serb-held areas. Another identified member was a former chief inspector in the Sarajevo Internal Affairs Department and a member of the SDS. *581 Before the war, he was a prominent Communist. As of mid-April 1993, he was the main political advisor to the commander of the Kolacki Battalion near Sokolac. During mid-July 1992, this battalion participated in attacks on a number of refugee settlements, including the village of Sahbegovici, where 60 Muslim women and children were killed. *582 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | Banja Luka County, BiH |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Sanski Most County, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | N/A |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| According to the US Government, on 9 May 1992, the Sesta Krajiska, or Six Districts paramilitary unit, attacked Sanski Most, occupying the police station and other municipal buildings there. Seventeen days after the Sesta Krajiska attack, Sanski Most was invaded by the Serbian Regular army. The Sesta Krajiska allegedly was from Banja Luka and regularly conducted small-scale military operations in support of the Serbian troops in BiH. *583 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | Red berets and arm patches depicting white wolves |
| Number of Troops : | Approximately 12 members |
| Origin : | Belgrade, Pancevo, and Valjevo, Serbia; many had come from Serbia as part of Arkan's Forces. |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Area from Brcko County to Banja Luka County, including Bosanski Samac, Modrica, Odzak, Derventa, and Bosanski Brod Counties, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | Crni (Blackie), Lugar (Ranger) |
| Alleged Members : | An identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
|
Members of the Srpske Oruzane Snage (SOS) came to BiH as
part of Arkan's Forces, but later operated independently. The
SOS were reportedly extremely violent, looted property, and
killed Serbs, Muslims and Croats.
The two leaders of the SOS, Crni and Lugar, allegedly killed about 5,000 people in the Brcko area with firearms and knives. *584 They were reportedly criminals before the war and were incarcerated in the Kazneno-Popravni Dom Prison in Raska. *585 Crni and Lugar both are described by the witness. *586 A witness alleged that the 12 SOS members were finally charged with looting and killing and locked up in Stara Gradiska Prison only because of the international community's awareness. *587 Witnesses claimed that the SOS members were allowed to wander freely through the prison and repeatedly beat other inmates. No dates are indicated in relation to SOS activities. | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | Over 1,000 |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Pale and Vogosca Counties, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | Eighty members were affiliated with the SDS. |
| Leader(s) : | Joja Tintor and four men, whose names are not disclosed for confidentiality and proseuctorial reasons |
| Alleged Members : | Twelve identified men, whose names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
|
According to a witness, over 1,000 Serbian irregular forces,
150 soldiers from Rajlovac and Butile barracks, and 80 SDS
extremists, entered Ahatovici and Dobrosevici in south-east BiH
on 1 June 1992 and killed approximately 20 Muslim men. The Serb
forces also wounded several others and looted and set fire to
Muslim homes. On 2 June 1992, Serb extremists mined and
destroyed the mosque in Ahatovici. During the Serb attack,
Serbian irregulars, under the command of Joja Tintor, also
captured 400 women and children and 80 men. *588
Previously, Serb forces captured 150 people from the villages Dobrosevici, Bojnik, and Mihaljevici in Vogosca, BiH. The Serb forces beat 15 of the men, and eventually transferred them to Rajlovac, where they were held for 12 days. In Rajlovac, Serb guards beat and killed one of the prisoners. A named guard took 55 prisoners by bus to a supposed prisoner exchange. However, when the bus reached Sokolina, near Srednje, the Serb guards left the bus. Serbs troops in the surrounding hills then fired on the bus with rocket launchers, bazookas, and infantry weapons. Forty-seven of the prisoners reportedly died in the attack. *589 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Foca, Visegrad and Cajnice Counties, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | A man identified by the pseudonym of Dusko Kornjaca («Commander Turtle») |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| «Dusko Kornjaca», *590 a doctor, is allegedly a Bosnian Serb warlord who fought under the name of «Commander Turtle». He also held the titles of «Defence Minister of the Serbian Autonomous Region of Hercegovina» and «Commander of the Cajnice War Committee». As of September 1992, he was the boss of portions of eastern BiH, including Foca and Visegrad. *591 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | Stocking masks |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | Uzice, Serbia, FRY |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Gorazde County, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | N/A |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| A witness stated that in May 1992, the Uzice Corps shelled the Hotel Drina in Gorazde, which housed refugees, including women and children. According to the witness, masked paramilitary forces harassed the Muslim citizens of Gorazde for months. In mid-June, the witness saw Serbian forces in a settlement at the base of the Povrsnica mountain killing Muslims and throwing the corpses into the Drina River. *592 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Gracac County, Croatia |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | N/A |
| Alleged Members : | An identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| On 20 July 1991, a named man and nine other members of the Velebit Unit allegedly shelled Lovinac in the municipality of Gracac, killing one local woman. According to a report of the Republic of Croatia, they attacked Lovinac again on 5 August. One civilian was killed, and a reserve policeman and a civilian were wounded. The perpetrators also caused significant property damage in the attack. The members of the Velebit Unit kidnapped five villagers from their houses and killed them about two kilometres from Lovinac, in the direction of Raduca. *593 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | White ribbons tied around the arms. |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | Serbia and Visegrad County, BiH |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Visegrad County, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | N/A |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
|
A witness stated that he narrowly escaped when the house
where he was detained was set afire by Visegrad Militia guards.
The witness stated that many other prisoners died in the fire.
On 13 June 1992, Radomir Djuric reportedly came to Koritnik and
told the Muslims there that they would be evicted. The next day,
men in camouflage with white ribbons tied to their upper arms
entered the village and loaded 57 civilians onto buses which
headed towards Visegrad. At a Serbian checkpoint on a bridge
outside Visegrad, the civilians were searched and forced to
surrender their money and jewelry. The prisoners were then
transferred to a house where the women were taken for what the
guards called «interrogations». *594
The witness claimed that there were already five prisoners in the house near the checkpoint where the villagers were detained. At 10:30 a.m., one of the guards threw a torch into the house and fired his machine-gun into the rooms holding prisoners. The witness escaped through a window and ran. In the field behind the house, he was fired upon, pretended he was shot, and lay as if dead. Throughout the night, he heard machine-guns firing and suspects that none of the other prisoners survived. *595 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Glina County, Croatia |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | An identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| According to a report from the Republic of Croatia, 22 Croatians, mostly elderly people, were killed in Glinska Josevica village on 16 December 1993, by a special Territorial Defence unit, the Visors. The victims were killed in their own homes with guns fitted with silencers. The Croatian report claims that Serbian authorities in Glina initiated that attack as revenge for the death of 19 members of Territorial Defence units, killed in battle with the Croatian Army. *596 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | Bijeljina County, BiH |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Brcko County, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | N/A |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| According to the US Government, the Weekenders are a group of Serbian men from Bijeljina who went to Brcko each weekend to plunder and vandalize. Apparently, they began raiding Brcko in May 1992, after the Arkanovci and the JNA attacked the town. They continued their raids during the entire time that the JNA occupied Brcko. *597 | |
| Ethnicity : | Serbian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | Camouflage with white eagle patches or white bands on the shoulders; also military and civilian clothes with headbands and hats bearing Kokarda insignia; former JNA Young Officer and Squad Leader uniforms |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | N/A |
| Areas of Operation : | Vukovar County, Croatia and Bileca, Gacko, Visegrad, Bosanska Krupa, Banja Luka, and Prijedor Counties, BiH |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | Nine identified men, whose names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons |
| Alleged Members : | Nineteen identified men, whose names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
|
A named man allegedly gathered and trained forces called the
White Eagles to operate in BiH as the paramilitary wing of the
Serbian Peoples' Renewal Party (SNO). Apparently, the SNO
volunteer troops never fought in BiH or Croatia. However,
paramilitary groups with no formal link to the SNO co-opted the
name «White Eagles» and operated independently during the
conflict. *598 White Eagles groups allegedly operated in Bileca,
Gacko, Visegrad, Bosanska Krupa, Banja Luka, Prijedor, and
Zvornik Counties in BiH. White Eagles also allegedly
participated in attacks in Vukovar County, Croatia.
White Eagles reportedly worked with the JNA, Uzice Territorial Defence Forces, Dusan the Great, Arkanovci, Marticevci, Seseljovci, Niksic Special Forces, Serbian Democratic Party (SDS) forces, SUP, and local police. In Vukovar, the White Eagles and other groups reportedly received weapons from the JNA. *599 White Eagles units reportedly targeted Muslim and Croatian civilians and rarely engaged enemy soldiers. *600 The White Eagles allegedly beat, raped, and killed Muslims and Croats on the roads, in villages, and in camps. White Eagles units allegedly entered Gacko in March 1992 with the JNA, SUP, Niksic Special Forces, an «Interviewing Platoon», and local police. *601 The Serbian forces blockaded the city, detained civilians at the Hotel Rudnik or at the Gacko power plant, and destroyed Muslim cafes, shops, homes, and cars. *602 Members of the paramilitary units searched the hills around Gacko on foot *603 and pounded the forests with artillery. *604 In late June, the paramilitary forces told the Muslim civilians that they were free to leave Gacko. *605 However, approximately six kilometres outside the town, the White Eagles robbed and beat the fleeing Muslims. One of the Muslim men was reportedly burned alive. *606 The Serbs then returned the civilians to the Gacko «prisons» where, according to witnesses, some were tortured, disfigured, and killed by the guards. *607 Muslim women and girls were allegedly killed in the woods or raped at the Kosuta Motel. *608 According to the European Community Monitoring Mission, the Interviewing Platoon and the White Eagles, who together ran operations in Gacko, maintained headquarters at the Hotel Rudnik, *609 the Kosuta Motel, and the Gacko police station. *610 Paramilitary leaders in Gacko were reportedly Veljo Lojevic (Deputy), Vojin Popovic (Chief of Police), Milan Vukovic (Inspector), Ranko Vujovic (Policeman), and Ozren Govedarica (leader of the White Eagles). *611 White Eagles allegedly participated in «ethnic cleansing» in Rodic Brdo near Visegrad. *612 They worked as part of the Uzice Corps from early April until the end of May 1992 with the JNA, Uzice Territorial Defence Forces, and other Serb reservists. *613 In April, the Uzice Corps set up roadblocks and surrounded the village. Working from a list, they arrested the prominent Muslim civilians of the town and took them away. *614 The village fell under full control of the White Eagles on 25 May 1992. White Eagles arrested, interrogated, and killed Muslims in the villages of Grbavica and Kremalusa. *615 They came to these villages in early April and May 1992. *616 In Grbavica, the White Eagles reportedly killed the villagers and burned the corpses with the houses. *617 In Kremalusa, they surrounded the village, opened fire on the people with machine-guns and mortars, and burned the houses. *618 White Eagles units allegedly performed similar operations in Banja Luka, Bosanska Krupa, Novo Brcko, Filipovici, and Lovas. *619 According to the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute, White Eagles participated in an attack on Zvornik in April 1992 as part of a paramilitary force consisting of Arkanovci, Seseljovci, Dusan the Great, Draganovci, the Vukovar Unit, and others. *620 The troops reportedly stayed in the Alhos and Jezero hotels. The White Eagles allegedly participated in the second wave of the attack and concentrated on the city of Zvornik and the later assault on Kulagrad. They were involved in the shelling, siege, and occupation and primarily responsible for arrests, deportation and looting. The report states that the White Eagles were often drunk and «provocative» and that they drew white eagles on houses and storage buildings. *621 Allegedly the White Eagles' attack on Zvornik originated from nearby villages, across the BiH border with Serbia. Witnesses stated that the White Eagles wore mixed and matched JNA uniforms, which they modified by sewing white eagle badges on the caps and upper-arms. *622 At Prnjavor Camp in Krajina, members of a White Eagles paramilitary unit beat and killed two prisoners, one on 17 May and the other on 6 June 1992. *623 At a detention camp in Bileca, White Eagles beat a Serb guard severely after he threw away the keys to the prison cells to prevent the White Eagles from beating the prisoners. Because they could not enter the cells, the White Eagles reportedly bombarded the prison with tear gas for five hours. *624 White Eagles also reportedly operated at the Keraterm and Stara Gradiska camps. *625 Reports submitted to the Commission of Experts document White Eagles operations in the following locations : Banja Luka, Bileca, Bosanska Krupa, Bravnice, Brcko, Dusce, Gacko, Grbavica, Jelec, Kotor Varos, Kozarac, Kremalusa, Lovas, Paklenica, Filipovici, Prijedor, Rodic Brdo, Teslic, Trnopolje, Trosanj, Vukovar, and Zepa. Documents report White Eagle activity in the following camps : Prnjavor Camp, Keraterm Camp, Stajicevo Camp, Stara Gradiska Camp. The White Eagles also allegedly operated at the Hotel Rudnik and the Motel Kosuta. | |
| Ethnicity : | Italian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | N/A |
| Number of Troops : | N/A |
| Origin : | Italy |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Zadar County, Croatia |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | N/A |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
| An uncertain number of Italians fought in Croatia on behalf of Serbian paramilitary commanders. *626 Captain Dragan, a Serbian commander, claimed that he deployed the Italian unit in the Velebit mountains north of Zadar, Croatia. The Belgrade news agency, Tanjug, reported that the unit carried out reconnaissance and sabotage missions behind enemy lines. *627 | |
| Ethnicity : | Russian |
|---|---|
| Uniform : | Black uniforms with black berets or flight caps |
| Number of Troops : | 150 |
| Origin : | Russia |
| Area(s) of Operation : | Eastern BiH, including Bijeljina County |
| Political Affiliation : | N/A |
| Leader(s) : | N/A |
| Alleged Members : | N/A |
| Source(s) : | |
| |
| Alleged Activity : | |
|
Croatian prisoners in Serb-run detention camps reported the
presence of Russian troops in eastern BiH in February 1993. The
prisoners were working as forced labourers for the Bosnian Serb
army on the front line on Majevica Mountain. Sometime between 15
February and 3 March 1993, prisoners from the Batkovic detention
camp were allegedly told not to go near the radio and television
relay tower on the mountain because it was the headquarters for
Russian soldiers aiding the Bosnian Serbs. A Serb guard
reportedly said that the Russians, none below the rank of
captain, deserted the Russian military when Boris Yeltsin came to
power and belonged to a special unit of the Soviet Ministry of
Defence. *628
One morning between 20 February and 23 February, Croatian prisoners working on Majevica Mountain observed about 17 of the Russian soldiers, carrying AK weapons, returning to their base from the direction of Tuzla. The Russians were reportedly dressed in all-black, one-piece uniforms, and some wore black berets or flight caps. Serb guards said that the Russians had volunteered and received 200 Deutsche Marks monthly. *629 Russian soldiers were also allegedly present at the Stepa Stepanovic barracks and prison in Bijeljina in February 1993. A prisoner questioned one of the guards about Russian voices outside his cell. The guard indicated that 150 Russians had arrived in BiH to help the Serbs and that more were on the way. The guard also allegedly told the prisoner that the Russians were veterans of the fighting in Afghanistan, and that they had volunteered but were paid based on the territory they captured. According to the guard, one group of the Russian soldiers was to go to Maslenica, Croatia, with the forces of Arkan and Seselj, while another group would remain in BiH. *630 | |
Banja Luka county is in the north-west quarter of BiH. According to the 1991 census, the county had a population of 195,139, of which 54.8 per cent were Serbian, 14.9 per cent Croatian, 14.6 per cent Muslim, 12 per cent described themselves as «Yugoslavs», and 3.7 per cent as «other». *632
During January and February 1993, while Serbs were seeking international relief to feed their people and rebuild ravaged towns in northern BiH, a campaign of violence was renewed against Muslims and Croats in that area. Leaders of both the Muslims and Croats have placed blame for these attacks on Seselj and Arkan, whose units had been moving into the Banja Luka area in large numbers. *633 The SOS (Srpske Oruzane Snage) paramilitary group, whose members had originally come to BiH as Arkanovci, was also reported to be present in Banja Luka. *634
In early February, 11 Muslims were killed and several others were choked to death by cables. Muslim homes were under attack and many people were fired from their jobs. *635
Croats were also being pressured to leave the Banja Luka area. Homes were being blown up and robbed by unidentified armed men who told the Croat residents to «go away». Like the Muslims, many Croats were dismissed from their jobs. Four Croats were killed in early February, six homes were burned down, and one woman was raped. *636
The nearby village of Celinac experienced a similar fate. Muslims in that village were subjected to numerous restrictions forbidding them to drive, patronize businesses, make out-of-town phone calls or leave their homes between 4:00 p.m. and sunrise. Serb forces broke into Muslim homes each night, took away the men, and demanded that all money be turned over. Others were dismissed from their jobs. *637
In March of 1993, Seselj allegedly visited Banja Luka with his private guard force, the White Eagles. He stated in local media interviews that he intended to geographically unite the Serbian populations of Knin, Banja Luka, the Baranja region, and Montenegro. The visit was part of Seselj's failed attempt to wrest power from the local SDS leader, Radovan Brdjanin. *638
During the first week of May 1993, two of Banja Luka's mosques, Ferhad Pasa and Arnaudija, both built in the 16th Century, were reduced to ruins by Serb gunfire and dynamite. Two weeks before the explosions, while standing before the two mosques, Seselj was reported to have said, «Is it possible that they are still standing?» *639
Bihac County is in the north-west corner of BiH. According to the 1991 census, Bihac had a population of 70,896. The population was 66.6 per cent Muslim, 17.8 per cent Serb, 7.7 per cent Croat, 6 per cent «Yugoslav», 1.9 per cent «other».
UNPROFOR reported the presence of Muslim paramilitary units called the White Pumas in Bihac in December 1992. *641
This county is in the north-east quarter of BiH with Serbia on its eastern border. According to the 1991 census, of its population of 96,796, 59.4 per cent was Serbian, 31.3 per cent Muslim, 4.4 per cent «Yugoslav», and 4.9 per cent «other».
Arkan was reportedly in the town of Bijeljina for about one month preparing his battle plans before the April 1992 attack. The attack began when a grenade was thrown into a Muslim-owned cafe. *643
In the first week of April 1992, approximately 1,000 soldiers from Arkan's units crossed the Drina River from Serbia and entered the town of Bijeljina. The soldiers wore black uniforms and stocking caps and had unidentified small arms, at least one anti-aircraft gun, light armoured and regular transport vehicles. They were supported by an unknown, large number of local Serbs drawn from the area's Serbian population of approximately 45,000. *644 Other reports indicate that in April 1992 Arkan bombarded Bijeljina with mortars supplied by the Yugoslav army. *645 Another report confirmed that the units which attacked Bijeljina in April 1992 belonged to Arkan and referred to his men as the best trained and equipped Serbian force. *646
Muslim defence units in Bijeljina fought back. The battles engulfed the town for three days and nights. Arkan captured the radio station and reportedly broadcast calls for Muslims to surrender their weapons. *647
On 2 April 1992, Belgrade Radio Belgrade Network reported that most of Bijeljina had been «liberated» that afternoon by members of the Serbian National Guard of Semberija and Majevica, in cooperation with Serbian volunteers, Arkan's men, and the Serbian «radicals». A curfew had been imposed, and hold-outs were encouraged to surrender arms. Shooting could still be heard, according to the report, because «the last Muslim strongholds [were] being mopped up». *648
According to a Zagreb Radio Croatia Network report, on the night of 2 April 1992, a delegation of the BiH Presidency and Government managed to approach Bijeljina but was unable to enter the town. Presidency member Fikret Abdic, Deputy Prime Minister Miodrag Simovic, and Defence Minister Jerko Doko met near Bijeljina with Arkan but returned afterward to Sarajevo. Reportedly, the SDS crisis committee for Bijeljina said that the guard of the «Serbian Autonomous Region of Semberia» was controlling Bijeljina with the help of Arkan's units. *649
A number of reports stated that Arkan's troops harmed residents and property after capturing the town. According to one report, Arkan's men roamed Bijeljina after it fell, shooting young men suspected of carrying arms. Yugoslav army troops at the local barracks did not intervene. They later issued a statement that they had received no orders from Belgrade to do so. *650 One report says that citizens of Bijeljina phoned Sarajevo radio to say that Arkan's people were terrorizing the town, breaking into apartments, searching for arms and robbing and harassing citizens. *651 In another report, residents of Bijeljina said that in the first week of April 1992 Serbian paramilitary troops belonging to Arkan and Jovic harassed the town's population. *652
It was reported that sporadic gunfire continued on 4 April 1992. *653
A local newspaper reportedly published photographs of Arkan in war-torn Bijeljina. *654 It is alleged that Arkan warned local Muslim defence units in other towns that if they did not surrender they would suffer «the same fate as the people in Bijeljina». *655
Reportedly thousands of refugees fled from Bijeljina into Serbia. *656 A May 1992 report describes a Bijeljina of bloodstained walls, families huddled in basements, dwindling food supplies, and the sounds of mortar explosions. *657 The SDS crisis committee for Bijeljina reportedly placed the death toll at 20 and claimed scores of wounded. *658 However, at least 42 bodies were recovered and identified in the town, 40 of which were described as Muslim. *659
For approximately one month after the initial takeover of Bijeljina, there was an internal dispute between Arkan and the leader of the local Serbian paramilitary led by Mirko, the owner of the Serbia Cafe near the bus station. Apparently Arkan had promised control of the town to Mirko but did not turn it over quickly enough. Arkan's and Mirko's men worked separately in the town for this month. According to this report, it was Mirko's men, not Arkan's that were primarily responsible for the killing, raping and looting in Bijeljina. *660
It was reported that Bosnian Serb citizens from Brcko and Tuzla began moving into Bijeljina and occupying Muslim homes vacated in the attack on the city. Reportedly, these moves were arranged to minimize Serbian civilian casualties in the military activities in Brcko and Tuzla in late April and May of 1992. To obtain exit permits from the area, Bosnian Muslims were forced to sign documents deeding their property to Bosnian Serbs. In mid- June 1992, the Serbian authorities stopped issuing these permits, and approximately 2,000 elderly Muslims remained in the town. *661
As of 23 September 1992, Arkan and Mirko had turned Bijeljina over to the SDS. *662
In a December 1992 interview, Arkan said that he was «invited» by local Serbs to put down a Muslim uprising before it began in Bijeljina. *663
A May 1993 report described Bijeljina as under Serb control, with few signs of the «massacre», which had taken place over a year earlier. The report says that mosques had been blasted and trees planted in their place. *664
In October of 1993, however, the reports of expulsions of non-Serbs continued. Those remaining Muslims and Croats in Bijeljina (estimates put the number at around 5,000) were still being harassed by the «population exchange commission», headed by Major Vojkan Djurkovic of the Arkan forces. Those who were able to arrange for passage out of the city have provided accounts of their forced evictions. Some were given less than 15 minutes to pack their bags. They were then transported to the agricultural school on the edge of Bijeljina, where they were forced to hand over all possessions, including their house keys. From there, the displaced civilians were taken to BiH territory and forced to cross a minefield on the front lines of Tuzla in order to reach safety. One report notes that every few nights nearly 40 Muslims were taken away by Serbs in this manner. *665
Another technique to eject Croats and Muslims reportedly employed by the exchange commission is the movement of Serb refugees into Muslim and Croat homes. *666 This process is called «cuckoo's nesting». Officials set the maximum amount of living room allotted to each civilian. This is called the «rationalization of living space». Any non-Serb found to exceed their specified amount must accept Serb refugees into their homes. The resulting tension between the two cultural groups often compels the non-Serbs to leave their own homes. *667 Those individuals who are not «exported» in one of these ways are often duped into paying up to 500 DM to phony travel agencies who arrange for individuals to be left at the Serbian-Hungarian border. *668
Major Djurkovic has responded to the charges that these activities constitute «ethnic cleansing». Although he states that Muslims are leaving their homes voluntarily, he further notes that Bijeljina is situated on «sacred Serbian land». Djurkovic claims to have «thousands of Muslims separated by the conflict». *669 Furthermore, the Belgrade-based Humanitarian Law Fund reveals that Bosnian Serb leadership has set a quota for the Bijeljina area, whereby only 5 per cent of the region's 22,000 Muslims will be permitted to remain. *670
Bileca county is in southern BiH. In 1991, it had a population of 13,269 with 80.3 per cent Serb, 14.7 per cent Muslim and 5 per cent «other».
The White Eagles, or Beli Orlovi, is a Serbian paramilitary group which reportedly operated at the Bileca camp between August and October 1992. One particular incident involving the White Eagles occurred on 5 September between 9:00 p.m. 12:00 a.m. Here, members of the group shot and threw tear gas in the windows of a cell holding Muslims for nearly five hours because they could not get inside. Apparently, the Serb prison guard had thrown away the key to prevent the White Eagles from entering and was severely beaten for doing so. *672
Bosanska Krupa is a county in the north-west of BiH. In 1991, it had a population of 58,212. Of this population, 74.5 per cent were Muslim, 23.6 per cent Serb, and 1.9 per cent «other».
Two Croatians report that they were severely beaten with sticks, baseball bats, metal rods, and a thick rope soaked in water by five members of the White Eagles. This beating occurred in June 1992, while the witnesses were in custody of «the Serbs» in Bosanska Krupa, and lasted for approximately two hours. *674
Arkan's men controlled the bridge over the Sava River in Bosanska Raca. Every Bosnian who wanted to cross the bridge into Serbia was forced to pay 500 to 800 DM. These operations were also practised across the Drina River. Serbs operated small boats for a fee of up to 1,000 DM per person to cross the river. Serbs would rob Muslims under the guise of aiding their «voluntary resettlement». *675
Bosanski Brod is in the northern region of BiH, bordering Croatia at the county of Slavonski Brod. Its population in 1991 was 33,962, with 41 per cent Croat, 33.8 per cent Serb, 12.2 per cent Muslim, 10.6 per cent «Yugoslav», and 2.4 per cent «other». There are reports of both Serb and Croatian paramilitary activity in this region.
The SOS (Srpske Oruzane Snage) came to BiH from Serbia as part of Arkanovci but later separated from them and operated as an independent entity in Bosanski Brod and the surrounding region. *677
There are reports of the HOS (Hrvatske Oruzane Snage) and the forces of the CDU (Croatian Democratic Union) operating in the Bosanski Brod area.
The HOS was formed in 1991 as the paramilitary wing of the Croatian Party of the Right (HSP) and later combined with the Croatian Defence Council (HVO) under the HVO banner. *678 The HOS had both Croatian and Muslim members who acted together against Serbian civilians and paramilitaries. They are reported to have acted in the Bosanski Brod region. *679
The CDU is a Croatian paramilitary group which allegedly killed, raped, and tortured prisoners at the detention camp of Tulek in Bosanski Brod. Apparently, prisoners were used for digging trenches, clearing minefields, and other war operations. *680
Bosanski Novi is in the north-west corner of BiH. According to the 1991 census, it had a population of 41,541. The population was 60.4 per cent Serb, 33.9 per cent Muslim, 3.7 per cent «Yugoslav», and 2 per cent «other».
The Fifth Kozarac Brigade from Prijedor and the 6th Krajina Brigade from Sanski Most are two Serbian organizations alleged to have operated together in the Ljubija region. The Croatian Information Centre reports that these forces attacked the villages of Stara Rijeka, Brisevo, Raljas and Carakovo. Over 3,000 Serbs participated in this large-scale attack, in which 73 Croatian civilians were killed. *681
The Croatian Defence Forces (HOS) headquarters are said to have been formally located at Ljubuski. *682
Bosanski Samac is in the north-east quarter of BiH with Croatia on its northern border. As of 1991, the county's population was 32,835 of which 41.5 per cent was Serbian, 44.7 per cent Croatian, 6.5 per cent Muslim, and 7 per cent «other».
On 19 March 1992, Arkan's forces surrounded a police station in Bosanski Samac. They allegedly demanded as an ultimatum that the police return the automatic pistols with silencers which had been confiscated the day before from members of the Yugoslav Army and «Cetnik formations». Apparently, the «Cetnik formations» had been walking around the city in civilian clothing armed «to the teeth». *684
Reportedly, a top-level Serbian army military plan of attack for this county, prepared in several versions, with the classification «NATIONAL DEFENCE-STATE SECRET» and the code name «MOST», was found on a high-level Yugoslav army officer. The plan established two possible courses of action for capturing villages in the region. On the one hand, Serbs could organize a wedding in a town and try to enter the town by making use of false documents and vehicles with Mostar license plates. The vehicles would contain coolers in which weapons would be hidden. On the other hand, Serbs could make use of officially custom- sealed truck cabs containing Serbian «commandos». Military analysts allegedly associated these plans with the tactics involving plain clothes which have been implemented by Arkan and his troops. *685
On 17 April 1992, regular Serbian soldiers and Seselj's men occupied Bosanski Samac and imprisoned wealthy and politically involved Muslims. The prisoners were beaten with wooden sticks, truncheons, and shovels. At least seven died and seven others are still missing. *686
It was reported that the SOS paramilitary group, led by Crni and Lugar, was also in Bosanski Samac. The report, however, did not specifically provide the dates they were there nor did it describe their activities. *687
Bratunac County is located in eastern BiH, bordered by Serbia. In 1991, the population was 33,575, of which 41.5 per cent were Serbian, 44.7 per cent Croatian, 6.8 per cent Muslim, and 7 per cent «other».
On 5 May 1992, Arkan's and Seselj's troops surrounded the entire village of Bratunac and upon their attack, 10,000 Muslims reportedly fled small towns along the Drina River. *689 The villages of Hraca, Glogovo, and Mihaljevici were burned. During the attacks, an estimated 500 Muslim houses were burned, and 50 people killed. The bodies of the villagers were found on the banks of the Drina. *690 Two thousand Muslims were arrested on 9 May 1992. *691 Some were taken to the police station, which was then allegedly under the control of Arkan and Seselj, aided by the army. *692
On 10 May, Serbian troops placed 4,000 to 5,000 civilians in a newly established concentration camp at the FC «Bratstvo» stadium. Others were taken to the playground. Civilians were separated by gender, and the male Muslims were transported to the elementary school Vuk Karadzic, where a number of men were beaten. One report states that between 600 and 700 male Muslims were moved to Vuk Karadzic Primary School Sports Centre. *693 Arkan's and Seselj's military troops and local «Cetniks» tortured and killed scores of them. The torture included beatings with iron rods and wooden poles. Some prisoners were taken to an «investigation room» where they were forced to trample over their fellow inmates' dead bodies. Mutilation also occurred; ears, noses and genitals were cut off, and the sign of the cross was cut into prisoners' flesh. While being tortured, the prisoners were made to sing Cetnik songs. Most were killed by gunfire, but in one day it is alleged that up to 150 people were killed from beatings. Reportedly, individual perpetrators were responsible for the deaths of 20 or more people. The corpses were eventually thrown into the Drina River. *694
Eventually the remaining Muslims were brought to the playground, where Arkan and Seselj's men stripped them of all personal property. *695 They were then separated by gender and the women were taken to Kladanj by bus, while the men were returned to the elementary school to be beaten and tortured. Between 30 and 50 of the men were killed. A Muslim priest was stabbed to death in front of 600 other prisoners for refusing to accept the Christian faith and make a Serbian sign. The surviving prisoners were then transported to Pale, where the prisoners were forced to watch the bodies of dead prisoners being burned. One estimate put the death count at 300. Other killings took place near the River Krizevica-Podgorac and in the quarry near the Drina. Eventually, prisoners were released as part of an exchange at Vratnica and Visoko. *696
Reportedly, on 23 May 1992, local paramilitary forces commanded by an identified man killed 70 Muslims in front of the mosque in the village of Glogova. *697
This county is located in north-eastern BiH, bordered to the north-east by Serbia. According to the 1991 census, Brcko had a population of 87,332, of which 20 per cent was Serbian, 25 per cent Croatian, and 45 per cent Muslim.
Brcko was overrun by JNA forces in late April and May of 1992. Some reports hold an identified officer of the JNA responsible for heading up the offensive, *699 while other reports note that Arkan was in charge of the operation. *700 Explosions destroyed both bridges in Brcko over the Sava River causing the death of 30 to 50 civilians.
After the shelling, troops under an identified commander as well as local mobilized Serbs occupied the town. Successive waves of military and paramilitary groups came to the city, and it appeared that a different group, including Seselj's men, was in control every few days. Martic's units from Bosanska Krajina were the last to hold the city. *701
During this time, a Serbian group called the Weekenders (Vikendasi) went to Brcko each weekend, plundering and vandalizing. They began arriving via Bijeljina in May 1992 and continued to come during the entire time that the JNA occupied the town. *702
During the first 15 days of May, the Muslim males were put under house arrest and subjected to weapons searches and registration. The actual rounding up of the Muslim population began in the village of Gluhakovic, close to Brcko. Survivors were taken to one of two collection points, the «Bimal» factory or the «Autoprevoz» complex. These prisoners were then taken to Luka Camp. *703
One witness statement noted that between 150 and 200 men were detained at a mosque for two days before being taken to Luka Camp. *704 At the mosque, a man identified all SDA party members, and those individuals were killed by Arkan's men on the spot. *705 The witness also reported that he saw between 300 to 400 persons executed in the town square, under the order of the head of police and the deputy head of police.
One witness reported that reservists from Bijeljina killed 150 unarmed Muslim and Croat civilians on 2-4 May 1992. They found the civilians on the street, interrogated them, and then shot them. At the same time, a JNA commander allegedly told the group not to kill people in the centre of town, only on the front line. One reservist was also reported to have participated in the tortures and killings at Luka Camp. *706
A Muslim man from the Meraja-Rosulja section of Brcko had allowed 35 people to take refuge in his basement during the onslaught. Eventually they surrendered and were taken to the local medical clinic. The men were then taken to the mosque, and the women and children were later dispersed to predominantly Muslim villages in the Brcko municipality. The 50 remaining men were taken to the JNA military barracks gym and beaten by Arkan's and Seselj's units at about 11:00 p.m. on 1 May. Approximately 10 men were beaten in the hallway of the gym and never seen again. *707
In one instance, the Serbians living in an apartment complex rounded up the Croats and Muslims living there and put them in the basement. After six days in the basement of the complex, these prisoners were turned over to Arkanovci. The Arkanovci transported the prisoners to the military casern in the centre of town. Here, the women and children were separated from the men and transported to the nearby town of Brezovo Polje. The men were held in the casern's movie hall. *708
Thereafter, approximately 5,000 civilians from Brcko were taken by the JNA forces and Serb paramilitaries to the detention camps at Luka. The main camp facilities consisted of an old brick factory and pig farm. *709 There may have been a total of 10 to 12 warehouses at the camp. *710 The soldiers responsible for the camp, identified as Arkan's, used metal objects for beating prisoners and cut crosses into people's foreheads to indicate they should be beaten. *711 One account stated that these men wore black berets. However, responsibility for the camp's administration was said to have changed every month. *712
One witness reports being placed in a room of one of the camp warehouses, where 200 other prisoners were being interrogated and beaten by several individuals. *713 In another account, 100 prisoners were said to be warehoused in one room. This witness related that none of the prisoners received food or water for the first four days of detention. All prisoners were beaten and mistreated, and some simply disappeared. Most of the abuses occurred near a manhole. The witness personally observed four people being killed and was himself interrogated and beaten by several Serbian individuals, one of whom was identified by nickname and was a member of Arkan's units. *714 Another inmate corroborated the allegations of abuse, stating that 24 men were shot, including two of his friends. However, another prisoner stated that no one in his warehouse was killed, and inmates were only beaten if they had been accused of something. *715
Some witnesses relate that up to 50 prisoners at a time were killed at the camp. *716 Many of the killings were carried out in front of the detainees in the third hangar. *717 The bodies were stacked behind the hangar and then taken away at night to be either dumped in the nearby Sava River or buried in a mass grave. The mass grave is said to consist of four sites situated 50 metres east of and behind a tavern called «Westfalia». It is on the road between Brcko and Brezovo Polje, in a wooded area across from the agricultural complex «Bimex». *718 Still others were destroyed at a rendering plant which boiled animal remains to manufacture lard. *719 Estimates put the death count at the Luka camp at 3,000, all of which occurred between 1 May and 7 June. Another source said that between 3,000 and 5,000 people were killed at Brcko in the month of July alone. Many of those who were not killed at Brcko were taken to a facility at Batkovic where the prisoners slept outside on concrete slabs and were forced to work in the nearby fields. A number of American news reports place the responsibility for these killings upon Arkan, his forces, and Seselj. *720
Cvijetin Maksimovic was a brick-factory worker who served as a prison guard at the Luka Camp and is being held in a prison camp at Orosje for the crimes he committed during May and June of 1992 against Luka camp inmates. Maksimovic substantiated the terrible conditions the prisoners at the camp underwent. He said 500 to 600 Croatians and Muslims slept on concrete floors and were fed one meal a day. He observed prisoners, classified by «Cetniks» as «suspects», driven away for interrogation, and truckloads of as many as 90 dead bodies each shipped from the camp. Maksimovic reported that Arkan's and Seselj's forces, along with local Serb leaders, had free reign in the operation of the camp. As a mere guard, he was not allowed to enter the camp until he survived the Cetnik «initiation rite». *721
Slobodan Panic related similar experiences in the same news report. He was forced to rape five women or be killed. He was then ordered to shoot two men in the chest and slay two others with a knife. As with Maksimovic, when Panic protested, a knife was placed in his hand and it was forced across one of the victim's throats by a Cetnik. Both Panic and Maksimovic fled the prison camp and were captured by Croatian patrol. They are now awaiting sentencing. *722
The camp itself measured 230 by 150 metres and was surrounded by an electrified fence, fortified by mines. Prisoners were placed into one of three hangers: the first was 20 by 28 metres and housed up to 180 men, the second was 20 by 40 metres and housed up to 180 men, and the third was 20 by 40 metres and housed 300 men, women, and children. In the first hangers the detainees slept standing up. All detainees were permitted to use the washroom only once a day for no longer than a minute. In June, goats were brought into the hangers and lived with the detainees. *723
During the same time period, 500 additional civilians were taken to the garrison that housed Arkan's and Seselj's military formations. These prisoners were robbed and segregated by nationality and gender. Of these civilians, 474 were reportedly forced to beat each other to death. *724 A major, identified by name, cut off the ear of one prisoner and forced another to lick the blood. In all, the prisoners were tortured for two days, which included placing a pistol in prisoners' mouths and using a bloodied comb to comb their hair. At the end of the two days, only 26 Muslims survived, and they were taken to Bijeljina and the Luka camp.
On 17 May 1992, Serb soldiers, wearing army uniforms and masks, entered the town of Brezovo Polje in Brcko County and rounded up all Bosnian Muslims. The able-bodied men were loaded onto buses and sent to Luka «for interrogation». One thousand women, children and elderly were packed into eight buses and driven around the countryside for two days. Arriving at the town of Ban Brdo, the group was held under armed guard in a parking lot for another four days without food or water. The Serbs invaded the buses each night and led women and girls off at gunpoint to be raped. The group was then taken to Caparde in Zvornik County, where 50 Serb irregulars, reportedly followers of Arkan, robbed the mothers and forcibly separated them from their daughters. The daughters were transported to the Osnovo furniture warehouse in Caparde, while the mothers were taken on another journey through the war zone. At the warehouse, the men selected the 40 «prettiest» young women and raped them in groups of ten. *725 One of the perpetrators told his victim that Seselj's men would have raped them «10 men to one woman». *726
Meanwhile, the mothers had arrived in Tuzla on 23 June, their journey ending only after they were made to walk 12 miles through the war zone, where the path was littered with human corpses and animal carcasses. The daughters arrived four days later, after they were allegedly forced to walk across a mined road. *727
In March 1993, Sarajevo Radio Correspondent Salih Brkic reported that Serbian forces were «trying to take over the Vlasenica-Zvornik road» near Brcko and Gradacac, using multiple rocket launchers, mortars, and anti-aircraft guns. He noted that the Serbian forces were still holding up a humanitarian convoy that was meant to take wounded from Konjevic Polje to Tuzla. Enormous losses sustained by Serbian forces prompted another 1,500 of Arkan's paramilitary troops to be mobilized to fight against the Bosnians. *728
Cajnice is in eastern BiH, bordering Serbia. Of its 1991 population of 8,919, 52.9 per cent were Serb, 44.9 per cent Muslim, and 2.2 per cent «other».
Commander «Turtle's» units make up a Serbian paramilitary organization, which allegedly acted in Cajnice and other parts of eastern BiH. *730 This group is under the command of a Bosnian Serb doctor, Dusko Kornjaca, who calls himself Commander Turtle. *731 There are no details reported about their activities.
Derventa is located in north-eastern BiH, bordered on the north by Croatia. Its 1991 population was 56,328, of which 40.8 per cent were Serbian, 39 per cent were Croatian, 12.6 per cent Muslim, and 7.6 per cent «other».
A man was arrested in mid-May 1992 in Derventa by one of Seselj's men while trying to escort civilians over the Ukrajina River. Seselj's men surrounded the party of 10 and they surrendered. This group was taken to an abandoned grain mill that held 50 other prisoners, male and female. Seselj's men interrogated and beat the prisoners with heavy electric cable, truncheons, and the flat side of a sword. At least two prisoners died as a result. The man was held for 60 days in the mill, which did not have bathroom facilities and released through a prisoner exchange. *733
The SOS paramilitary group was also alleged to have been active in Derventa, although the report did not provide any specific dates or incidents. *734
This county is located in north-eastern BiH. According to the 1991 census, the population was 102,546. Serbs comprised 39 per cent, 13 per cent were Croat, 40.2 per cent Muslim, 5.5 per cent «Yugoslav», and 2.3 per cent «other».
Arkan's paramilitary units, the White Eagles, and the JNA occupied Doboj in April and May of 1992. *736 Other reports also indicate the presence of the Knindza Turtles, *737 Red Berets, *738 and Martic's Militia during the attack on Doboj. They shelled and set fire to two mosques and the Catholic church. Croats and Muslims were ordered to remain indoors as their homes were searched and looted. Male residents were often arrested, and still others were beaten. Women were taken away on three buses to a high school, where they were held for 28 days and raped repeatedly. *739 One report specifically mentions the Red Berets as allegedly responsible for at least some of the rapes at the high school. *740 The city was besieged until August. *741
Seventy members of the Serbian paramilitary Martic's Militia acted in conjunction with other paramilitary groups in the «ethnic cleansing» of the Donji Vakuf area. *743
In mid-May, Seselj's White Eagles reportedly skinned three Muslims after hanging them with meat hooks on an oak tree. *744 Most of the village's Muslim inhabitants were killed and the village was burned down. *745
Foca County is located in south-eastern BiH with Montenegro as its eastern border. As of 1991, the population of the county was 40,513, of which 45.3 per cent was Serbian, 51.6 per cent Muslim, and 3.1 per cent «other».
Arkan and Seselj reportedly deployed soldiers in the county of Foca. Reports also indicate the presence of Commander Turtle's Units, *747 the Montenegro Guard, *748 the Uzice Corps, and Pero Elez. *749
During the occupation of Foca by Arkan's men in late April 1992, many bodies were thrown into the river. A Danish photographer in Gorazde witnessed these decomposed bodies downstream in the village of Gorazde. A concentration camp was established in Foca in the former prison, and was run by Velibor Ostojic. Seselj's forces and volunteers were said to have participated in the fighting in the city of Foca, as assistance to the Serbian Democratic Party forces. The fighting took place in late April 1992. *750
Between 15 April 1992 and 20 April 1992, nine people were killed in the village of Susjesno by Arkan's men. The nine victims were elderly and did not want to leave their homes. *751
Seselj's forces were part of the paramilitary attack on Ustikolina during April 1992. Serbian Democratic Party forces and volunteers from Serbia and Montenegro also aided in the assault. All Muslims fled the village. Mortars, machine-guns, and armoured vehicles were used in the attack. The Serbian forces also entered the JNA facility in Ustikolina and killed several Muslim civilian refugees. *752
In Paunci, Serbian Democratic Party forces and Serbian paramilitary forces reportedly killed a large number of people, mostly women and old men. *753
According to the United States government, the Montenegro Guard participated in operations in Jelec, a village in Foca. Allegedly, the Montenegro Guard, along with members of other paramilitary units, including the White Eagles and Vukovar Unit, shelled the town and killed remaining Muslim civilians after 23 April 1992. The alleged raid on Jelec began on 18 April 1992, when these forces blocked the roads to town and ordered Muslims to surrender their weapons by 22 April to a Bosnian Serb delegation at the military complex in the nearby village of Miljevina. On 23 April, Serb forces began shelling Jelec and the surrounding villages, sending the inhabitants into hiding in the hills surrounding the village. The Montenegro Guard and other forces moved into Jelec on 4 May 1992. They arrived in seven military buses and were given orders to «comb» the area for Muslims. Allegedly, at least 16 Muslims were shot and buried in two graves located in a potato field one kilometre west of Jelec. *754
On 14 July 1992, Serbian soldiers identifying themselves as Seseljovci entered the house of a Muslim family. A woman was beaten on the head by the soldiers who were inquiring about the location of her husband. These soldiers also cut the throat of a man, drawing blood but not killing him. The family was taken to the police station along with other Muslims were they were separated into four groups. These groups were imprisoned for 27 days in four houses, confiscated from Muslims. The women were raped repeatedly. On 13 August 1992, these women were allowed to leave on a convoy heading for the Muslim-controlled Sandzak region of Serbia. *755
This county is located in south-eastern BiH and is bordered on the east by Serbia. According to the 1991 census, the population of Gacko County was 10,844, 62.4 per cent of which were Serbian, 35.3 per cent were Muslim and 2.3 per cent described as «other». Serbian paramilitary operations are reported in this county.
In March of 1992, the Serbian White Eagles began destroying Muslim-owned cafes, apartments and shops in the town of Gacko. Most of the White Eagle participants were local Serbs, except those who had been refugees from Mostar. On 15 May, the White Eagles began shooting into homes and making arrests. On 1 June, Muslim men who worked at the power plant were arrested by Serb soldiers. One hundred of the Muslim men were taken to the military prison in Avtovac. Meanwhile, more Muslim men were arrested from their homes and taken to the Hotel Terma. *757
Reportedly, on 1 June 1992, Seselj's men and the White Eagles launched an all out attack against Gacko's Muslim inhabitants. *758 One report also stated that special forces of Niksic and JNA soldiers were also involved in the attack on Gacko. *759 The attack began with the burning of several Muslim homes. *760 On 18 and 19 June, the villages were reportedly shelled. Many of the civilians fled into the forests in the nearby mountains, where they saw the Serb forces moving through the village burning Muslim homes. *761 Other Muslims were killed or arrested. Those that were arrested were detained in the lobby of the Elektro Privreda's Hotel before being transported to the Serbian detention camp at Bileca. *762
Later in June, many Muslims were attempting to leave Gacko with the permission of the Serbian Municipal Office when they were trapped and shot at by White Eagles. *763 The Muslim men were pulled out of their cars and beaten. Others were set on fire, jumped upon or hit with iron rifle butts. *764 The women and children were taken to the Motel Kosuta and later reunited with their families, but were forced to watch as the White Eagles beat the Muslim men. The women at the hotel were searched and robbed of their personal belongings, and some of them were raped. The women and children were eventually returned to Gacko, and the men were taken from the motel to Gacko prison. *765
At the prison, the men were beaten nightly by White Eagles and by members of the «Interviewing Platoon». Some were shot to death. The prisoners were then to be taken to Bileca. In preparing to do so, soldiers lined up to form a path through which the prisoners would pass from their cells to the transport trucks. As the prisoners walked through the line of soldiers, they were beaten with rifle butts and poles. Others were killed. A total of 170 Muslims survived and were taken to Bileca, where they were kept in a basement room, 120 square metres in size. The prisoners were beaten three times during the night under 2,000 watt lamps. *766 They were allegedly beaten every day with wooden and metal sticks by as many as 10 guards at a time. Prisoners were not allowed to go to the bathroom or eat for three days. Four men were beaten to death between 2 and 4 July. *767 On 10 August, prisoners were to be interviewed by news agencies. They were allowed to shower and shave for the interviews, but afterwards were allegedly tortured for telling reporters the truth about the camp conditions and abuse. The imprisonment continued from 1 June to 18 August 1992. *768 At that time, 378 prisoners were exchanged in Stolac.
One report stated that 4 July was the date of the final roundup of remaining Muslim villagers. Soldiers went house to house and gave residents two minutes to leave. One witness estimated that 980 people were forced to leave at that time. They were taken to the Serbian-Macedonian border where a relief organization took them on to Skopje. *769
However, another report indicates that those civilians that were hiding in the forests did not surrender until 12 July 1992. These civilians were allegedly taken in military trucks to Gacko and interrogated at the police station where witnesses reported many village possessions were stored. The civilians were asked about their male relatives and where they could be found. Reportedly the male Muslim prisoners were held in the basement of a hotel in the suburbs of Gacko. The women and children are reported to have been taken to the front-line near Benkovici in late July where the Serb forces were fighting members of the HVO. The women and children were forced to walk across the battle lines over minefields towards the HVO who fed them and transferred them to Mostar, Capljina or Ljubuski, BiH. *770
Gorazde County is in the south-east of BiH and had a 1991 population of 37,505. Of that population, 70.2 per cent were Muslim, 26.2 per cent were Serb, and 3.6 per cent were «other». There are reports of both Serb and Muslim paramilitary activity in this area.
The following Serbian forces worked independently and in concert in Gorazde during the months of May and June 1992: the Uzice Corps, Garavi Sokok Forces, and units under the command of Braco Rakanovic. *772 These groups are reported to have harassed Muslim civilians and looted property in Gorazde and the surrounding villages. They are also mentioned in connection with the mid-June attacks on a settlement near Kokino village and one near Povrsnica mountain. One witness reports seeing «Serbian soldiers» killing Muslim civilians and throwing their corpses in the Drina River sometime after these attacks. *773
The Green Berets are a Muslim paramilitary group said to have operated in the Gorazde region. Apparently, the Green Berets attacked the village of Vitkovci between 3 and 5 May 1992. Reportedly, they also took Serbs to local Muslim-run detention camps, in order that they be killed. *774
Jablanica is located in the central south-west region of BiH. According to 1991 figures, it had a population of 12,664 which was 72.1 per cent Muslim, 17.8 per cent Croat, 6.1 per cent «other», and 4 per cent Serb.
The Black Swans and MOS (Muslim Armed Forces), both are Muslim paramilitary groups alleged to have operated in Jablanica County. Apparently, these groups made a joint attack on the village of Doljani on 28 July 1993. *776 The attackers are said to have mutilated and killed 24 people, both civilians and soldiers. The corpses' eyes were plucked out, their ears cut, and stomachs slit open. *777
The same report indicates that Serbian villagers fleeing from the attack were shot down as they crossed Stipica Meadow. Those who did survive were taken to a nearby room where they were detained with others, including one HVO soldier who had been shot in the chest. They were given nothing to eat and only water to drink. After one day of detention, the prisoners pried the bars of the cell windows loose and escaped. One witness recognized the MOS forces acting in this incident, saying they were from Jablanica. *778
This county is in south-eastern BiH. The pre-war population was 4,657, of which 60.6 per cent were Serbian, 37.1 per cent Muslim, and 2.3 per cent «other». Only Serbian paramilitaries were reported to be operating in this county.
Seseljovci and Russian volunteers were called in to Kalinovik during February 1993, at the request of Commander Ratko Mladic, when the Kalinovik «Cetniks» were reportedly refusing to obey orders from their most extreme commanders. The goal of the new troops was to restore the self-confidence of the local «Cetniks». *779
This county is located in the south central part of BiH, approximately 45 kilometres south-west of the centre of Sarajevo. Konjic's population as of 1991 was 43,636. The population was 15.2 per cent Serbian, 26 per cent Croatian, 54.5 per cent Muslim and 4.3 per cent «other». Serbian, Muslim and Croatian paramilitary groups were reportedly active in this county.
Arkan's men were in Lukavica armed with sub-machine-guns and daggers. They beat Muslim civilians and cut crosses in some of the Muslims' foreheads. The dates of these incidents were not reported. *781
It was reported that the HOS, together with the Muslim Green Berets, conducted operations in the Konjic villages of Donje Selo and Bradina. Both of these villages were burned and the inhabitants sent to detention facilities. Donje Selo was attacked first and then Bradina on 25 May 1992. Female prisoners were transferred to Konjic Sports Hall, where some of the victims were raped. The men were taken to Celebici camp. On 13 July, the HOS returned to Bradina, burned the town, and imprisoned all remaining inhabitants in an elementary school. Many civilians allegedly died in the attacks. *782
A report submitted by the United States alleges that the Muslim paramilitary group, the Black Swans, committed most of the crimes against Bosnian Croats in the Konjic area. According to reports, the Black Swans arrived in the Konjic area on 1 April 1993. They reinforced Muslim troops under an identified commander and were primarily deployed at the village of Handici, seven kilometres north-west of Konjic. In negotiations with the HVO, Tulomovic denied that the Black Swans were under his control and blamed them for the criminal activity in the area. *783
The Black Swan forces established at Handici are alleged to have attacked the Croatian village of Celopeci in early April 1993. They reportedly burned three empty buildings, killed two elderly women and one elderly man, cutting off his arms and slitting his throat with a machete. Later, the Handici force was joined by Black Swans from Pokojiste, who brought four or five Croatian civilians who were being used as human shields as they moved through the village. Estimates put the attacking force at 70 men. It is also alleged that after the action, Muslim forces prevented Spanish UNPROFOR troops from investigating the activities at Celopeci. *784
The Black Swans, together with Mujahedin troops, allegedly launched infantry attacks every four or five days on the village of Vrci and helped run the P.O.W. camp for HVO soldiers at Parsovici. *785
The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia reported that Alija's Army, the Yellow Ants, the HOS, and the Croatian National Guard (ZNG) entered Konjic on 26 April 1992. They are alleged to have established road blocks, set up machine-guns in nearby villages, and to have killed civilians and looted villagers' homes. *786
According to the Serbian Council Information Centre, the Muslim paramilitary unit, the Akrepi, killed 11 Serbs and burned 24 houses in the Konjic village of Blace on 15 May 1992. *787
Another report submitted to the Commission of Experts by the Croatian government indicates that a Muslim paramilitary group, Hrasnica Forces, desecrated churches, looted houses, and mistreated Croats in the villages of Celebici and Radesine. *788 This report also alleged that the paramilitary forces of Hasan Hakalovic executed two elderly civilians in the village of Mrkovice. *789
This county is located in west-central BiH. Its pre-war population was 9,663 of which 50.7 per cent was Serbian, 39.6 per cent Croatian, 8.4 per cent Muslim, and 1.3 per cent «other». There is one report of Serbian paramilitary activity in this county.
In April 1992, Seselj's White Eagles, along with the JNA under the command of an identified officer, were allegedly responsible for the killing of about 200 men, women, and children. Machine-guns, knives, and hammers were used in the killings. A young girl witnessed her family being killed; she was then forced to strip and left to be raped by any of the soldiers who were so inclined. *791
Livno County is in the west of BiH bordering Croatia at the county of Sinj. In 1991, its population was 39,526, of which 72 per cent was Croat, 15 per cent Muslim, 9.6 per cent Serb, and 3.4 per cent «other».
A rape victim testifies that she was held in a brothel in Livno and then Sarajevo by «Alija's warriors». It is not clear from the report whether the group she is referring to is the same paramilitary organization as Alija's Army or whether she is referring generically to the Army of BiH as President Alija Izetbegovic's «warriors». *793 The dates of her custody are not specified.
This county is located in south-central BiH and had a pre- war population of 43,294. This population was 30.7 per cent Serbian, 19.3 per cent Croatian, 45.4 per cent Muslim and 4.6 per cent described as «other». There was one report of Serbian paramilitary activity in this county.
A heavy attack on Maglaj was launched on 23 May 1993 by JNA forces, the Serbian Army, Seselj's forces, and local «outlaws». One news report described the town as «literally burning». It further stated: «over 2,000 shells have hit the town so far». Many casualties were reported and poisonous gases were allegedly used. The Serb forces held more than 10 combat positions, from which all types of artillery were fired. *795
Modrica is located in north-eastern BiH. According to the 1991 census, the population of the county totaled 35,413 of which 35.3 per cent was Serbian, 27.3 per cent Croatian, 29.5 per cent Muslim, and 7.9 per cent «other». There are three reports of Serbian paramilitary activity in Modrica.
The Serbian population began to get restless in January 1992 when influential local Serb leaders started making trips to Belgrade. *797
During early May of 1992, Serb soldiers entered the village of Modrica. Some were believed to be from Seselj's units, for they had blackened faces and wore dark uniforms with an insignia of a skull and eagle on the arms. *798 The White Eagles, Knindza Turtles, *799 and the SOS paramilitaries *800 were also reported to have been in Modrica.
Allegedly, a group of Muslims, which had sought refuge in the cellar of a private home, were ordered out; they were kicked, punched, and beaten with rifle butts. They were taken to another cellar, where a total of 33 persons were eventually detained for 15 days. Some men were then taken to the school in the centre of town, while others were held in the school sports hall. Local Serbs stood guard while others interrogated the prisoners, including paramilitaries from the White Eagles and Knindza Turtles. Around 18 May, the school was shelled and most of the detainees were moved to a military barracks at Doboj, where approximately 300 Muslims and Croats were being held. In early June, the Red Cross took away the women and children from the site, leaving only about 80 men. *801
Mostar is located in the south-central region of BiH. The total population in 1991 was 126,067 of which 19 per cent was Serbian, 33.8 per cent Croatian, 34.8 per cent Muslim, and 10 per cent described as «others». There are reports of Serbian and Croatian paramilitary and Muslim mercenary activity in Mostar.
The JNA entered the Mostar village of Rodoc on 4 April 1992, and destroyed the home of a witness. According to this witness, all of the inhabitants of the village fled to the city of Mostar, which was already at war. After 26 days, the witness returned to the village for better shelter. After his return, the Yugoslav army blocked all access roads to, and controlled all points around, the village. Several civilians were stranded in the village without water, electricity, food or supplies. The witness reported that Serbs set fire to all the houses. *803
The witness claimed that in May 1992 he was arrested by «Cetniks» who said they were under Arkan's command. According to his statement, the witness was taken to Mostar and then to a military prison. He was interrogated and accused of possessing weapons. He and nine others were beaten by guards and remained imprisoned for 81 days, during which they experienced physical and psychological mistreatment.
On 6 April 1992, a combined force of JNA special forces and Seseljovci moved into the village of Vrapcici, allegedly in response to the explosion of a fuel truck at the JNA barracks in Mostar. The Bosnian and Croatian populations were encouraged to leave and most did. *804
The Bosnians and Croatians in Potoci, three kilometres north of Vrapcici, erected roadblocks and barriers to guard against a similar fate. They were successful until 18 May 1992. On 16 May, the forces in Vrapcici were reinforced with 10 tanks and 10 armoured personnel carriers, at which point they began their attack on Potoci. They were assisted by JNA air attacks. Upon capturing the village, the Serbian forces began rounding up able bodied Muslim and Croatian males from both villages. These men were taken to a stadium that had been converted into a detention facility. They were loaded onto trucks and taken to Bileca, BiH, where they were exchanged. *805
On 12 June 1992, an additional 88 Muslim and Croatian residents of Vrapcici, including elderly men and women, were rounded up. They were taken to the stadium and killed. Their bodies were found in the landfill north of the village on 20 August 1992 after liberation by Croatian Defence Council and BiH Territorial Defence Forces on 20 June. *806
Allegedly, sometime before 15 July 1993, the Croatian paramilitary group, Juka's Army, evicted wealthy Muslim residents of Mostar from their apartments, which were looted and turned over to members of HVO paramilitary forces for habitation. According to reports, Juka's forces were masked and heavily armed when they surrounded the apartments, which were located west of the city centre. They then proceeded to block exits, fire their weapons in the air, and demand that all Muslim residents evacuate the building. *807
Another report states that the Croatian Tiger forces joined the HVO in Mostar on 1 June 1993. The Tigers allegedly brought with them additional weapons supplies, including 305 millimetre «Slavuj» guns and grenades manufactured at Slavonski Brod. *808
Mujahedin forces were observed in Mostar beginning in early June 1993. They were stationed in the Santica neighbourhood on the Muslim\HVO front, where they manned bunkers usually in groups of six or seven. They were reportedly armed with 7.62 millimetre weapons, mortars, and Zolja anti-tank weapons. They were billeted in a building they shared with the Muslim police on the east bank of the Neretva River. The Mujahedin forces are reported to have left Mostar on 15 August. *809
Nevesinje County is in southern BiH. Its population in 1991 was 14,421, of which 74.5 per cent was Serb, 23 per cent Muslim, and 2.5 per cent «other».
In early April of 1992, Seselj's forces were said to have been deployed around the Nevesinje area to assist organized efforts at the border. *811
Pucarevo County is in central BiH near Travnik. The HOS (Hrvatske Oruzane Snage) is reported to have acted in this region. *812
Odzak is in northern BiH bordering Croatia at Slavonski Brod. Its pre-war population was 30,651, with 54.2 per cent Croat, 20.3 per cent Muslim, 19.8 per cent Serb, and 5.7 per cent «other».
In February 1993, in the town of Novi Grad, between 700 and 1,000 troops, drawn largely from Arkan's and Seselj's units, (but also including volunteers from Kordun and Banija, as well as «Cetniks» from the Benkovac garrison), reportedly attempted to cut the Smiljkes-Novi Grad communications line in an effort to take Novi Grad. The Serbs were said to have been «crushed» and pushed back to their positions. UNPROFOR was asked by the Croatian military to enter the area and alleviate tensions between the two sides. *814
There are reports of two Croatian forces operating in Odzak. One is the Croatian Democratic Union (CDU) and the other is the Black Legion.
The CDU is said to be responsible for the shelling of Donja Dubica on 18 April 1992. *815
The Black Legion is mentioned in association with a detention camp in Odzak run by «Muslim and Croatian forces». A witness stated that members of the Black Legion arrived on 16 July 1993 and asked prisoners for gold and money. The witness gave them money and was released. *816
The Green Berets and the paramilitary arm of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) are reported to have acted in Odzak.
A Serbian man testified that he was picked up by three Green Berets from the streets of Novi Grad in June 1992. They took him to a camp run by «Muslims», where he was detained for almost 10 months. *817
The SDA acted together with members of the CDU in Odzak, raping, murdering, looting, and detaining civilians. *818 Apparently, the SDA and CDU received military supplies from abroad in Odzak, the majority of them being procured from Croatia. Reports state that weapons dealers associated with these groups moved freely between Croatia and BiH, buying and selling arms. *819
Pale is located in south-east BiH. During early February 1992, Seselj's Cetniks reportedly shot at every car driving through the city of Pale. *821
Reports also allege that Muslim and Croatian prisoners were being mistreated in the Pale detention camps. The camps were set up at the local sports hall, the Cultural Centre and the cinema, and were run by two identified men. During interrogations, prisoners were physically and mentally tortured. In one case, a death sentence was executed in front of a prisoner. Pre-written confessions were given to prisoners by members of the SIP. In all, over 20,000 persons were said to have passed through the camps at Pale. 2,500 are currently there. Several men are responsible for the investigation and interrogation of prisoners. At least one is alleged to be a member of Arkan's formations.
Also, witness testimony from the BiH Bulletin claims that on 1 June 1992 over 1,000 Serbian irregular forces, 150 soldiers from Rajlovac and Butile barracks, and 80 SDS extremists entered Ahatovici and Dobrosevici and killed 20 Muslim men. The forces also wounded several others and looted and set fire to Muslim homes. On 2 June, Serb extremists mined and destroyed the mosque at Ahatovici. During these attacks, Serb irregulars, under the command of Joja Tintor, captured 400 women and children and 80 men. *822
Prijedor is in the north-west of BiH. In 1991, its population was 112,470. Of that population, 44 per cent was Muslim, 42.5 per cent Serb, 5.7 per cent «Yugoslav», 5.6 per cent Croat, and 2.2 per cent «other». There are reports of extensive Serbian paramilitary activity in this region.
Prijedor citizens have claimed that Arkan's paramilitary forces had set up headquarters in the Hotel Prijedor when Serbian authorities assumed control of that city in a coup on 30 April 1992. The SDS had established headquarters at that location and some believe that Arkan's forces were situated there as well, but no witnesses have been able to confirm the allegation. However, one witness said that White Eagles were roaming the streets of Prijedor, and that Croatian and Muslim police officers were replaced by Serbs who wore a Serbian cross on their hats instead of the Yugoslav red star. Local Prijedor leaders were arrested by the Serbs.
Prijedor was attacked on 30 May 1992 by Serb forces, and the city fell within 13 hours. A mosque was burned, and many citizens were forced to leave their homes, arrested and bussed to detention facilities. One woman who was taken from her home and detained for four days stated that when she returned to her home, it had been robbed of all valuables. She was not mistreated while at the detention facility, but she stated that others were frequently threatened. Another woman related that she was taken to the Prijedor police station and placed in a cell sprayed with fresh blood, along with several other civilians, before being shipped to Omarska camp. The involvement of Seselj's forces in these activities is not clear from the report. *824
Also in May, a resident of Prijedor was summoned for interrogation by an identified commander of a Cetnik brigade. Afterwards, he was taken to Ciglane camp in Prijedor. White Eagles were implicated in the imprisonment and killings of prisoners at Ciglane camp. *825 Also women were raped. Furthermore, the witness saw a group of White Eagles kill five people, and saw «Cetniks» take 15 children from their mothers and throw them into ovens. Another man was also detained at the camp and was forced to load dead bodies onto 13 trucks. He and 20 other prisoners were then taken to Omarska, where he spent six to seven days. Afterwards, he was able to escape. *826
A 27 December 1992 news report links Arkan's forces with a series of Serbian attacks on the Muslim village of Kozarac in Prijedor county. The attack was prefaced with a demand by Prijedor's rulers that the villagers sign a loyalty oath to the self-proclaimed Bosnian Serbian state, or be regarded as terrorists. Serbs in control of Prijedor drove cars that had «Wolves of Vukovar» written on them. Officers of the JNA were also reportedly involved. *827 The residents attempted to set up a meager defence, but the town was sealed off on 14 May 1992.
On 24 May 1992, the villages of Kozarusa and Kozarac, in Prijedor county were surrounded by a Serbian force, which included units of the Serbian Army, Bosnian Serb irregulars, White Eagles, and Seselj's men. *828 The forces equipped with tanks and armoured personnel carriers, bombarded the villages for approximately two hours with artillery and rocket fire before entering the village of Kozarusa. *829 Upon entering the village, local Serbs began identifying Muslims who were then shot in the street. *830 Muslim homes were set afire after Serbian forces tossed grenades into them. Within hours, other Muslims were arrested and taken to the prison camp at the Keraterm factory. *831
The attack on Kozarac lasted three days and caused many villagers to flee to the forest while the soldiers were shooting at «every moving thing». Survivors calculated that at least 2,000 villagers were killed in that period. The villagers' defence fell on 26 May. *832 When the Serbian forces entered the village, they began destroying the village's 14 mosques and nine minarets.
Serbs then reportedly announced that the villagers had 10 minutes to reach the town's soccer stadium. However, many people were shot in their homes before given a chance to leave. One witness reported that several thousand people tried to surrender by carrying white flags, but three Serb tanks opened fire on them, killing many. Those who were successful in surrendering were separated according to gender. During the exodus to the soccer stadium, some men were randomly selected to be shot by a single Serb perched on a balcony. Upon their arrival at the stadium, the women and men were separated and delivered to concentration camps. Many were beaten and killed in the process. *833 One refugee estimated 90 per cent of the region's leaders were killed. *834
Another report noted that all 24,000 residents of Kozarac were evacuated and told to walk towards Prijedor. En route, they were met by Serb police who separated the women from the men and began setting houses on fire. Some villagers were killed on the spot. Three hundred soldiers wearing the insignia of the «White Eagles of Knin», stood alongside the road or pulled certain residents out of the group, and took them to a house where they were executed. *835 Those that were not shot were separated by sex. *836 The men were taken to a detention camp in a school in the nearby village of Trnjani, where they were held for four days without food or water. The men were then transferred to the camp at Trnopolje, where the women and children had been held for several days. A large number of the prisoners were allegedly killed at Trnopolje. *837
Major Arsic, the highest ranking member of the «Serbian Army» was said by some to have planned the attack; others named Major Kuruzovic. *838 Zeljaje, commander of JNA reservists from 12 different municipalities, was also involved. Weapons were taken from the territorial defence units and given to the Serbian army. *839 K.D., a former member of the Kozaran civilian defence council, identified Major Arsic and Serbian JNA Commander Zeljaje as having played key roles in the attack. He also observed Serb police setting houses on fire and killing certain people in the convoy. A spokesman for the Bosnian Serbs' self-declared government also explained that the government used Arkan's forces in its «ethnic cleansing» operations: «He is very expensive, but also very efficient». *840
Forty men from Kozarac were selected for a prison work gang that was sent back into Kozarac to retrieve dead bodies. One of these men counted 610 bodies in all. Kozarac homes were painted with one of three colours for identification: yellow-marked homes were to be inhabited, blue-marked homes were to be rebuilt, and red-marked homes were to be destroyed. *841
At the same time, the Red Berets are reported to have been acting in the area and could have been working with or alongside Arkan's men and other Serbian forces. Apparently, the Red Berets participated in the attack of Gornja Puharska, a village of about 300 Muslim families and six Croatian families on 29 May. They entered the village in tanks with other non-uniformed Bosnian Serb irregulars. *842 Following the attack, they took all male villagers south-east to the Omarska detention camp, leaving the women and children behind. At Omarska, the Red Berets worked with the JNA and local police to provide security and coordinate guard shifts. *843
On 23 June 1992, Bosnian Serb forces began shelling the village of Rizvanovici allegedly in response to the killing of two Serbian soldiers by Muslim Freedom Fighters somewhere near Prijedor. The village had a population of nearly 3,000, all of whom were Muslim with the exception of one family. The shelling lasted approximately four hours and was followed by an attack by Bosnian Serb infantry forces, consisting of the Fifth Banja Luka Corp, White Eagles, and Seseljovci. *844
The town mosque was damaged, one resident was killed, and another injured during the attack. After the attack, a small occupying force remained in the town. The residents were kept under house arrest with limited movement. *845
On 9 July 1992, all Muslim males from the village of Matrici were rounded up in groups by Arkanovci and White Eagles and marched to Trnopolje. Along the way, the Muslims were forced to hold their hands behind their heads and to keep their heads hung low. There were also random beatings and killings. After arriving at Trnopolje, the captives were loaded onto buses going to Omarska. The detainees did not stay at Omarska but were instead moved to Keraterm. *846
In late July 1992, the same force that had attacked Rizvanovici conducted a sweep of the village, rounding up residents and burning homes. Some residents were able to escape to the woods outside the village and others were imprisoned in the cafe of a public building in the centre of the village. *847
Also in July, a paramilitary unit called «Zoran Karlica» is reported to have been responsible for killings, rapes, and other abuses in the village of Biscani. *848 A witness recognized and named three men among the attackers. He also reports seeing one of the men beating a villager to death. *849
After the attack on Biscani, the witness and other survivors were loaded onto buses and driven towards Prijedor. At Crna Jaruga, half of the people from one of the buses were killed. One bus drove to the Omarska camp and then on to Trnopolje camp because there was no room at Omarska. Upon their arrival at Omarska, an identified paramilitary man took 13 people away. The witness learned later that these people had been killed at Prijedorsko Polje. *850
Finally, there are reports describing the activities of two other irregular groups working in Prijedor, for which there are no dates. They may or may not have been operating during the time periods mentioned above. One group, the Rambos, is alleged to be extremely violent and sexually aggressive. According to one witness, Rambo members carved the Cetnik insignia (four cyrillic S's) into a victim's chest, cut the sinews in one individual's legs, and in the spine of another (so that the victim was instantly paralysed). In another instance, they took five 13 year-old girls from a camp in the area to a private home and returned them the following day, bearing obvious signs of abuse. A resident physician managed to suture two of the girls, but the other had to be sent to the hospital in the city of Prijedor. In still another instance, Rambo members chopped off the testicles and gouged out the eyes of a Czechoslovakian medic. *851
The second group, the Radulovic Irregulars, are also reported to have worked in Prijedor. *852 A US Government report identified three men in the group, reportedly from Zecovi, who were guards at the Serb-run Trnopolje camp. However, their names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons. Some of them are claimed to have been involved in the looting and burning of Zecovi on 23 June 1992. Another identified member, however, is not specifically named as a participant in this attack. *853
Rogatica County is in eastern BiH. Its population in 1991 was 21,812, of which 69.4 per cent was Muslim and 39.6 per cent was Serb. There are numerous reports of Serbian paramilitary activity in this county.
The village of Rogatica was shelled by Serb forces beginning on 22 May 1992. Between 25 May and 21 June, the town was shelled every day, with attacks concentrated on predominantly Muslim areas. *855 All city services were discontinued and Muslims were forbidden to go outside or leave the city. SDS, White Eagles, Arkan's men, and Seselj's men began looting and burning Muslim houses and apartments. It is estimated that over 100 individuals (women, children, and the elderly), were killed on 21 and 22 June. *856 The civilians were burned and run over with tanks and troop carriers. *857 Muslims began being forced out of their homes and captured by Serb forces on 8 June. *858 Those who attempted to flee to the village of Vragolovo were fired upon. *859 A camp was set up at the local high school where the women and children were taken, while most of the men were taken to Sokolac and Sladara camps. One account approximated the number of women and children detained at the school to be 300. *860 At the school, many women were taken away by Serb soldiers and beaten and raped. *861 Around 5 August, the women and children were loaded onto trucks and began a convoy to the Hresa section of Sarajevo. Detainees were forced to walk part of the way as Serb soldiers fired upon them. *862
In July of 1992, Arkan's men began going door-to-door looking for weapons and valuables. Arkan's men then began taking people to the elementary school. Female prisoners were removed every night by armed guards carrying flashlights. They were usually kept out for two to three hours at a time. The prisoners were moved to Sarajevo after seven days in the school. *863
Zepa, a small mountain village in Rogatica county usually populated by 5,000, surged to 30,000 persons due to a huge influx of refugees during late 1992. The BBC traveled with a U.N. military convoy to bring food and other relief to the villagers during the winter months. The convoy was stopped 12 kilometres outside Zepa by Serbian militia, one of whom was wearing the badge of Arkan. The militiamen told the BBC reporter, «The people of Zepa need food, not journalists». While it seemed that the convoy would be allowed through, the soldiers had actually directed the convoy to the one road leading to Zepa that was impassable. More than 20 trees were splayed across the road, and it seemed likely that the road may have been mined or booby- trapped. The U.N. convoy was forced to turn back and attempt an alternative route on a different day. *864
During this time, there was also an incident in which the paramilitary forces, under the command of an identified man, killed 49 prisoners during a fake prisoner exchange. *865 Apparently, Serb forces, under the command of another identified man, forced prisoners from Visegrad onto a bus and headed north towards Rogatica. The Serb soldiers explained to the prisoners that they were going to be exchanged at Han Pijesak, but once on the bus, they were tied up and beaten. At some point during their trip, the bus was pulled off the road, the prisoners ordered off, killed, and piled in a pit. *866 While the specific date of this incident is not noted, it was reported in the BiH Bulletin of March 1993 and must have occurred shortly before then.
In April of 1993, Seselj called for the two Serb republics of BiH and Krajina to form a unitary state and reject the Vance- Owen plan. Seselj pledged that his own party, the Serbian Radical Party, would do everything it could to gain recognition of a new joint state. He requested that the Serbian people «reject any signature that would mean the capitulation of the Serbian people to foreign powers. The Serbian people have to maintain all that they have won in a hard and bloody struggle.» *867
Sanski Most is located in north-west BiH. According to the 1991 census, its population was 60,119, of which 47 per cent was Muslim, 42.2 per cent Serb, 7.1 per cent Croat, and 3.7 per cent «other».
There is one report of a Serbian paramilitary organization acting in this area called the Sixth District or Sesta Krajiska. *869 Apparently, the Sixth District attacked Sanski Most on 9 May 1992 and occupied the police station and other municipal buildings. Seventeen days after their attack, the Serbian Regular Army arrived in the city. The Sixth District is said to often work with the army by conducting small-scale operations, like the attack at Sanski Most. *870
Sarajevo is in central BiH. In 1991, it had a population of 525,980, of which 49.3 per cent was Muslim, 29.9 per cent Serb, 10.7 per cent «Yugoslav», 6.6 per cent Croat, and 3.5 per cent «other». There are reports of Serbian, Croatian, and Muslim paramilitary activity in this region.
In March of 1992, Zagreb Radio Croatia reported that large columns of Arkan's and Seselj's troops were seen organizing at the entrance to Sarajevo, at the Visegrad gate, following the news that Muslim forces were in and around the Sarajevo area. Apparently, Arkan's and Seselj's units were preparing to attack the town. *872
In April of 1992, a series of violent attacks was launched on the citizens of Sarajevo. On 5 April, the police school at Vrace was attacked, and the students of the police school were beaten and mistreated. White Eagles later forcibly evicted many villagers from their homes and took them to Vrbanja. «Cetniks» looted and set fire to the houses which earlier had been vacated by residents. A 14 year-old boy's arm was allegedly sawed off by Serbs with a handsaw. The boy was then taken away by the White Eagles. A report also stated that JNA forces, under the command of an identified man, used their heavy artillery to attack Sarajevo residents. *873
Armed SDS and White Eagles members allegedly raped a woman, slit the throat of a man, and engaged in beating unarmed civilians. The specifics of these incidents, which took place between June and December 1992, are not disclosed for confidentiality reasons. *874
In late April of 1992, the BiH Ministry of Internal Affairs linked the attacks on Sarajevo with Seselj's units. One-hundred sixty-two of Seselj's men reportedly moved to the Sarajevo district of Pale in early April, and more continued to go to Vrace. The identified commander of the unit is said to be the leader of Seselj's Cetniks in Slavonia, Baranja and western Srijem. The unit moved from Pale to Vrace on 14 and 15 April, during which time they planned to launch an artillery attack on the garages of the city transportation company. The reported goal was to massacre the population as revenge for the capture of two criminals and Dragisa Kuljacic, a terrorist. This attack was abandoned when the prisoners were released. *875
This same unit participated in the attack of the Novo Sarajevo area. In this instance, one group of men were surrounded by those defending Sarajevo, and their leader was wounded. Seselj then threatened to withdraw all of his units in BiH if his men were not released from the siege on Grbavica. Serbian Democratic Party forces went in to rescue the men. Seselj's units then withdrew back to Pale. *876 In response to the withdrawal, Arkan considered an invitation by Biljana Plavsic, former member of the BiH Presidency, to bring his troops into Sarajevo. *877
In Dobrinja, a suburb of Sarajevo, residents were confined to their homes in May and June of 1992, during an eleven-week attack on that city by Serb militia forces. Residents were told that they would be shot if they ventured outdoors. On 17 June, teams of Serb gunmen forced Muslims from their homes. The vacated residences were looted, and the ousted villagers were herded into a small basement room. Local Serb soldiers informed the residents that paramilitary units from neighbouring Serbia were mobilizing the drive to take Dobrinja, and that these units demanded that all Muslims be killed. One of the Serbs identified these units as led by Arkan and Seselj. Two days later, the villagers were ordered outside their holding room and were taken to a trench in a highway that lay between Serb and Muslim forces. They were told to begin walking down the highway and were then forced to evade sniper fire. Two women were killed. As the sniper fire escalated, the 40 villagers began running. A woman's arm was severed by gunfire. The villagers then dove into a ditch on the side of the road and crawled a half a kilometre in the rain and mud, at times over dead bodies. They were finally escorted to safety in territory controlled by BiH Government forces. *878
Arkan's men also allegedly operated in the area of Grbavica. In late September 1992, at least 500 Grbavica residents were seen fleeing their village amidst gunfire. Apparently, they were crossing over the bridge leading to Sarajevo's city centre after Serb soldiers gave them less than 15 minutes to leave their homes with all they could carry. The soldiers threatened that they would kill the residents if they did not turn over all gold, jewelry, and foreign currency. The Grbavica Muslims said that many of the soldiers wore black jumpsuits and double-headed eagle badges, insignias which are said to be those of Arkan's forces. Others related that before the mass evictions, people were subjected to midnight searches, denied pension payments, and harassed on the street. Some Muslim men were taken to detention camps or made part of working parties.
Another report implied that both Arkan and Seselj deployed forces in Grbavica. At least 130 residents had been evicted from their homes and were seen fleeing Serb forces in Grbavica. A meeting at the commune building in Grbavica was reportedly held by the Serbian Democratic Party and its military command in September of 1992. An agreement was reached at the meeting, wherein all Muslims and Croats would be removed. To accomplish this goal, forces of Arkan and Seselj were called in to help and to kill all Muslims of military age. This plan was said to be the final offensive in «cleansing» this area of Sarajevo. *879
Muslims were imprisoned, interrogated, tortured, and killed at the concentration camp «Health Centre Stari Grad» in Ilidza, a section of Sarajevo. Arkan's Cetniks reportedly ran the camp. *880
In July of 1992, the Sonja cafe and hotel, just outside Vogosca, served as the site for scores of rapes and killings of Muslim women by Serb forces. The «commander» of this detention facility was Commander Miro Vukovic, a loyalist of Seselj's forces. Vukovic reportedly established a system for Serb fighters to rape and kill women. *881 Borislav Herak, a Serbian soldier standing trial for 35 killings and 14 rapes, related that soldiers were encouraged to go to the Sonja cafe to rape women and then take them elsewhere to be killed. Herak also witnessed or participated in the killings of at least 220 other Muslim civilians. Specifically, he watched as 120 civilians were gunned down by a Serbian unit called the «special investigation group» in a field outside Vogosca. Herak was told by his commanders that raping Muslim women was «good for raising the fighters morale». He and three friends raped one woman and then shot her in the back of the head near a mountain bridge. He went to the Sonja cafe once every three or four days, and reported that even though soldiers were raping and killing women every day, more women were always arriving. He describes, «. . . it was never a problem. You just picked up a key and went to a room.» *882 Vukovic provided the soldiers with justifications for killing the women after raping them. *883 Vukovic once told Herak, «You can do with the women what you like. You can take them away from here--we don't have enough food for them anyway--and don't bring them back.» *884
Herak said he was ordered to go to the Sonja cafe by his commander, Captain Borov. As he went to the cafe, he was met by Miodrag and Dragan, two members of Seselj's private army. When Herak related that he had been sent by Borov, the two «Cetniks» ushered Herak into a waiting room containing about 60 young women, from which Herak could select his rape victim. *885
In August of 1992, the administrators of the Sonja cafe were asked to release all women, children, and elderly in preparation for a visit by an English delegation to the site. Consequently, 150 persons were released. «Cetniks» reportedly cleared the camp and removed blood from the walls and floors. Three thousand civilians were said to have passed through the camp at Vogosca, hundreds of them dying at the hands of Arkan's and Seselj's men and other «Cetniks». *886
The hotel «Park» was also the location of at least two rapes by members of Seselj's units. *887
There are reports of two separate Croatian groups acting in Sarajevo and the surrounding region. These are the Croatian Armed Forces (HOS) and the forces under Jusuf Prazina, alias «Juka» or «Yuka».
The Republic of Serbia reports that an HOS unit, together with an unnamed Muslim paramilitary group, helped run the «Viktor Bubanj» detention facility in Sarajevo where Serb civilians have allegedly been tortured, raped, and killed. *888 There are no dates noted as to when the HOS was present at the camp.
The Croatian forces were also involved in criminal activity at the «Viktor Bubanj» camp. *889 It was reported that the leader of this group was appointed head of the BiH Army paramilitary units and became warden of the prison camp. For this reason, «Viktor Bubanj» was also called «Juka's Prison». Over 200 prisoners were held there and were tortured and forced to do heavy manual labour. «Juka» himself is accused of raping and killing prisoners at this camp. *890
Alija's Army and the Green Berets are two Muslim paramilitary units reportedly acted in the Sarajevo area.
A rape victim testified to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia that she was held in a brothel in Livno and then in Sarajevo by «Alija's warriors». It is not clear from the report whether the group she refers to is the same paramilitary organization as Alija's Army, or whether she is referring generically to the army of BiH as President Alija Izetbegovic's «warriors». *891 Her testimony does not indicate any precise dates of custody.
The Green Berets also operated in Sarajevo. On 22 May 1992, a Serbian woman was picked up by two Green Berets and taken to «Viktor Bubanj» in Sarajevo, where she was questioned and raped repeatedly. *892 Another report alleges that the Green Berets were responsible for the death of an unspecified number of Serb children at the Kosevo Stadium near this time as well. Apparently, the members threw the children in the animal cages. Serb soldiers could hear the children being killed from their surrounding positions in Kromolj and Jezero. *893
Srebrenica is in eastern BiH bordering Serbia. As of 1991, it had a population of 37,211, of which 74.8 per cent was Muslim and 25.2 per cent Serb.
In May 1992, Arkan's men allegedly removed machinery and equipment from local factories and looted appliances from local stores in Srebrenica and loaded them into stolen cars and took them to Belgrade. *895
Also in May 1992, the town of Rogatica was shelled, and other reported violations took place, which are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons. *896
Teslic County is in the central northern region of BiH. In 1991, it had a population of 59,632, of which 55.1 per cent was Serb, 21.5 per cent Muslim, 16 per cent Croat, 5.7 per cent «Yugoslav», and 1.7 per cent «other».
Arkan and his forces led the near-fatal attack on Kamenica in Teslic during early spring of 1992. The Muslim enclave finally collapsed after enduring 10 months of Serbian onslaughts. The entire village was abandoned by its residents, and Serbs quickly moved to bomb the mosque and loot and burn private homes. Mass graves were opened, which Serbs claimed to bury their own who had died in combat.
A professor from Sarajevo University also reports that paramilitary units of the Armada Forces, along with the Serbian militia and the Red Berets, were brought into Teslic to perform «ethnic cleansing» operations there. *898 The report does not disclose any dates.
Tomislavgrad is a western county of BiH bordering Croatia at Imotski County. According to the 1991 census, it had a population of 29,261. Of this population, 86.6 per cent was Croat, 10.8 per cent Muslim, and 2.6 per cent «other».
Witness testimonies submitted by the Serbian Council Information Centre allege that members of the Black Legion, a Croatian paramilitary force, took prisoners from Split and Kupres and held them at Tomislavgrad. Women who were detained report that they were kept in cellars with no toilets or beds. *900 The Croatian Armed Forces (HOS) are also reported to have participated in the operation of a detention facility in Tomislavgrad. *901
Travnik is in central BiH. Its pre-war population was 70,402, with 45.3 per cent Muslim, 36.9 per cent Croat, 11 per cent Serb, and 6.8 per cent «other». There are reports of Croatian and Muslim paramilitary activity in this county.
UNPROFOR reports that a Croatian paramilitary formation called Medici was responsible for attacks, kidnappings, bombings, and artillery firing on Muslim residents in and around Travnik during the first weeks of April 1993. The HVO has claimed that the Medici are not under its military control. *903
The US Government claims that Mecet's Bebe, or Mecetove Bebe, is a Muslim paramilitary organization that carried out criminal activity, including theft and sabotage in the Travnik area. *904 It does not specify any dates of their activity.
Tuzla is in north-east BiH. Its population in 1991 was 131,861, of which 47.6 per cent was Muslim, 16.6 per cent «Yugoslav», 15.6 per cent Croat, 15.5 per cent Serb, and 4.7 per cent «other».
The chlorine-alkaline complex in Tuzla and Lukavac was bombarded with artillery by Seselj's men and local «Cetniks» during June of 1992. The attack was backed by aircraft from the military air force and an anti-aircraft defence provided by the JNA. *906
According to an April 1992 report, the Pan-Yugoslav television network YUTEL, carried videotape footage of the attack on Veljina. The report states that Veljina was «overrun» by Arkan and his men, who were claiming to liberate it for the Serbs. Arkan told reporters that his forces were in BiH to prevent Muslim fundamentalism from gaining a foothold in Europe. *907
Visegrad is in eastern BiH. According to 1991 census figures, it had a population of 21,202, with 62.8 per cent Muslim, 32.8 per cent Serb and 4.4 per cent «other». There are numerous reports of Serbian paramilitary activity in this county.
In 9 April 1992, Zagreb Radio Croatia Network reported that all Muslims from Visegrad had left in fear that Arkan was headed for the town. *909
Between 12 and 13 April 1992, residents of Visegrad were informed by their Serbian neighbours that Seselj's and Arkan's units were coming into the area to perform a mass killing. Some residents left, and their houses were ransacked and riddled with bullets. Fourteen houses were burned down, leaving only five undamaged. *910
On 13 April 1992, the city of Visegrad was occupied by the Uzice Corps. This group consisted of JNA soldiers, reservists, Uzice territorial defence forces, and White Eagles. They brought a large amount of JNA heavy equipment with them. The JNA forces wore their traditional uniforms, while the White Eagles wore identifiable outfits, combining military and civilian clothes. Some wore hats with the kokada emblem. Upon the corps' siege, the civilian population fled the city and was fired upon. The corps then broadcast a message instructing the residents to return to Visegrad and assuring their safety. When they returned, the village was in shambles, with many homes burned. *911 The JNA then blocked all roads leading out of Visegrad with help from the White Eagles and Uzice Corps. Soldiers at the roadblocks would take away Muslims, whose names appeared on a master list. *912 Between 18 and 25 May, the Uzice Corps left Visegrad, leaving it to fall under the control of the White Eagles, Cetnik gangs and Seselj's forces. *913
After the retreat of the Uzice Corps, the killing and torturing of Muslims began. Residents could not leave the city without permission. Many Serbs were seen throwing bound Muslims into the river to drown them. In early June, many girls were taken to the hotel Vilina Vlas, interrogated, and raped. *914 Some of the females were not returned.
On 13 April 1992, Momir Savic's Cetniks set fire to the villages of Repusevici, Jarci, Brezje, Sip, Bodeznik, Blaz, and Moremeslje. *915 They harassed and arrested Muslims, defaced a mosque, destroyed Muslim property, and stole humanitarian aid. Witness testimony submitted by the Republic of BiH identified one of the men who organized «ethnic cleansing» in the Visegrad region. Apparently, once the Uzice Corps left on 18 June 1992, the criminal activity of Momir Savic's Cetniks grew markedly worse. *916
Then in July, civilians were evicted and convoys left the city. *917 Some of the men on the convoy were killed and thrown into the River Drina before they arrived in Olovo. The women were taken to Olovo, then to Visoko, then to Zenica. *918
According to a witness, the Popovic Group led by Srpko Popovic was also involved in criminal activity in the Visegrad area during this time. *919 On 18 June 1992, the Popovic Group is claimed to have killed 22 Muslims in Visegrad under the direction of Milan Lukic. *920 The Popovic Group is also alleged to have killed Muslims at the Visegrad Electric Plant and then to have thrown the corpses in the Drina River. In addition, Popovic members allegedly burned 60 civilians detained in a house and drowned others by tying them up and throwing them into the river. They are also said to have regularly looted Muslim homes. In addition, Srpko Popovic, himself, is claimed to have killed 17 civilians in one day.
The Visegrad Militia was also active in the area. A witness from the village of Koritnik near Visegrad stated that he narrowly escaped when the house he was being detained in was set afire by Visegrad Militia guards in June 1993. *921 The witness stated that in June 1993, an identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons, came to Koritnik and told the Muslims that they would be evicted. The next day, members of the Visegrad militia came to the village and loaded 51 civilians onto buses headed towards Visegrad. At a Serbian checkpoint on a bridge outside Visegrad, the civilians were searched and forced to give up their money and jewelry. The prisoners were then transferred to a house where the women were kept separately for supposed «interrogations».
The witness goes on to describe that there were already five prisoners in the house when they arrived. At 10:30 p.m., one of the Visegrad Militia guards threw a torch into the house and fired a machine-gun into the various rooms where he and others were held. The witness escaped through a window and ran. In the field behind the house, he was again fired upon. He does not expect that anyone else survived.
On 18 June 1992, the paramilitary forces under Milan Lukic killed 22 Muslims on the new bridge in Visegrad. *922 The Lukic forces are said to have killed Muslim civilians in a variety of ways: children were dropped from the bridge and then shot before they hit the water: others were killed by pulling their kidneys out while they were still alive; and still others were tied to car bumpers and dragged across the bridge and through the streets of Visegrad. The report links the actions of Lukic's forces with those of the Popovic Group. *923
On 22 October 1992, Milan Lukic and his men allegedly abducted 16 Sandzak Muslims from the village of Sjeverin. *924 According to Amnesty International, eight armed and masked men boarded the bus that the Muslims were travelling on as it entered BiH at the Visegrad municipality. The men, identified as Milan Lukic's, then ordered the passengers off the bus and onto an army truck. The truck, which had no license plates, headed towards the town of Visegrad. At this time, the passengers were told that they would be exchanged for Serbs who were captured the previous night. According to the Belgrade newspaper Borba, which cites military sources in Serbia, these Muslim hostages were killed near Visegrad that same day. *925
On 19 February 1993, Lukic's forces reportedly performed a similar operation, this time at the Strpci train station. *926 Witnesses state that 19 Muslim passengers on a train at Strpci were abducted by Lukic's forces, led onto a military truck, and driven away. The present whereabouts of these Muslims are not reported.
Finally, these reports indicate that Lukic was briefly detained on 26 October 1992 and again in February 1993 for the kidnapping of the Muslims from the bus and from the train. *927 Furthermore, according to the Amnesty International report, the leaders of the «Serb Republic of BiH» deny the existence of paramilitary forces in Visegrad and refer to Lukic's forces as «volunteers» fighting under the command of the Visegrad Brigade. However, according to Borba, Lukic's forces are not under the direction of the army nor the local Visegrad authorities. *928
Finally, it is reported that the paramilitary forces under the command of Rajko Kusic were also involved in the kidnapping and killing of Muslims in Visegrad. *929 It is not clear whether their actions are linked to those of the Lukic forces. In this case, a witness claims that Kusic forces under the direction of an identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons, forced 49 Muslim prisoners from Visegrad onto a bus. The paramilitaries told the prisoners that they were going to be exchanged in Han Pijesak. Yet, once on the bus, the prisoners were tied up and beaten. The bus pulled off the road somewhere between Visegrad and Rogatica, and the prisoners were ordered off. Then, they were killed and piled into a pit. *930
A Serbian irregular force called Commander Turtle's units is said to have worked in portions of eastern BiH, including Visegrad. *931 This group was led by a Bosnian Serb doctor named Dusko Kornjaca and operated sometime after September 1992. *932
Other testimony indicates that the Serbian forces under Risto Perisic, the president of the Serbian community, were active in Visegrad. Perisic is alleged to be one of the organizers of «ethnic cleansing» in the region. *933
Vitez is in central BiH. The pre-war population was 27,728. Of that population, 45.7 per cent was Croat, 41.4 per cent Muslim, 7.5 per cent «other», and 5.4 per cent Serb. There are reports of both Croatian and Muslim paramilitary activity in this region.
According to UNPROFOR personnel, the Croatian Knights paramilitary group set up a checkpoint approximately three kilometres north-west of Vitez, where they detained a convoy of trucks for several days. Although the convoy was eventually returned, the action was apparently one of many designed to agitate the Muslim population in the region. *935 HVO officials have stated that the Knights were an independent group that did not follow official military command.
The Muslim Armed Forces(MOS) are alleged to have looted and burned homes and to have threatened Croatian civilians in the Vitez municipality. Specifically, witnesses report MOS activity in Cajdras, Vjetrenica Mountain, and Busovaca. Many civilians are said to have been killed in the area; their bodies have most often been found burned with their homes. *936 It is also reported that the MOS acted as local police and arrested HVO personnel earlier released by the Army of BiH. *937
Vogosca is a small county in central BiH just west of Sarajevo. There are reports that the Serbian paramilitary units under the command of Dragan Ikanovic operated there.
A witness who was held for several weeks at the army barracks in Rajlovac reports that Ikanovic and his men were responsible for the deaths of approximately 50 Muslim prisoners. He claims that Ikanovic and his men loaded prisoners onto a bus and drove them from Vogosca towards a village called Srednje. At one point in the journey, the passengers were told that the bus had overheated and needed water. The guards on the bus then got off. Immediately afterward, the bus was fired upon by Serbian forces using rocket launchers, bazookas, machine-guns, and hand grenades. *938
The BiH Bulletin also reports details of this incident. *939 It states that Serb forces took 55 Muslim prisoners, some of whom were from Dobrosevici, Bojnik, and Mihaljevici, on a red bus to a supposed prisoner exchange. Then an identified man was said to take the prisoners. The report does not indicate whether other forces under Joja Tintor were involved. Later, the bus was fired upon as described above. Forty-seven prisoners were killed. *940
Zenica County is in central BiH. In 1991, it had a population of 145,577, of which 55.2 per cent was Muslim, 15.6 per cent Croat, 15.5 per cent Serb, 10.9 per cent «Yugoslav», and 2.9 per cent «other». Croatian and Muslim paramilitary activity has been reported in this area.
The Croatian Armed Forces (HOS) is an organization of Croatian and Muslim forces that have acted in the Zenica region. It is estimated that of the 1,500 troops in Zenica, there are at least 800 Muslim members. *942
The Zenica Hoodlums (or Green League), the Muslim Armed Forces (MOS), and the Patriotic League have all been named in connection with the attack on Zenica on 25 April 1992. *943
Zvornik is located in eastern BiH on the Serbian border. It had a pre-war population of 81,111. Of that population, 59.4 per cent was Muslim, 38 per cent Serb, and 2.6 per cent «other». Here, there are reports of Serbian and Muslim paramilitary activity.
In late March, Seseljovci units arrived in the area and informed the Muslim residents that they had 10 days in which to turn in their weapons. *945 At a party held in April at the Tezeko Hotel in Zvornik, Seselj read the names of local Muslim intellectuals from a list to an audience partly comprised of members of Arkanovci, Seseljovci, and White Eagles. The people on this list were to be killed. *946
On 7 April 1992, the predominantly Muslim village of Grbavci was surrounded on three sides by the Serbian paramilitary units of Seselj, Arkan and the White Eagles. They took over the village's important buildings and announced that all Muslims were to turn in their weapons. They had a list prepared by local Serbs of the names of all the Muslims in the village who owned weapons. Those on the list who did not turn in a weapon were taken away and not seen again. Shortly after they were removed, gunshots were heard in the forest outside the village. *947
Zvornik was attacked on 8 April 1992. Arkan's troops reportedly led the attack. *948 They were aided by JNA forces, Seselj's, and Arkan's men. Identified perpetrators included regular JNA troops, paramilitaries, and special police, *949 but names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons. The attack began with artillery fire that continued without interruption from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. *950
Zvornik was shelled from all sides, but especially from a hill 12 kilometres away. *951 On 9 April 1992, Zagreb Radio Croatian Network reported that Serbian forces had entered the centre of Zvornik and that fighting had dimished. *952 Likewise, Sarajevo Radio reported that Serbian troops had captured the town at about midday on 9 April. *953 Fighting, however, reportedly continued in the suburbs, which were under heavy mortar fire. A school, a timber processing plant, a secondary school centre, and many multi-story buildings in the centre of Zvornik were hit. Hospital staff reported 10 people wounded and one killed at the time of the broadcast on 9 April. A transmitter allegedly was damaged so that citizens of Zvornik could not receive information other than one channel of Belgrade television. *954
General Milutin Kukanjac, the Yugoslav Army's local commander, reportedly said in a Sarajevo radio interview that an army unit in the Zvornik area would intervene only if the town's civil defence forces surrendered their weapons. *955 Zvornik's Muslim fighting force, poorly armed and coordinated, held the city for five days before retreating to a castle near Kula Grad. They conducted night attacks from the castle but had to withdraw due to lack of ammunition. Some of these forces were later arrested and imprisoned. *956
During the attack on Zvornik, approximately 200 houses were burned and 76 Muslims were killed. Young males were told that they either had to join the Serbian forces, leave, or be shot. The old men, women, and children were allowed to stay. Many of the males that left reported seeing JNA tanks on the Serbian side of the Drina. *957
In the Kula section of Zvornik, no advanced warning was given to turn in weapons. The men were gathered in the basement of the hospital, where the younger ones were beaten in a Serbian attempt to find out information on the defending forces. Those that refused to give information were taken away and not seen again. After a few days, the others were allowed to return to their homes. *958
Serbian forces positioned across the Drina in Serbia began shelling the Muslim village of Divic, two kilometres north of Zvornik. The village was then occupied by Serbian forces, who forced the residents to turn in their weapons. The residents were subjected to regular beatings by the occupying forces, but the village was relatively calm. *959
People reportedly were imprisoned, first the intellectuals, and then others as well. Various registrations were ordered, and if they were not obeyed, all property would be taken away. Many people who had left the town earlier came back for this reason. Many of them were then taken to concentration camps, tortured, and killed. Certain villagers were forced to sign statements that they «voluntarily renounce» all of their property. *960 At least two prison camps were established in the Zvornik suburb of Karakaj: one at the Standard Shoe Factory, holding 35 prisoners, and another at the Ekonomija, holding 600 prisoners. The prisoners at Ekonomija were reportedly beaten on a regular basis by the Seseljovci. *961
A series of killings reportedly followed the fall of Zvornik. *962 A number of them of have been attributed to Arkan's soldiers: *963 Arkan's men allegedly stopped at each house checking the identification of residents. *964 According to a Sarajevo radio report, on 9 April elders of the Islamic community of BiH accused Arkan's units of committing crimes against the Muslims in Zvornik. The elders claimed that Muslims were subjected to «a pogrom» because of their religion. The elders' statement disclosed that there were many Muslims killed, and a great number wounded. The elders appealed to legal entities of BiH, to members of the public, and to the United Nations and international humanitarian organizations for protection. *965 Another Sarajevo radio report on the same day stated that Arkan's units were perpetrating a «massacre» of the Muslim population of Zvornik. The report said that six people had died that day and 15 people were injured as a result of grenades and bombs launched from 120 millimetre calibre mortars. *966
A Serbian woman told US Embassy officers in Budapest that several Yugoslav army tanks, led by Arkan, had come to Zvornik on 10 April. About 30 masked irregulars belonging to a unit under Arkan conducted a house-to-house search for Bosnian Muslim men by checking identity cards. The Serbs then allegedly cut off the heads, hands, and feet of their victims. *967
According to the witness who made a statement to Amnesty International, Serbian paramilitaries, who described themselves as Arkan's men, strangled six people. At about 3:00 p.m. on 10 April, a group of about 30 men arrived at the outskirts of Zvornik and rounded up residents. They were taken out into the orchard and forced to lie down. There were 15 captives in total, nine women and six men. The men were killed, and the women were locked in the cellar of a house. After three days, people from a nearby village discovered the women. About 10 days later, the survivors were driven from the site at gunpoint and made to cross into Mali Zvornik in Serbia, from where they made their way to Hungary. *968
An unidentified witness states that Arkan's soldiers visited Hasim Hadziavdic's home. The witness maintains that the soldiers interrogated Hadziavdic and his 74 year-old neighbour about where Muslim money and guns were hidden. When the men could not or did not answer, a soldier reportedly slit Hadziavdic's throat. The neighbour fainted, and the soldier stepped on his chest and slit his throat as well. Then, the soldiers went to the next home, that of Sehic Hakija, and demanded the same information from him and his son. The soldiers slit the throats of Hakija and his son. It is alleged that 46 people were killed by Arkan's men in one hour on this day. *969
The Zvornik hospital was overrun by Serb forces during the occupation. Arkan's men stored weapons and set up headquarters there. All those at the hospital were taken hostage until the body of «Rambo», Arkan's second in command, was returned. Around 20 April, White Eagle members arrived at the hospital, harassed hostages, threatened to kill the Muslims, shot from windows, and made people stand or squat in line. *970
In mid-April 1992, Serbian forces began digging pits with a bulldozer in the Muslim cemeteries south-west of Zvornik. Trucks were seen there three times a day dumping bodies. Trucks loaded with bodies were also seen frequently in Mali Zvornik at the stone quarry near the Hotel Drina. *971 Citizens hidden in «Little Zvornik» allegedly saw the digging of mass graves at the northern entrance of the town called Kazambasca.
On 11 April 1992, a news report stated that UN refugee workers had reported a day earlier that 10,000 Muslim women and children had been found huddled in a single village without food or shelter. Alija Izetbegovic, the Muslim President of BiH, appealed to the international community for help after claiming that Serbian guerrillas had threatened to kill 3,000 civilians trapped near Zvornik. According to the news article, a UN refugee official had reported seeing heavily armed Serbian guerrillas clearing dead bodies from the streets. A shortage of bus drivers and concern about «armed gangs» controlling the region prevented Red Cross aid workers from approaching the area at that time. *972 Relief workers said that Arkan's forces controlled Zvornik's centre, while Yugoslav army forces were stationed around the area. *973
On 14 April 1992, Sarajevo Radio reported that members of Arkan's units were looting empty houses and apartments in Zvornik and taking the goods away on trucks. Those who had left the village and returned to recover their property were taken to camps, tortured, and killed. Others were forced to sign statements wherein they surrendered all of their property. *974 Dead bodies were lying in the streets, private houses, and apartment buildings. Shops had been closed for eight days, and the town lacked basic foodstuffs and medicine. The report carried an appeal on behalf of citizens remaining in Zvornik for EC observers and food. The report said that more than 10,000 refugees wanted to leave for a safe place but were unable to do so. *975
Arkan reportedly appeared on Serbian state-controlled television, discussing his «exploits» in Zvornik, saying that he had «liberated» the area. *976 Apparently, Arkan had most recently said on television that he would go on vacation with his family. *977 Another news report said that international human rights organizations had accused the Serbian Volunteer Guard under Arkan of atrocities against civilians in Croatia before the cease-fire, whose observance was marked by Arkan's vacation.
Civilians continued to be assailed in May. Muslims were taken to facilities around Zvornik, where they were detained and beaten severely by Serbs. Shooting began in Zvornik on 18 May, causing most Muslims to flee to other villages or the woods at the edge of the village. Some of those in the woods returned to the village, following Serb instructions. The men who returned were shot in front of their families. *978
On 17 May 1992, Seseljovci entered Divic in Zvornik County and began to loot and pillage Muslim property for nine days. *979 On 26 May 1992, the residents of Divic were loaded onto buses supposedly headed to Olovo. Instead the buses went to Tuzla and on to Zvornik. In Zvornik, they were housed for 36 hours on the second floor of an office building, where they were given regular meals and water. *980
On 29 May 1992, the 174 male residents from Divic were moved to a movie theatre in a cultural centre in Celopek, seven kilometres north of Zvornik. The prisoners were threatened with death unless they could come up with 2,000 DM per person, which they did. Nevertheless, the prisoners were still beaten, tortured, sexually abused, and killed. *981
In May 1992, Serbian forces moved into the Zvornik village of Djulici, killing 60 residents. *982
Also in May, local Serbs, including a policeman, attacked Kostjerevo village. Their names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons. Apparently, the entire population of the village was taken away to Drinjaca where 35 men were beaten and killed in a hall. A dozen teenage boys were taken prisoner and led in the direction of Zvornik. Women were raped and tortured. According to the witness, on 31 May, about 150 women and children were taken in two buses in the direction of Tuzla. *983
In June and July, the number of detentions increased and the beatings continued. Both the Bosnian Serb police and Seselj's men were responsible. *984 A former prisoner related that on 4 June, the detainees were moved to a neighbouring house with another 120 Muslims, and kept there six weeks, during which time they were repeatedly beaten. Men from Seselj's unit carved crosses into the heads of 10 Muslim prisoners. Bosnian Serb police tightened wires around other prisoners' necks. On 15 July, the prisoners were taken to a detention camp in Batkovic, where they were beaten regularly with sticks. The witness was finally released as part of a prisoner exchange. *985
On 26 June 1992, Muslim men, women, and children were rounded up by what were believed to be Seselj's men, as well as White Eagles. They were taken to the centre of town where they were put onto trucks that took them to Loznica. In Loznica, they boarded a train that took them to Subotica. After spending several days on the train in Subotica, the Muslims were moved to a campsite at Palic, where they were issued Yugoslav passports stamped by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Then they were taken in groups to the Hungarian border and accepted as refugees. *986
Charles Lane wrote in The New Republic in July 1992 that he, along with about eight carloads of Sarajevo-bound journalists, passed through Zvornik. He wrote that Zvornik had been the scene of numerous alleged atrocities against Muslims and perpetrated by paramilitary Serbian bands such as those of Arkan. Lane wrote that Arkan's name was daubed in black paint on the walls of burned-out homes and businesses in the town. He and the other journalists arrived shortly after midday. The Serb gunmen manning the local checkpoint «were drunk, mad, and in a mood to poke us with their automatic weapons». A policeman intervened, informing the journalists that «a battle» was going on up ahead which made the way dangerous. The journalists waited as a Serb paramilitary officer dressed in a camouflage tunic and riding breeches drove up in a Mercedes and waved an AK-47 at them. Reportedly the paramilitary officer said in «precise English», «If you take a single picture between here and Sarajevo, I will personally kill you».
Within moments, three buses passed through the checkpoint. Each bus contained Muslim men, their heads bowed and touching the seats in front of them, and their hands behind their necks. Lane caught a glimpse of one man's «fearful» eyes through the window. *987
According to a US Government report, Radoja Nikolic allegedly led Serbian paramilitary groups in Grbavci near Zvornik and an identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons, served as chief of the Serbian Guard in Karakaj. *988
Quoting Tanjug, the Democratic League of Kosevo reports that in the second week of October 1992, a unit of Muslim fighters called the Mosque Doves attacked the villages of Pantici and Milosevici which are about 20 kilometres from Zvornik. *989 There are only approximations of the number of people killed since Tanjug was inconsistent in its reports on these attacks. On 12 October, it reported that 50 villagers, mainly the elderly, were killed. Then, the next day, they reported that 13 civilians and 23 members of the Serb forces were killed. The Mosque Doves were said to use «rifles from Hungary and Arabic countries» and included Muslims and some Croatians from the Zvornik area. *990
This county is located in north-eastern Croatia, bordered by Serbia to the east. According to the 1991 census, Beli Manastir had a population of 54,160, of which 25.5 per cent was Serbian, 41.7 per cent Croatian, 16.5 per cent Hungarian, 7.9 per cent «Yugoslavs», and 8.4 per cent «other».
In August of 1991, 260 Croat citizens of the Baranja area were killed by local Serbs and Seselj's soldiers. Marko Kvesic, representative of the Government of the Republic of Croatia for the Beli Manastir District, stated that the Croatians of Baranja were ordered to leave their homes, and that those who refused to do so were shot. Explosions were set off, property was taken, and people were beaten. Those fleeing the village into Hungary were seen with broken limbs and disfigured faces. *992
Furthermore, the Serbian parmilitary group, Martic's Militia, led by Milan Martic, was alleged to have been conducting paramilitary operations in Beli Manastir and to have organized camps and prisons in the county. In these camps, captured civilians and members of the Croatian Army were severely mistreated and/or killed. *993
Benkovac County is located in west-central Croatia. The pre- war population was 33,079. The ethnic breakdown of the population was 57.4 per cent Serbian, 40.6 per cent Croatian, and 2 per cent «other».
On 21 December 1991, a paramilitary group under the leadership of Bogdan Gagic allegedly killed nine Croatians and one Serbian in the village of Bruska in Benkovac. Other inhabitants were reported to have been tortured or evicted. Although the report indicates that Gagic's group had 31 members it does not identify them nor does it provide any information as to the ethnicity of its members. *995
In February 1993, the town of Benkovac in Benkovac County was reported to be under the complete control of Arkan. No details as to how this was accomplished were reported. *996
This county is located in north-central Croatia with a pre- war population of 29,978. Of this population 33.2 per cent was Serbian, 34.3 per cent Croatian, 27 per cent «other», and 5.5 per cent described as «Yugoslav».
In June 1991, the JNA and the Serbian Democratic Party (SDS) for Slavonia and Baranja allegedly formed the XII Slavonian Shock Brigade for the area of Daruvar, Grubisno Polje, Pakrac, Virovitica, Podravska Slatina and Slavonska Pozega. One formation of the brigade was the Unit of Daruvar, headquartered in Bijela. They also formed the Police of SAO Krajina and West Slavonia. *998
The Unit of Daruvar and members of their police units allegedly participated in a number of attacks and incidents, often in concert with the JNA and other «Cetnik» forces. On 19 and 20 June 1991, five policemen were killed and five wounded during two separate attacks by members of the Unit of Daruvar. On 21 August 1991, the Unit of Daruvar began shelling Daruvar. The report indicated that the shelling of various villages within this county continued through 12 November 1991. *999
Dvor County is located in south-central Croatia with BiH at its southern border. According to the 1991 census, the population was 14,636, of which 85.6 per cent was Serbian, 9.5 per cent Croatian, and 4.9 per cent «other».
According to the Croatian Information Centre, a Serbian paramilitary group from Dvor na Uni, attacked two nearby villages, Kozibrod and Struga on 26 July 1991. The attack began at 10:30 a.m. and lasted until 9:00 p.m. that night. Allegedly, the attackers used civilians from the two villages as shields as they advanced on the Croat police station at Kozibrod. Once in control of the police facilities, the paramilitaries killed seven civilians and eight policemen. The report also lists eight civilians as seriously wounded by gunfire. *1000
This county is located in central Croatia, with Zagreb to the north and BiH to the south. The pre-war population was 22,997, of which 60.5 per cent were Serbian, 35 per cent Croatian, and 4.5 per cent «other».
Martic's Militia allegedly organized camps and prisons in Glina. In these camps, captured civilians and members of the Croatian Army were allegedly severely mistreated and killed. *1002
According to a report from the Republic of Croatia, 22 Croatians, mostly elderly, were killed in the Glina village of Glinska Josevica on 16 December 1993 by a special Serbian Territorial Defence unit, the Visors, led by an identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons. Victims were killed in their homes with small-bore, silencer-equipped guns. The Croatian report claims that the attack was initiated by Serbian authorities in Glina to revenge the death of 19 members of Territorial Defence units killed in battle with the Croatian Army. *1003
Gracac County is located in the central coastal area of Croatia. According to the 1991 census, its population was 11,060. The ethnic make up of this population was 82.3 per cent Serbian and 17.7 per cent Croatian.
On 20 July 1991, about 10 members of the Serbian group the Velebit Unit allegedly carried out a mortar attack on Lovinac, killing one local woman. According to the report of the Republic of Croatia, they attacked the village again on 5 August 1991. One civilian was killed, and one reserve policeman and another civilian wounded. The perpetrators also caused significant property damage. On that same day, the members of the Velebit Unit took five villagers from their homes and killed them about 2 kilometres form Lovinac in the direction of Raduca. *1004
This county is located in the central region of northern Croatia. Its pre-war population was 14,186, of which 32.1 per cent was Serbian, 42.3 per cent Croatian, 4.5 per cent «Yugoslav», and 21.1 per cent «other». There are reports of both Serbian and Croatian paramilitary activity in this county.
In June 1991, the JNA and the Serbian Democratic Party (SDS) for Slavonia and Baranja formed the XII Slavonian Shock Brigade for the area of Grubisno Polje, Daruvar, Pakrac, Virovitica, Podravska Slatina, and Slavonska Pozega. The Bilogora Unit was formed as part of this brigade and allegedly took part in several attacks, in concert with the JNA throughout August, September, and October 1991. These attacks resulted in several casualties and mistreatment of the non-Serbian population. *1006
According to witness testimonies reported by the Serbian Council Information Centre, the Croatian paramilitary group, the Black Shirts from Virovitica, arrived in Grubisno Polje on 13 August 1991, and proceeded to arrest and kill civilians, destroy property, and steal the villagers' money. *1007
The Black Shirts allegedly began their activities in the area by blocking roads, setting up check-points, and taking over police duties. They arrested, according to a previously compiled list, 124 people and held them in the Grubisno Polje Hotel. Twenty well-respected men in the community, who were on the previously mentioned list, were later found dead. The Black Shirts are reportedly led by an identified man, whose name is not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons. *1008
Knin County is located in the central, southern region of Croatia with BiH on its eastern border. According to the 1991 census, its population was 42,337, with 88.6 per cent Serb, 8.6 per cent Croat and 2.8 per cent «other».
In January of 1993, Petar Pasic, Commissioner of the Croatian Government for the Knin municipality, requested that UNPROFOR do everything possible to protect the Croats who had chosen to remain in Knin, 800 of them in all. Refugees had been pouring into Knin from Benkovac and Obrovac, and Pasic described that because local troops had organized under the command of «Captain Dragan» and Cetnik formations and units of Arkan and Seselj had arrived in the region, life was rendered «unbearable and impossible». The report notes that refugees were forcibly moved into Croatian homes, and that Croatians were being taken to concentration camps and killed. *1010
Serbian paramilitary forces led by Milan Martic are also alleged to have operated in and around Knin. Milan Martic is Minister of the Interior for the Republic of Serbian Krajina and, according to reports, he trained forces called the Marticevci for operations in Croatia and gave commands from offices stationed in Knin.
A cease-fire between Croat and Serb forces broke down during the third week of January 1993, when Croat troops launched an offensive in and around Krajina. This act, along with reports of Croat soldiers committing atrocities upon Serbian civilians, prompted hundreds of Serbians to volunteer their services in the fight against the Croats. *1011 In addition to the independent Serb volunteers traveling to the front lines, militiamen belonging to Seselj and Arkan had already arrived in Krajina and had seen action. *1012 In an interview, Seselj stated, «We will not allow Croatians, who killed one millions Serbs, to gain Serbian territory». Seselj also bragged that his men were responsible for killing 12 Croatian policemen in a 2 May ambush in north- eastern Croatia. In all, close to 4,000 of Seselj's and Arkan's men were said to have reinforced the Serb volunteers fighting in Krajina. *1013
This county is located north of Dubrovnik in southern Croatia with BiH on its eastern border. According to the 1991 census, the population was 22,774, of which 3.1 per cent was Serb, 93.7 per cent Croat, and 3.2 per cent «other».
Paramilitary units of the Croatian Armed Forces (HOS) allegedly ran detention facilities for Serbian civilians at sites along the Dalmatian coast including one in Metkovic. Allegedly, these facilities contained civilians taken from the Capljina municipality of BiH.
Nova Gradiska County is located in central Croatia along the northern border of BiH. According to the 1991 census, the population was 60,461 of which 20.8 per cent was Serb, 71.5 per cent Croat, 3 per cent «Yugoslav», and 4.5 per cent «other».
Serbian paramilitary forces commanded by Milan Martic allegedly operated at Stara Gradiska, a village in Nova Gradiska on the Sava river.
Osijek County is located in eastern Croatia, just north of Vukovar County. As of 1991, it had a population of 164,577. The ethnic breakdown of the population was 20 per cent Serb, 66.6 per cent Croat, 8.4 per cent «other», and 5 per cent «Yugoslav». There were reports of both Serbian and Croatian paramilitary activity in this county.
On 15 February 1991, Arkan's police entered the village of Sodolovci and invaded the homes of several Croatian residents. Eight of the civilians were abducted and taken to a home, and then to another home in Koprivna. They spent two nights there, during which time they were questioned, humiliated, and mistreated. On 17 February, 15 additional residents arrived. The next morning all 23 were loaded onto a truck and driven to the centre of Paulin Dvor. The residents were positioned into line-formation, and one resident was given a white flag. They were then ordered to walk over minefields towards Hrastin. *1015
A 29 November 1991 news report said that the Serbian-led Yugoslav People's Army had conquered one-third of Croatia and had turned the territory over to Serb leaders, who had declared the area a new autonomous Serbian province. At the village of Erdut on the Danube River, temporary regional capital of the purported province, Arkan reportedly made clear that his irregular forces would never be replaced by U.N. troops. Arkan is alleged to have said, «United Nations forces are welcome in Croatia, but they should be sent to Zagreb. They aren't needed here.» According to the report, like most Serbian fighters, Arkan and his Tigers did not consider the occupied regions to be part of Croatia. Therefore, they thought them exempt from a U.N. condition that all areas of conflict in Croatia be demilitarized. *1016 A contemporaneous report states that Arkan, in the Serb-held village of Erdut, 12 miles from Osijek, said, «It would be better for the Croats to surrender Osijek without a fight, if they do not want a repeat of their defeat in Vukovar». *1017
A December 1991 report states that Arkan and his troops held the town of Erdut. According to the report, Arkan said, «Next we are going to liberate Osijek, and then we are going to liberate Zagreb . . . We don't care about borders . . . We will respect the U.N. solution, but the U.N. must count all Serbs as one people. What I really want is for Serbian people to live in one state covering every place Serbs live now.» At this time, Arkan was reportedly nursing «a bullet wound in his hand from the Serb- won battles for Vukovar and Borovo Naselje». *1018
On 23 June 1992, between 25 and 30 people were killed in the village of Ernestinovo, reportedly by Arkan supporters, the JNA and «Cetniks». Ten of the victims were Croatian soldiers, and there were indications that they were killed in combat. All of the bodies were buried in a mass grave, alongside the bodies of farm animals, in an Ernestinovo park between June and November of 1992. There is a possible second mass grave which also contains farm animals. *1019
According to US Government reports, paramilitary forces under Commander Glavas were responsible for criminal acts designed to intimidate the Serbian population in Osijek. Glavas himself is alleged to have killed many civilians there and one Croat fighter from the region was reportedly captured wearing a necklace made from the fingers of young children. *1020
This county is located in UNPA Sector West. The 1991 census listed Pakrac County's population as 27,288, of which 46.4 per cent was Serb, 36 per cent Croat, 4.8 per cent «Yugoslavs» and 12.8 per cent «other».
According to a report from the Republic of Croatia, on 19 August 1991, 39 members of the Serbian paramilitary units, called the XII Slavonian Shock brigade, attacked Pakrac. Croatian civilians were killed, evicted, or imprisoned at a camp in Bucje, and Croatian property in Pakrac was stolen or destroyed. The XII Slavonian Shock brigade was allegedly formed by the JNA and the Serbian Democratic Party and included troops from the Unit of Daruvar and the Bilogorski Odred paramilitary units. *1022
Croatian civilians in the village of Prekopakra were reportedly attacked by units of the XII Slavonian Shock brigade on 19 August 1991. An unspecified number of Croatian civilians was killed, evicted, or imprisoned at a camp in Bucje. Also, Croatian property in Prekopakra was allegedly stolen or destroyed. *1023
The Serbian paramilitary group Martic's Militia allegedly organized camps and prisons in the village of Bucje, Pakrac county. In these camps, captured civilians and members of the Croatian Army were allegedly severely mistreated and/or killed. No further details were given in the report. *1024
Petrinja County is located in central Croatia, with a population of 35,622. This population was 44.9 per cent Serb, 44.2 per cent Croat, 5.1 per cent «Yugoslav» and 5.8 per cent «other».
In September 1990, Serbs from Petrinja and surrounding villages reportedly attacked the police station in Petrinja. It is alleged that they demanded the surrender of arms belonging to the Croatian Police Reserve. The Croatian Ministry of the Interior organized a transfer of arms in the direction of Sisak, but the Serbs reportedly stopped it at Moscenica and returned it to Petrinja. *1026
The tension in Petrinja increased and reached a peak in 1991. As early as June 1991, Serbs from the villages surrounding Petrinja, helped by Arkan's and Seselj's men and units of the former Yugoslav army, attacked the Croatian Ministry of the Interior police station in the village of Kraljevcani. The policemen withdrew to Petrinja.
Mass killings of civilian villagers allegedly followed in July 1991. A witness reported that frequent explosions at night were targeted at, among others, Serbs who remained loyal to the Croatian authorities.
By 23 September 1991, all the defenders had left the city.
Podravska Slatina County is located in north-eastern Croatia, on the Hungarian border. The county had a population of 31,155 in 1991, of which 35.8 per cent was Serb, 57.2 per cent Croat, 3.5 per cent «Yugoslav» and 3.5 per cent «other».
During June 1990, the Serbian Democratic Party was established in Podravska Slatina. On 19 August 1991, paramilitary troops under the command of Borivoje Lukic and Borivoje Radosavljevic occupied the police station at Vocin. *1028 In December 1991, 42 Vocin Croats were killed by Serbian paramilitary forces, including local Serbs, White Eagles, and «Cetniks». Many of the corpses were severely burned. Twenty other Croatians from nearby villages were also reportedly killed. The Roman Catholic church was blown up and many of the houses in Vocin were destroyed. *1029
On 4 September 1991, Seseljovci and White Eagles allegedly attacked the villages of Vocin, Cetekovac, Balinci, and Coljug killing 44 residents. Some of those killed were said to have been tortured. *1030
During the months of October to December 1991, units of the XII Slavonian Shock Brigade also attacked villages in Podravska Slatina. They used mortars, tank grenades, and rocket launchers in the attacks. *1031
This county is located in central Croatia, south-east of Zagreb. The pre-war population was 84,247, of which 22.8 per cent was Serb, 64.5 per cent Croat, 3.1 per cent Muslim, 4.4 per cent «Yugoslav» and 5.2 per cent «other».
A report, sent from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to the Commission of Experts, alleges that, during the first half of 1991, a paramilitary unit called the Hawks destroyed a slaughterhouse and four shops belonging to Serbian residents in Sisak. The Hawks were reportedly linked to the Croatian Ministry of Internal Affairs. *1033
This county is located in the central eastern region of Croatia. As of 1991, its population was 71,299, of which 14 per cent was Serbian, 79.4 per cent Croatian and 6.6 per cent «other».
After June 1991, the Bilogorski Odred participated in attacks in Slavonska Pozega, along with other units of the XII Slavonian Shock Brigade and the JNA. Allegedly, the JNA and the Serbian Democratic Party (SDS) for Slavonia and Baranja formed the XII Slavonian Shock Brigade for operations in Slavonia, including Slavonska Pozega county. However, reports submitted to the Commission of Experts are not specific regarding paramilitary activity there. *1034
Split County is located on the southern coast of Croatia. It's population, according to the 191 census, was 206,612. The ethnic mix in Split was 4.2 per cent Serb, 87.3 per cent Croat, 8.5 per cent «other».
Before being disbanded in August 1992, members of the Croatian Armed Forces (HOS) ran the Lora camp in Split for Bosnian Serb prisoners captured in Capljina County in south-west BiH. *1036
This county is located in southern Croatia. The pre-war population was 11,307, of which 75.8 per cent was Serb, 16.8 per cent Croat, 3.5 per cent «Yugoslav», and 3.9 per cent «other».
Serbian paramilitary forces commanded by Milan Martic also are alleged to operate in Titova Korenica County.
This county is located in northern Croatia. According to the 1991 census, the county's population was 46,498. This population was 15.7 per cent Serb, 76.8 per cent Croat, and 7.5 per cent «other».
Virovitica is one of several Slavonian counties where the XII Slavonian Shock Brigade operated after June 1991. The Brigade launched infantry and mortar attacks and took prisoners throughout Slavonia, including Virovitica County.
Vukovar County is in eastern Croatia, separated from Serbia by the Danube River. According to the 1991 census, the population of Vukovar County was 84,024, of which 37.4 per cent was Serb, 43.7 per cent Croat, 7.4 per cent «Yugoslav», and 11.6 per cent «other». There are reports of both Serbian and Croatian paramilitary activity in Vukovar County.
On 1 April 1991, in the town of Borovo in Vukovar County, six weeks before Croatian Stipe Mesic was to become the president of the collective head of state, some of Seselj's troops moved into the village of Borovo. *1039 The «Cetniks» had been sent to the region to protect the minority Serbs from the increasingly nationalistic Croatians. *1040 The «Cetniks» allegedly surrounded two police patrols, injuring five, one critically. *1041 Barricades and armed sentries were established at various locations in the region, but reports suggest that they were mainly staffed by Serbs from the neighbouring communities of Vukovar and Vinkovci. *1042 Seselj, however, had personally visited Vukovar the night of 31 March. *1043 The «Cetniks» remained in the region and the JNA remained silent and made no attempt to disarm them. *1044
Seselj returned to the region on 21 April 1991 to give a speech in the village of Jagodnjak. *1045 The speech prompted the district public prosecutor's office to issue a warrant for Seselj's arrest on 7 May for provoking and fomenting national hatred and intolerance between Croatians and Serbians. *1046
On 8 May 1991, a gun-fight broke out in the region between police in the village of Borovo Selo and 14 members of the «Cetniks» accompanied by two members of the Serbian Renaissance Movement, and six local Serbs. *1047 The shooting began as a result of an alleged ambush of the police by the «Cetniks», in which 12 police were killed and at least one had his eyes extracted. *1048
Seselj publicly acknowledged that his Cetniks killed the 12 Borovo Selo police, but insisted that the altercation resulted after an attack by members of the Croatian Ministry of Internal Affairs and was an alleged ambush. *1049 Seselj confirmed that the eyes of one policeman were missing and attributed it to the strong impact of the bullet from the Thompson automatic sub- machine-gun to the head of the victim. *1050
The names of the 12 or 13 police that were killed were not disclosed in the reports, nor were the names of the witnesses. According to a Newsday report, the deputy commander of the Cetnik operation was 23 year-old Oliver Denis Barret. *1051 A Los Angeles Times report did name Vladimir Mrklja, a 21 year-old unemployed Serbian, as one of the «Cetniks» involved in the incident. *1052
The battle over Vukovar raged in the summer and fall months of 1991. A report quoted Arkan, while in battle over Serb- populated areas of Croatia, as saying, «We have to free our children and our women which are holding [sic] as hostages there». *1053
On 14 October 1991, Serbian irregulars and members of the JNA entered the village of Bapska. In the first few days of occupation, 70 Croatian houses were burned and 18 Croatian civilians killed. In November 1991, Arkan's troops arrived and the assaults against the Croatians increased. *1054
A Yugoslav army internal memorandum, signed by Colonel Milan Eremija a month before the fall of Vukovar and sent to the army's regional command office, identified two militia groups in the Vukovar region as dangerous to «military morale». One was a band led by Arkan and the other, the Cetniks led by Seselj. The memorandum said that there were many paramilitary formations from Serbia and self-proclaimed volunteers, whose primary motive was not fighting against the enemy but robbery of private property and inhuman treatment of Croatian citizens. The memorandum reportedly recommended that all paramilitary groups in the area be disarmed. *1055
In November of 1991, Serb militia forces devastated the city of Vukovar. According to a New York Times report, during the final days of the Vukovar battle, Western reporters saw Serbian soldiers pulling men in civilian clothes from columns of refugees and shooting them on the spot. *1056 Women, children and the elderly were among the victims. In late November 1991, the last defenders of Vukovar, which had been predominantly Croatian, hid in cellars with their families to escape the shelling. Reportedly, those who had refused to surrender when the army took the city's centre were blasted when guerrillas lobbed grenades to flush out each basement. *1057 Reports describe that on 19 November 1991, Serbian paramilitary units under the command of Vlado Kovacevic took Vukovar civilians from their basements to the Pekara bakery, where they were reportedly killed with knives and burned in a baker's oven. *1058
According to several witness testimonies, Seselj himself was in Vukovar on 19 November 1991. He allegedly paid each of his troops 23,000 dinars. *1059 He gave the instruction, «Surrender and stab to death». About 960 persons were allegedly stabbed to death that day. *1060
On 19 November 1991, having heard a report that hundreds of wounded Croatians, many with gangrene, were hiding in the hospital basement without medicine or electricity, U.N. peace envoy Cyrus Vance and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) representatives reportedly demanded access to the hospital in Vukovar. The field commander of the Serb-led Yugoslav army, which had captured the city, did not permit access. The commander reportedly said that the hospital was mined, and he could not guarantee their safety. *1061
Concurrent with the Vance/ICRC visit, Yugoslav Army soldiers and Serb paramilitaries put Vukovar hospital patients and medical personnel on several buses to Ovcara and frequently beat and mistreated the prisoners during the journey. Along the way, the buses stopped at the JNA barracks where the prisoners were again beaten. Upon their arrival at Ovcara, the prisoners were stripped of their belongings and further beaten. One witness stated that at least two men were beaten to death. On 20 November, the Yugoslav army soldiers divided the prisoners into groups of 20 and loaded each group onto a truck to be driven away. Fifteen minutes later the truck would return, empty and ready to take on another group of prisoners. A witness said that many of the Serb paramilitaries spoke openly of the shootings. One gunman reportedly said: «Since five in the afternoon to one in the morning, we were killing them in Ovcara». According to the 29 November 1991 edition of the Croatian magazine Globus, a Serbian soldier who introduced himself as one of Arkan's men told a reporter who visited Vukovar one day after it fell: «We summarily executed 300 prisoners. We have a people's court here, you shoot and that's it.» *1062
Several witnesses related that several factions were involved in the imprisonment and eventual mass killing of the Croatians from Vukovar Hospital: the White Eagles, the Serbian Volunteer Guard (led by Arkan), the Cetniks (led by Seselj), the first company of the territorial defence unit of Vukovar, and other Yugoslav army regulars. *1063 The SAO Krajina Police (possibly Martic's Militia) were also mentioned. A witness mentioned several individuals as perpetrators of the detention, beating, and killing of between 200 to 300 Croatians. The witness identified six of the men who beat the prisoners while they waited at the JNA barracks to be transported to Ovcara. However, their names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons. The witness identified the officer who directed the Vukovar hospital evacuation and named four others. *1064 Names are not disclosed for confidentiality and prosecutorial reasons.
In the fall of 1992, international forensic experts discovered a shallow mass grave about six miles south-east of Vukovar. The scientists found the mass grave by following detailed map information provided by a Vukovar hospital patient, who said he escaped from a truck full of prisoners by jumping out. At the mass grave, the scientists saw hundreds of bullet holes in nearby saplings and mounds of metal casings from spent machine-gun bullets. The experts reportedly concluded that the grave was the site of a machine-gun execution of about 200 people. *1065 They found an area of disturbed earth and, within minutes, skeletons. Reportedly the area looked as if a bulldozer had shoveled out a trench. *1066 Scientists had a list of 180 missing patients and 30 staff members who were in the hospital when Vukovar fell as well as hospital records showing what wounds the patients had when they were admitted to the hospital. *1067
Clyde Snow, an American forensic anthropologist who headed the team investigating the Vukovar case, said in a January 1993 interview that evidence found at the mass grave was consistent with witnesses' testimony of how Croatian patients were taken from the hospital by Serb combatants. Snow indicated that the artifacts found on the bodies were Croatian, and that the bodies were suspiciously close to where witnesses said they would be. According to Snow, Roman Catholic crosses and rosary beads found on two bodies exhumed at the site suggested that the dead were Croats. Of the two bodies examined thus far, both had gunshot wounds to the head. Snow's team, organized by a US-based group called Physicians for Human Rights, released a report in January 1993. *1068
Seselj and his men were also said to have been at Velepromet, the holding facility for civilians who were eventually taken to other prison camps. This report stated that with help from local «Cetniks», 250 persons were stripped and killed with a knife. The bodies were stacked one upon another, face down. Croatians were forced to bury the bodies at an old brickyard at Sajmiste. From there, the corpses were transported to Grabovo and thrown into a hole. *1069
As a result of the fighting in Vukovar, 1,798 people are known to have died and 2,500 are missing on the Croatian side. The Serbian side has not released casualty figures. *1070 Another report puts the death toll at 5,000. *1071 Slavko Dokmanovic, the Serb-installed president of Vukovar's city council, said that about 5,000 people had died in the fight but did not indicate how he calculated the figure. *1072
The city of Vukovar sustained massive destruction: every tree was reduced to splinters; every vehicle perforated; every roof torn off; not a single home habitable; no shop, church, or public building intact; and a rubber factory which had provided 60,000 jobs was in shambles. A report said that the stench of rotting flesh emanated from under the piles of rubble. *1073 In September 1992, a reporter observed in residential neighbourhoods, reportedly with no strategic value, that every single home had been gutted by grenades, tank fire, and machine- gun salvos, every window broken, and every roof blown off. Some homes had Orthodox Serbian cross painted on ruined walls, others the Catholic cross of Croatia, symbols reportedly intended to protect the homes from respective opposing armies. *1074
According to a San Francisco Chronicle report, Arkan's troops were responsible for much of the destruction in the Croatian neighbourhoods. *1075 Another report attributed the wreckage to the work of Yugoslav federal forces, and quoted Arkan as saying that the destruction of Croatian «fascists» had been necessary in order to protect against «genocide». *1076 Shortly after the fall of Vukovar, Arkan reportedly said that his forces were under the direct command of the Yugoslav armed forces. A news article claims that he told reporters in Erdut that Osijek would fall more easily than Vukovar. *1077
By the end of November 1991, Vukovar was named the capital of the Serbian Autonomous Region of Slavonia, Baranja, and West Srem. After surveying the ruins of Vukovar, Belgrade, Mayor Milorad Unkovic vowed to rebuild the city as a monument to Serbian determination. Unkovic told a handful of unshaven, middle-aged guerrillas, «To rebuild this town is the humane thing to do. It's something that has to be done for the people who lived here and wish to remain.» These guerillas, who had stopped looting to join the Belgrade delegation, wore Serbian nationalist insignia. *1078
Serb paramilitary groups also allegedly operated in Lovas and Borovo, two villages within Vukovar county. Arkan himself was once in Borovo, at which time he personally killed a village resident in front of witnesses. *1079
The attack on Lovas began on 10 October 1991. During the first few days of the attack, «Cetniks» allegedly killed over 70 persons and burned over 50 houses. The report identified the «Cetnik units» as those of Dusan Silni and the White Eagles. *1080
On 22 December 1991, a resident of Lovas was taken from his house with another civilian to the town police station, where Arkan's units were located, along with White Eagles and Knindza's units. The citizens were beaten, kicked, and abused. They were then taken to a garage with other villagers, and three of them were crucified and made to sing Croatian songs. Eventually all of the villagers were released. *1081
In addition, an Amnesty International Report from March 1992 refers to numerous summary executions of civilians in the Lovas area. These executions were carried out by several different paramilitary groups, including the Beli Orlovi (White Eagles), Dusan Silni (Dusan the Great), Arkan's and Seselj's men, Jovicevci and Marticevci. *1082 Specifically, the report notes that on an unspecified date, 51 Croatian civilians were killed by Serb irregulars, and an additional 17 civilians were forced to hold hands and enter a minefield. Many of them were seriously wounded in the subsequent explosions. *1083
Serb paramilitary forces were also active in Tovarnik, a town south-east of Vukovar city, on the border separating Croatia from Serbia. According to reports, on 7 September 1991, Dusan Silni forces killed a Catholic priest and set homes on fire there. *1084 Reports also describe how, between 27 and 30 September 1991, a Serbian paramilitary unit called Drago's Group raped two 14 year-old girls in front of their grandmother and killed approximately 80 people. *1085
In Borovo Naselje, a local paramilitary unit allegedly detained civilians and transported them to a prison camp at Stajicevo in Serbia. A witness stated that during the ride to the prison camp, members of the paramilitary unit beat the prisoners. The same witness stated that the Stajicevo prison camp held 6,500 people from Vukovar County and that many women were detained there. *1086
Allegedly, Mile Dedakovic, alias «Jastreb», commanded Croatian paramilitaries in Vukovar who killed and tortured civilians. *1087
This county is located on the western coast of Croatia. Its population in 1991 was 134,881, of which 10.5 per cent was Serb, 83.4 per cent Croat and 6.1 per cent «other».
The Belgrade news agency, Tanjug, reported that the Italian mercenary unit trained by Serbian commander Captain Dragan carried out reconnaissance and sabotage missions along combat lines in the Velebit mountains, north of Zadar. *1089
On 18 November 1991, Serbian paramilitaries, belonging to Seselj, reportedly attacked the civilian population of Skabrnja in the county of Zadar using tank and infantry units, and killing 16 civilians. *1090
The activities of Seselj's men in Hrtkovci began in early May of 1992, when Seselj delivered a speech on 6 May stating that all Croatians and Hungarians who had been disloyal in the last year's war would have to leave the town. One of his followers had a list which contained the names of 17 residents who were selected as the first group to leave. At the time, 70 per cent of the 3,000 person population was Croat. The first 17 left, but other lists followed. As of August of 1992, only 400 Croatians remained in the village. Those who chose to stay were forced to endure threatening letters, beatings, and attacks on their homes. *1091 Streets were renamed after Serb historical figures. The Seselj party even devised a slogan for its campaign to rid the area of Croats: «All Croats Out Of Hrtkovci». *1092
Gangs of Serbs have forced Croats out of their homes, at times giving them mere days or hours to vacate their premises. *1093 Residents complained to the local police, but the police said that lacked authorization to act. Several people have been killed. *1094 Many citizens traveled to Belgrade in August of 1992 to protest the mistreatment of the Croatians in Hrtkovci. *1095
The province of Kosovo, which is 90 per cent Albanian, has been the site of much tension between Serb forces and the Albanian civilian population. Serbs began their attempts to influence the Albanians' lives, both culturally and politically, in 1992 by closing colleges, dismissing 100,000 Albanian workers and replacing them with Serbs, and arming massive numbers of Serbs who live in the province. President of the Kosovo Albanians, Ibrahim Rugova, reported that he possessed secret information that paramilitary groups led by Arkan and Seselj were already present in Kosovo in 1992. Shots were fired at Albanian civilians and their houses. *1096 In December 1992, Arkan was elected to the Serbian parliament to represent Kosovo, and he established his headquarters in a Pristina hotel. Seselj called for the expulsion of 360,000 Kosovo Muslims in January of 1993, adding yet another cultural group to the conflict in that province. *1097 Pristina, the capital of Kosovo, was selected by Seselj in May of 1993 as the site for an anti-Albanian rally. This rally was planned in response to a strike by 1,500 journalists and other employees of the Rilindja newspaper. *1098
By June 1993, Serb police were noted to «control everything and constantly terrorize the Albanian Kosovars». Belgrade had issued orders to «shoot to kill», and 25 innocent Albanians had already been shot at point-blank range. In all, 40,000 Serb military and 25,000 Serb policemen, as well as large numbers of the Serbian civilian population, were heavily armed. Thousands of Serb refugees from BiH and Croatia were purposefully resettled in Kosovo to weaken the huge Albanian majority in the province. Two Serb policemen were murdered in June, reportedly under Seselj's order so that he could blame the murders on the Albanians and fan the flames of an already tense situation. *1099 President Rugova hypothesized that Serb aggression in the area might provoke a wave of Albanian radicalism, whereby Seselj's followers might supply arms to radical Albanian groups to provoke incidents against the civilian population. *1100
Although no longer Kosovo's representative in Parliament, Arkan was recently quoted as saying: «We are going to deport Rugova and open the border to (send back) all the emigrants from Albania. Over 700,000 Albanians must be sent back...Only those loyal citizens of Serbia will stay here.» *1101
Six of Seselj's followers were arrested for alleged involvement in acts of terrorism in the predominantly Muslim town of Pljevlja on 6 and 7 August 1992. The group was also charged with violent behaviour, interference with the work of the police, and aiding in the escape of arrested persons for incidents occurring on 8 and 9 August 1992. *1102
Sandzak, the border area between Serbia and BiH, which is largely dominated by Muslims, was the locale for a wave of arson, kidnapping, and killing by Serb forces against the Muslim population. Allegedly, these acts were committed to distance Serbian Muslims from their ties with Bosnian Muslims. In March of 1993, 18 Muslims from Serbia and Montenegro were abducted from a train and remain missing. Other Muslims have been kidnapped from hospitals and villages. Beatings of civilians and the looting and burning of homes occurred in indeterminate numbers. A total of 9,500 people have fled from Sandzak and other Muslim districts in Serbia and Montenegro. Muslim party leaders charge that the attacks are another example of Serbian «ethnic cleansing», noting that Seselj himself had previously called for the «cleansing» of Muslims from the Sandzak region. *1103
In the Vojvodina city of Sombor in late December 1991 and early January 1992, explosives damaged a Croatian church, two Croatian restaurants, and the home of a prominent Croatian political leader. Arkan announced these bombings on the local radio. The Croatians have been told that they must leave the city by a certain date or be killed. *1104
In May 1992, Vojvodina Muslims and Croatians, as well as Hungarians, fled their homes in fear of Seselj's men. Seselj's forces were reportedly threatening the villagers of Vojvodina during June 1992. Witnesses claim that the men told the villagers that they would not leave Vojvodina alive because Seselj's forces would kill them all. At night the forces were heard chanting, «Move out, Ustase, today is your last day, we will slaughter all of you tomorrow». *1105 The exact number of departures is unknown. Serbia denies that the refugees were forced out of their homes, saying that Croats departed voluntarily after agreeing to swap their properties for those belonging to Serbs in Croatia. *1106
On 29 September 1992, in the northern Vojvodina town of Subotica, the local SRS leader stated that the party would be forming a paramilitary group to «cleanse Subotica of all those who do not recognize Serbia and its political and territorial integrity». Seselj was reportedly handing out arms to Serbian farmers in the region. *1107