The county of Beli Manastir is located in eastern Croatia bordering Hungary and Vojvodina. According to the 1991 census, the pre-war population was 54,160. At that time, the population was 41.7 per cent Croatian, 25.5 per cent Serbian, 16.5 per cent Hungarian, 8.4 per cent was referred to as «other» and 7.9 per cent was referred to as «Yugoslav». *4581
Beli Manastir: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) Beli Manastir is located in north-eastern Croatia in the Baranja Region. Detention facilities were reported in the opstina by several sources. *4582 A Croatian woman reported that her husband, a civilian, was detained by «Cetniks» in Beli Manastir for 10 days at the end of September, 1991. The woman was allowed to visit her husband at the facility, thanks to the intervention of a Serbian colleague of her daughter. As far as the woman was aware, 38 people were detained at this location and were later taken to Borovo Selo. She also reported that her husband was detained for one day in Kozarac headquarters and Karanac police station, both of which are located in Beli Manastir. *4583
Beli Manastir Prison: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) The ICRC reported the Beli Manastir prison as a place of detention in a report received on 27 May 1994. The ICRC representatives first visited the detention facility on 29 April 1992. *4584
Dunan Storage Complex: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) The Dunan Storage complex, located at the west end of Beli Manastir, was reported as a detention facility. The maximum capacity of this facility was reported to be 2,500 prisoners. *4585
Beli Manastir Police Station: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ECMM.) The police station was located in the centre of Beli Manastir and was reported as a detention facility. At its maximum capacity, the facility could contain 300 prisoners. A former detainee, held there for 43 days, reported on the conditions at the facility. The witness was reportedly detained on 27 November 1991 and released on 7 January 1992. By his account, during the first three weeks, the prisoners were contained three to a cell. The cells measured approximately 1.2 metres by 1.8 metres. For the three weeks that followed, the witness claims that nine people were detained in a cell which measured three metres by four metres. The prisoners were allegedly fed on an inconsistent basis, receiving only one meal per day. On scattered occasions, the detainees were served hot meals (for example, goulash). Toilet facilities were available however the witness claimed that prisoners were beaten when they asked to use the facilities. There were allegedly no showers; washing was not permitted, nor for that matter was shaving. The prisoners were reportedly infested with lice. *4586
Inmates were allegedly beaten while in detention. One man was reportedly beaten to death. Another had his ear cut off. There were reports of civilian gangs from outside the facility coming into the prison and physically abusing the detainees. The witness claimed that the prisoners were forced to do heavy manual labour; including unloading coal wagons. According to the witness, he and others were threatened on several occasions with execution. He was reportedly taken to court, but no charges were ever brought against him. He also claimed that ICRC representatives did not visit this facility. *4587
Jagodnjak: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by multiple sources, including Amnesty International.) There are several reports of a detention facility in Jagodnjak, Beli Manastir. *4588 One source reported that the detention facility was located in the football stadium at the south-west edge of the city. The facility was allegedly opened on 15 September 1991 and contained approximately 1,500 prisoner in March 1992. Prisoners were reportedly detained at this site temporarily before being transferred to either Beli Manastir or Borovo Selo. *4589
Police Station, Darda: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) The ICRC listed the police station in Darda as a place of detention and first visited the facility on 6 June 1992. *4590
The county of Benkovac is located in south-western Croatia. According to the 1991 census, the population of Benkovac was 33,079. At that time, the population was 40.6 per cent Croatian, 57.4 per cent Serbian, with the remaining 2 per cent referred to as «others». *4591
Unidentified Benkovac camp: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) Sources reported a detention facility located in Benkovac run by Serbian paramilitary forces holding detainees from Croatia. *4592
Benkovac na Kozari: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) According to another source, women were sexually abused in a detention facility run by Serbs in Benkovac na Kozari. *4593
Benkovac Army Barracks: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) It was reported that on 18 November 1991, 84 civilians from the village of Skabrnje in Zadar county, of which 17 were children under the age of 10, were taken by masked «cetniks» to an army barracks in Benkovac. They were abused and threatened with death. They were then moved to a kindergarten. The only male among them was interrogated. *4594
Kindergarten, Benkovac: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) Approximately 25 Croatian women and children from Skabrnje were reported to have been captured during an attack on their village by «Cetniks». They were allegedly held in a kindergarten in Benkovac for one night before being taken to Pristeg. In Pristeg they joined another group of imprisoned women and children and were then released. While detained at the kindergarten they were verbally abused and accused of being «Ustase» and making pearls out of childrens' bones. They were also allegedly forced to watch Belgrade television. *4595
According to another report, 84 civilians were arrested in Skabrnje on 18 November 1991 by masked «cetniks» and taken to an army barracks in Benkovac. They were then moved to a an unspecified kindergarten. *4596
JNA Barracks, Benkovac: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) Between 18 and 20 November 1991, members of the JNA, armed paramilitary forces, and the authorities of Serbian Krajina reportedly occupied the village of Skabrnje, west of Benkovac. The surviving Croatian civilians were allegedly detained in a JNA barracks in Benkovac for one night. They were interrogated and battered by the guards. The next morning some were released in Pristeg, and others reportedly were transferred to Knin for detention. *4597
The county of Bjelovar is located in northern Croatia. According to the 1991 census, the population was 65,773. At that time, the population was 80.1 per cent Croatian, 8.9 per cent Serbian, 7 per cent referred to as «other», and the remaining 4 per cent classified as «Yugoslav». *4598
Unidentified Detention Facility, Bjelovar: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) Croatian forces allegedly maintained a detention centre in Bjelovar. *4599
A parish priest in Koprivnica was allegedly arrested and detained by members of the Croatian armed forces and Croatian authorities on an unspecified date in 1992. He was first in «preventive» detention in Bjelovar and was then transferred to Osijek. While detained there, he was mistreated and physically abused, as a result of which he allegedly suffered substantial physical injury. Although he was a civilian, he was reportedly exchanged as a prisoner of war for Croatian soldiers. *4600
Bjelovar Prison: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by multiple sources, including the ICRC and the UN Special Rapporteur.) On 2 October 1991 Several members of the Croatian National Guard (ZNG) removed six detained JNA members from cell number two of the Bjelovar prison and took them to the forest near a farm for bull calf feeding owned by Josip Kis at Veliko Korenovo. There the JNA soldiers were shot and the bodies buried in the refuse area. *4601
On 11 October 1991, a Serbian member of the Territorial Defence was detained by members of the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Croatia. The report indicated that he was held in prisons in Lipik and Bjelovar from October to mid-November. He was beaten and threatened with facial mutilation and death. His ear was cut with a knife and the soles of his feet burned. The source does not indicate which prison this treatment occurred in. The prisoner was exchanged on 8 November 1991. *4602
The alleged perpetrators included two reported ZNG members. *4603
Twenty-eight Serb men were allegedly arrested in the village of Imsovac in the municipality of Daruvar by a Ministry of Interior member and local HDZ committee members on 19 February 1992 and taken to Bjelovar prison. *4604 The prisoners were subjected to physical maltreatment and one was taken out to a mock trial. He was forced to dig his own grave, and shots were then fired above his head. *4605
On 23 June 1993 Team ECLO West, Daruvar learned that the Serb Milicija incarcerated a Croatian truck driver who they wanted to exchange for three Serbs held in the Bjelovar prison. *4606
The President of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention was able to visit Bjelovar prison where he interviewed two prisoners who were captured on 5 August 1992. The prisoners were subjected to physical mistreatment which included beating, electric shock, mock execution, burning with cigarettes, and burning of the beard of one of the prisoners. They were first abused by the local police and later by the military police. The same prison officials duly registered all evidence of physical abuse and provided all necessary medical care. *4607
ICRC delegates reportedly visited this prison location on 11 October 1991. *4608
Police Station, Bjelovar: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) According to one source, Croatian policemen made mass arrests in December 1991 in Daruvar and its vicinity. The arrested were imprisoned in jails in Daruvar and the police premises in Bjelovar where they were beaten and harassed. The civilians were then allegedly forced to agree to be exchanged for soldiers captured by the Banja Luka Corps of the JNA. Most of those arrested refused to be exchanged because they believed their property would be damaged and their families killed. Of the 62 who initially agreed to be exchanged 25 refused during the actual procedure. One prisoner allegedly died from severe beating during imprisonment. *4609
District Prison: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) On 30 December 1991 a Serb prisoner was transferred to the District prison from an undisclosed location. There he was stripped naked and beaten. He was then put into cell number 1, where he and an undetermined number of other prisoners were deprived of food until 3 January 1991. On 3 January 1991 the prisoner was interrogated and beaten while tied to a radiator. He was made to sleep naked on the concrete floor of his unheated cell until 12 January 1991. On that day the prisoners were each given a blanket and a mattress. Curiously enough, the ICRC delegates visited the prison the following day. According to the report, the day after the ICRC visit, the blanket and mattresses were taken away. *4610
Barracks, Bjelovar: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) ICRC representatives reportedly visited a detention facility established at the local barracks on 10 October 1991. *4611 No information was provided regarding the conditions existing at this facility.
Hospital, Bjelovar: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) ICRC representatives reportedly visited a detention facility established at the local hospital on 11 October 1991, and then again on 24 October 1991. *4612 No information was provided regarding the conditions existing at this facility on either occasion.
The county of Daruvar is located in north-eastern Croatia. According to the 1991 census, the population was 29,978. At that time, the population was 34.3 per cent Croatian, 33.2 per cent Serbian, with an additional 27 per cent referred to as «others», and the remaining 5.5 per cent described as «Yugoslav». *4613
Unknown Place of Detention, Daruvar: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) On 17 March 1992 an undetermined number of Serbs from the villages of Duhovi, Blagorodavac, and Uljanik in the county of Daruvar were allegedly arrested by members of the Croatian Ministry of Interior and subjected to brutal treatment in prison. Two of the prisoners sustained serious injuries and a third died while in custody. The report was silent as to the exact location of the facility. *4614
Daruvar Jail: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) According to one source, Croatian policemen made mass arrests in December 1991 in Daruvar and its vicinity. Those arrested were imprisoned in jails in Daruvar and in police stations in Bjelovar where they were reportedly beaten and harassed. The civilians were then allegedly forced to agree to be exchanged for soldiers captured by the Banja Luka Corps of the JNA. Most of those arrested refused to be exchanged because they believed their property would be damaged and their families killed. Of the 62 who initially agreed to be exchanged, the information suggests that 25 refused during the actual procedure. One prisoner allegedly died as the result of severe beating during imprisonment. *4615
Police Station, Daruvar: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) ICRC representatives reportedly visited a detention facility established at the police station in Daruvar. The ICRC reported visiting this facility on 13 January 1992. *4616 No additional information was provided regarding conditions existing at this facility.
Daruvar Prison: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) On 5 March 1992, all adult males from the village of Govedje Polje were allegedly arrested by the Croatian Ministry of Interior and transported to Daruvar prison. They were reported to have been subjected to physical mistreatment. *4617
Varteks Department Store: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) According to one source, 80 Serbian civilians from Daruvar allegedly were arrested on 31 December 1991 and held in the basement of the «Varteks» department store by Croatians. *4618 No additional information was provided regarding treatment, conditions, nor length of the facility's existence.
Miokovicevo: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) Miokovicevo was reported to contain a place of detention. *4619 One report indicated a prisoner was beaten in Miokovicevo while in custody. This prisoner's upper jaw was broken. He was initially detained on 7 September 1991. *4620
The Cow Insemination Facility at Miokovicevo: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) On 23 September 1991 Serbian paramilitaries abducted a civilian from the Daruvar area after entering the village. The civilian was imprisoned in Miokovicevo for one month before being transferred to Bijela. Miokovicevo appears to have been run by «Cetniks» who maltreated and beat the prisoners continuously. The guards would knock prisoners heads together. The witness alleged that his «tongue was taken out of his mouth», and his teeth were broken. He was reportedly beaten with an electric cable all over his body and also deprived of food for the first five days of his internment. He was detained with his hands bound and a rope around his neck. This victim was reportedly forced to stand for the majority of the time he was detained and to sleep on concrete floors. *4621
The prisoners were forced to dig trenches and had logs thrown at them as they worked. No medical treatment was available. The guards were all young men from the villages of Removac, Jasenas, Korenicani, Brdani Bastajski, and Cjepidlake. *4622
Bijela: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) One source reported that a detention facility existed in Bijela, which is located just south-east of Daruvar and has a Serbian majority population. *4623 The founder of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) in Daruvar was reportedly abducted from his vineyard in the presence of his wife and two other witnesses on 24 August 1991. He was said to have been forced into a car and taken to the village of Bijela, a place allegedly known as a «Cetnik camp». He was detained there until 22 September 1991 when a policeman allegedly took him to an exchange. He was still missing at the time of the report. These events were confirmed by another inmate of the prison who was of Serbian nationality and imprisoned for making the statement that Croatia would exist as its own state. *4624
On 19 August 1991 four Croatian police officers were abducted by their fellow Serbian policemen while on duty. One was taken to Bijela and then moved to Bucje. The three others were abducted and then released by the police officer referred to above. *4625
On 23 November 1991 six Croatian men and one woman from the village of Vrbovac were reportedly arrested and detained in Bijela by «Cetniks» from Serbia. There appear to have been two makeshift military prisons, one in the basement of a school and the other in the apartment of Marko Marojevic. There was a third prison in the basement of the village hall where sheep had been kept. The seven detainees appear to have been held in the village hall basement. The basement was dark, and breathing was difficult. There was no heating and the temperature was extremely cold. On the eighth day of their internment the detainees were allegedly interrogated and then moved to the first floor classrooms of a school. *4626
On 1 December 1991 the female internee was questioned by the «Cetniks» as to why she worked for the Croatian National Guard and was then threatened with rape. One of the «Cetniks» stripped her naked but did not rape her as she was menstruating. They moved her to another room from which she escaped, but she was discovered outside the room. She was then stripped half naked and threatened with rape and facial mutilation. A Serb who had served with the «White Eagles» threatened to cut off her ear. She was allowed to go the funeral of her mother under escort of the prison guards. On 7 December 1991 one of the «White Eagles» threatened to kill the woman. Additionally, the woman was afraid to use the toilet alone because another woman had been raped by the «White Eagles». She spent 19 days in the prison and was then transferred to Banja Luka. *4627
The guards would enter the rooms around 7:00 p.m. and maltreat the prisoners. The prisoners could not sleep at night because of the cold, and one prisoner suffered frostbite on his feet. The belongings of the prisoners were searched three times. They were given only rice to eat and were allowed use of the toilet at the discretion of the guards. One detainee was sentenced to death at the school prison, and another prisoner was killed. Young men were allegedly castrated, and salt was put in their wounds. *4628
The prisoner, who was first interned at Miokovicevo, was then transferred to Bijela in November 1991 and held for one month. At Bijela the prisoners were only beaten at night. The witness was thrown on the ground, kicked, and beaten until he was unconscious. The detainees slept on a concrete floor. *4629
Djakovo is located in Slavonia, north-east Croatia and has a population of 52,443, according to the 1991 census. At that time, the population was 91.7 per cent Croat, 3.8 per cent Serb, with 4.5 per cent described as «other». *4630
Djakovo: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) Prisoners were reportedly detained in Djakovo. Forty-one Serbian prisoners were exchanged for 380 members of the Croatian paramilitary formations on 27 March 1992. The 41 were reported to have been arrested between 6 November 1991 and 13 March 1992. Almost all the prisoners were interrogated for three to 10 days at various places in Croatia, including Djakovo. Then they were allegedly taken to detention facilities in Osijek and Zagreb. *4631
Police Station, Djakovo: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely Helsinki Watch.) Three women, a boy and four men were hiding in the attic of a house due to fighting in the village of Sodolovci. Twenty to 50 members of the Croatian army allegedly entered the attic and took the people into custody after beating them. They were reportedly handcuffed and taken to Djakovo where the women were released. The men were apparently interrogated separately. One of the men, a Serb, who testified while in Osijek prison with the permission of the prison authorities, claimed that he was taken to a hospital and then to the police station. Some of the police allegedly yelled at him and kicked him. He was also abused in the courtyard of the hospital. The prisoners apparently was transferred to Osijek jail sometime before 30 July 1991. *4632
Drnis is located near Knin in Dalmatia. According to the 1991 census, the pre-war population of Drnis was 24,157. At that time, the population was 76.8 per cent Croatian, 21.3 per cent Serbian, and 1.9 per cent was referred to as «other». *4633
Drnis Hospital and Prison: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ECMM.) One source indicated that at least three people were detained in the hospital in Drnis. Two of these people moved to an ordinary prison after 15 or 16 days in the hospital. All three prisoners had been captured on 16 September 1991, and all were exchanged on 2 November 1991. Two of the prisoners were Croatian police reservists in Pakovo Selo while the third was a Croatian civilian from Biocic. The prisoners appear to have been detained by Serbian forces. *4634
The detainees reported being physically abused. They were beaten with rifle butts, rubber truncheons, and wooden staves. One of the prisoners lost half his thumb. The detainees had cocked revolvers pressed to their heads. They were beaten about the kidneys, denied use of toilet facilities, and forced to drink urine. Additionally, two of the prisoners held in the same ward complained of sexual abuse. They were forced to perform oral sex on each other and on the prison guards, as well as being forced to participate in mutual masturbation. *4635
Some of the medical staff at the hospital verbally abused the prisoners, calling them «Ustase». One of the doctors was allegedly particularly abusive. In addition one of the nurses with short blonde hair brandished a knife and placed it on the throat of one of the prisoners. *4636
The food was inadequate, and one of the prisoners, who spent his entire time in the hospital, lost 20 kilograms of weight. The detainees were deprived of sleep by interruptions, lights, and physical abuse. One of the prisoners was displayed on Belgrade television as an «Ustasa» and accused of rape and killing children. *4637
Two other prisoners were interviewed by the same source and appear to have been held in a prison. One cell at this detention facility was reported to be three by five metres large and held nine prisoners; another cell was 32 square metres and held 32 people. These prisoners claim that their hands were tied with electrical wire, and their personal belongings were taken. They were forced to clean toilets with their bare hands, transport the guards around in wheelbarrows, and sing «cetnik» songs before being allowed to use the toilets. Their heads were forced in the toilets, and the younger ZNG soldiers were sexually abused. They were exhibited in public. The prisoners were deprived of medical treatment and were not allowed to wash for 30 days. They received three eggs a day and both witnesses lost 10 kilograms of weight. *4638
According to the report, there are approximately 243 people left in Drnis and all are over 50 years of age. Fifty of them are reported as ill. They are not allowed to leave their houses and are denied evacuation. *4639
Another report indicated that maltreatment of POWs had occurred, however, it was not clear that the prisoners were detained in Drnis. The descriptions of abuse included abuse of POWs by irregular soldiers in a prison hospital with the medical staff at best standing back. There were allegations of verbal abuse of prisoners by one doctor and one nurse. This could be a reference to the same incident reported above. *4640
Barracks, Trbounje: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) The ICRC reports that on 8 December it visited the detention facility identified at the barracks in Trbounje. *4641
Dubrovnik is located in southern Croatia on the Dalmatian coast. The 1991 census reported the population as 70,672, with 82.5 per cent Croat, 4.1 per cent Muslim, 6.7 per cent Serb, and 6.7 per cent other. *4642
Unidentified Detention Facility, Dubrovnik: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by two neutral sources, namely the ICRC and the CSCE.) One source reported Dubrovnik in its list of places of detention. *4643 The ICRC reported the prison in Dubrovnik as a place of detention and first visited the facility on 7 November 1991. *4644
Dvor is located near Glina in central Croatia and according to the 1991 census it had a population of 14,636. The population was comprised of 9.5 per cent Croatians, 85.6 per cent Serbians, and 4.9 per cent others. *4645
According to reports, on 26 July 1991, members of the Serbian paramilitary unit «SAO Krajina» attacked several villages in the Dvor municipality including Uncani, Zamlaca, and populated villages in the Pounje region. *4646
After the citizens of Pounje were expelled from their homes, they were reportedly collected and used as a «human barrier» to assist the paramilitary units' advance. *4647 The concept was also employed with the people from Zamlaca who were reportedly made to walk to Struga as «living shields» in an attempt to force the Struga police to surrender. At the entrance to Struga, the Serbs allegedly opened fire upon the people, killing many of the citizens from Zamlaca who were made to «shield» them. *4648
Local Prison, Struga: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) According to one report, some 10 days after the Serbian attack, several villagers who remained in the area were arrested and detained at the prison. The detainees were reportedly interrogated and subjected to severe physical mistreatment. *4649
Camps in Banija: (The existence of these detention facilities have not been corroborated by multiple sources.) On 26 July 1991, members of Martic's paramilitary unit attacked several villages in the Dvor region, including Uncani, Pounje, and Zamlaca; consequently, capturing and detaining many of the villagers in camps erected in Banija. *4650
Police Station, Dvor: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) Following the attack on Zamlaca, civilians from the area were reportedly detained by Serb irregulars in the basement of the local police station. *4651 No additional information was made available regarding the duration of internment, the conditions nor the treatment of the inmates.
Unidentifed Militia Station: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) After the villagers from Zamlaca and Pounje were forced from their homes, a great many of them were loaded onto a militia truck and transported to an undisclosed militia station. Upon arrival, the detainees were placed in the cellar of the facility- -women in one room and men in another. *4652 The rooms were purportedly flooded with water and the inmates were contained under these conditions for two days. *4653
The Serbs began interrogating the detainees, beginning with the women. Sources suggest that the primary question asked of the inmates was their «date of birth». Following this rather brief interrogation, all of the inmates were reportedly released. *4654
Glina is located in central Croatia and had a 1991 population of 22,997. This population was 35 per cent Croatian, 60.5 per cent Serb, and 4.5 per cent other. *4655
Glina Prison: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by multiple sources, including the ICRC, U.S. State Department, and ECMM.) There are many reports surrounding the Glina prison camp. This detention facility was in operation as early as September of 1991 and continued to be in operation through September of 1993. Most accounts referred to the site as the former juvenile prison; whereas one account described the facility as being situated in the Glina «Hall of Culture.» *4656
Serb forces controlled the operation of the Glina Prison. Serb Territorial Defence Forces, SAO Krajina Police, JNA soldiers, and «Cetniks» all reportedly had a hand in the way the camp functioned. In addition, one ex-detainee noted that Serb paramilitaries, SAO Krajina forces, «Cetniks» from Sabac, and JNA soldiers often visited the prison. A Croatian citizen of Serbian origin, who was accused of torturing Croatian POWs in the Glina camp was arrested on 12 December 1992 in Zagreb. *4657
Both civilians and POWs, most of Croatian ethnicity, appear to have been detained at Glina camp. The camp population averaged 60-100 persons. The first available account noted that on 10 September 1991, a man was forced from his home in Sisak county, robbed, and taken to the «Cetnik» prison in Glina. *4658 Two days later, 61 members of the Croatian MUP forces were captured by Serb soldiers and transported to Glina after spending four days in the village of Kukuruzara. *4659 Others were arrested in Bestrma and Hrvatska Kostajnica and brought to the camp in early September as well. *4660
At some point during the detention of these POWs, groups of civilians were brought to Glina. Many prisoners who had previously been held at the Petrinja internment camp were transferred to Glina as well. *4661 According to one report, by the first week of October 1991, approximately 100 males were being held at Glina. This report noted that the men were mainly from Kostajnica. In addition, 30 females were held at the prison in separate quarters. At least two Croatian civilians were captured and detained at Glina beginning in November of 1991. *4662
Maltreatment of detainees, both civilian and POW, appears to have taken place regularly throughout late 1991 and early March of 1992, when many of the prisoners were exchanged. Civilians and POWs were kept in separate rooms. The POWs who were part of the MUP force were held in a 30 square metre room. They slept two to a bed, which consisted of uncovered boards. The condition of the food and water was poor, and many of the inmates contacted dysentery. Use of toilet facilities was restricted and the POWs were allowed to bathe only once during their five-month detention period. *4663 Four Croatians who were not part of the MUP force were kept in solitary confinement cells. The MUP POWs were often forced to use these cells as restrooms. The ICRC visited the camp in late October 1991, and conditions improved mildly after the visit. The detainees received bedding, and the confinement areas were heated. *4664
According to one report, beatings were carried out in the morning by the camp guards and in the afternoon by Serb soldiers and militia. The prison commander, who was unidentified, did not personally beat any prisoners, but allegedly permitted beatings to occur and led individuals to the prisoners' quarters so that they could select their victims. *4665 Another report noted that the civilian prisoners were beaten «day and night», and that 10 civilians were killed with clubs between October and March of 1991. Three other Croatians were identified as having died as a result of beatings. *4666 One group of Croatian prisoners, who were all between 60 and 70 years old, had been beaten on the soles of their feet and their hands. *4667
The POWs who were captured in September of 1991 were selected for beatings on the basis of prepared lists. The beatings took place in an office across the prison courtyard. Between six and 10 Serbs dressed in camouflage would take turns battering the detainees. Many of these prisoners were also tortured with electricity. Bare wire was strapped around a prisoner's finger, and an electric current was then passed through the wire. *4668 Prisoners were beaten with bludgeons, fists, boots, and rifle butts. Some prisoners died as a result of the beatings. *4669
Prisoners were also emotionally abused by the guards. Many were told «in confidence» that they were going to be exchanged, only to be told in a couple of days that the exchange had fallen through. *4670
One former prisoner related that the «Cetniks» who beat the POWs admitted they were taking a combination of Fortral and other drugs which induced a «high degree of aggressive behaviour». *4671
One of the best descriptions of the camp comes from a former prisoner arrested in Petrinja on 22 September 1991. *4672 He reports that he was arrested by «the people in camouflage uniforms who had white bands on their heads and arms and brought to the camp». At Glina, there were JNA soldiers, officers, captains, and majors. He was kept in the part of the camp for solitary confinement. This section consisted of four solitary cells, each 2.5 metres by 2.5 metres. Inside each cell, there was one berth, a toilet, a washing stand and a small space with boards on the floor. There were only blankets on the bed and no heating. Often, there were six people to a cell. *4673
Apparently, food was scant. A small piece of bread sometimes with tea or spread was served to the prisoners. However, after a visit from the Red Cross, the food became a bit better. The prisoners ate on the courtyard in the tents. *4674 They received a pile of overcooked rice with vegetable leftovers or some mashed potatotes. Once a week they were given beans. *4675
During his detention, the prisoners were also not allowed to bathe. Finally, after 70 days they were permitted to clean themselves, but they had to redress in their dirty clothes. They shaved every 30 days «at their own expense». However, they had been stripped of all of their valuables when they arrived at the camp making it impossible to pay for a shave. *4676
Prisoners were allowed to move only inside the prison area. They were forced to bow their heads and put their hands behind their back. *4677 It is not clear from the testimony whether their hands were actually tied or not.
They beat the prisoners a few times per day and tortured them at night. This particular witness was beaten with rubber sticks and boots during which time he lost consciousness four times. *4678 He also underwent psychological maltreatment. He was told that his son had been captured and killed and that the Serbs had taken over Zagreb and other Croatian cities. He also was forced to work during his detention. He worked with cables in the Elektra and was not allowed to speak to the others. *4679
After 40 days of solitary confinement, the witness was moved to the room where the younger children were situated. There, each child had his/her own bed. Civilians remained in this room, and members of the Croatian National Guard and police were transferred to the «courtyard rooms» where there was some kind of music hall. Here, the floor was tiled and the room humid. Two men slept in one bed. *4680
Finally, this witness reports that on 15 November 1991 a group of elderly were brought in from Solno, Lovaca, and Stankovci. They numbered 12 and were beaten severely at the camp on 16 November. Two or three days later they were driven away in some unknown direction and were not seen again. *4681
The witness was exchanged on 14 March 1992. The day before he left, he and three other prisoners were beaten. They were forced to strip to the waist, were watered with hot coffee and kicked. Upon evaluation at a hospital, doctors confirmed the fracture of five to eight ribs on his left side. He now reports having kidney problems and a bad blood count. He regularly urinates blood. *4682
Another ex-detainee reports that he and a group of 60 others were arrested in Kukuruzara on 12 September 1991. They arrived by bus on 16 September. Upon their arrival, they were taken off the bus and physically and verbally abused by the local population as they entered the prisoner. *4683 They were all put in a room 30 metres by 30 metres. They slept on bunk beds, two to a bed. Drinking water was kept in the rooms in plastic cans. The water was not clean and many of them contracted disentary. They were unable to go to the bathroom as needed and had to relieve themselves in plastic cans in the cell. *4684
Additional exchanges of prisoners occurred on the following dates. According to one former detainee, 40 captured MUP soldiers were exchanged on 31 October 1991. This may have been in response to a visit by the ICRC on 29 October 1991. *4685 Another exchange of prisoners took place on 1 November 1991, and on 3 March 1992 when the remainder of the POWs were exchanged. *4686
Despite the multiple prisoner exchanges carried out in March, detentions at Glina continued into 1992. ECMM reported that a «drunk man» from Sisak was being detained at the prison as 16 November 1992. *4687 UNCIVPOL also visited the camp in November of 1992, and counted a total of 96 prisoners. *4688 In January 1993 a young woman from Glina was arrested, charged with espionage, and sentenced to 11 years' imprisonment at Glina. *4689 As of 9 August 1993, the date of the last reported ECMM visit to Glina, there were 100 persons being detained there, 60 were POWs and 40 were «other». *4690
ICRC delegates first visited the penitentiary on 29 October 1991. *4691 The camp was also visited various times by international journalists. Reporters came from Belgrade, Banja Luka, Sarajevo and the US Prisoners were usually shaven and those who appeared better were selected to be shown off before the visits. After the visits, the prisoners were beaten. *4692
Military Prison, Glina: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) ICRC delegates first visited the military prison on 24 February 1993. *4693
Glina Hospital: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) ICRC delegates first visited the hospital on 1 September 1992. and the penitentiary on the 29 October 1991. *4694
Gospic is located in western Croatia on the Dalmatian coast and had a population of 28,732, according to the 1991 census. The population consisted of 64.3 per cent Croat, 31.1 per cent Serb, and 4.6 per cent other. *4695
Gospic Prison: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by multiple sources, including the ICRC and Amnesty International.) This site was reportedly used to house a number of arrested or captured Serbs. At one point, the Croatian authorities admitted that at least three identified persons were being held in the Gospic area, but they did not state whether they were indeed at the prison. ECMM requested permission to visit the prison on 20 September 1993, but the request was denied.
One prisoner, a retired JNA officer, was arrested by four armed and uniformed men of the Croatian military police at his home in Zagreb and taken to the camp on 23 November 1991. The arresting officers said that they wanted to speak with him for a few minutes and then took him to the prison. He was kept there for two months after which he was transferred to the prison at Kerestinec, Zagreb. *4696
While at the camp, he was held in solitary confinement under extremely cold conditions. He was given two blankets, but the heating in the prison had been turned off on 27 November, and the window of his cell did not close properly. He was questioned about alleged links between Serbs in Siroka Kula, Zagreb, and Belgrade, of which he had no knowledge. He was not allowed to wash or change his clothes during his detention. There was no toilet in his cell, and at night he was forced to use a bucket. *4697
He reports that he was among the few prisoners who were not beaten by guards. He had suffered only a «few slaps» until 7 January when he was beaten by five guards at once in his cell. As a result of the beating, he lost consciousness and experienced heart disturbances the next day. *4698
Apparently, breakfast had been cancelled at the prison on 27 November, and prisoners were only given two meals a day. Yet, the witness reports that on 15 December, three days before the ICRC visited the prison, breakfasts were resumed and the heating turned on. *4699 The ICRC visited the prison on 18 December 1991. *4700
Kalic: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) Six Serb civilians from Divoselo and Citluk were arrested during the Croatian offensive in the region. They were interrogated and later brought to the camp at Kalic. These civilians were interviewed by team OTOCAC on 14 September 1993. It is unclear from the report whether Kalic is located in Gospic, as no further information was provided. One of the ex-detainees did state that they were well treated by the police and by their captors at the camp. *4701
Gospic Camp: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the UK Defence Debriefing Team.) A camp holding hundreds of Serb prisoners reportedly existed in Gospic. The site was a former military dump and storage site for the Gavrilovic corporation. The area in which the camp was situated was 5,000 square metres and was surrounded by barbed wire fencing. The report described the site as a «collecting camp,» for prisoners en route to the camp at Jadovno, three kilometres away. *4702
Gospic District Court: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) The District Court was reportedly the site where arrested JNA officers were held from September 1991 to December 1992. The officers were allegedly tortured, both mentally and physically. In addition to beatings, detainees were forced to clean the prison camp, sing Ustase songs and to «salute in the Nazi way». ZNG prison guards, two identified men were said to be responsible for the mistreatment of the prisoners. *4703
Licki Osik Prison: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) This facility is reportedly located in the Culture Centre building in the village of Novi Licki Osik and administered by Martic police. At least 13 Croatian civilians were detained at Licki Osik prison in September of 1991. This figure was admitted by the headmaster of the prison, Cedo Budisavljevic. A woman from Licki Osik, whose husband was among those detained, visited the prison and said her husband was emaciated, had been given very little food or water and had been beaten. *4704
Gracac is located in Croatia near Knin and had a population of 11,060, according to the the 1991 census. The population was 14 per cent Croat, 82.3 per cent Serb, and 3.7 per cent other. *4705
Gracac: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) A map, submitted by both Helsinki Watch and the Republic of Croatia, indicates that a «prison/camp run by paramilitary forces» was located at Gracac. The map asserts that detainees at this camp are Croatians and that the camp is controlled by «YA or Serbian paramilitary forces». *4706
Grubisno Polje is located in northern Croatia and had a population of 14,186, according to the 1991 census. The population was comprised of 42.3 per cent Croat, 32.1 per cent Serb and 25.6 per cent other. *4707
Prior to the outbreak of hostilities, ethnic Serbs comprised the majority population of Grubisno Polje while ethnic Croats were a clear minority. In early 1991, ethnic Croats began to «exert pressure on the ethnic Serb population» both in the town itself and in neighbouring villages. *4708 Reports submitted by FRY indicate at least one place of detention in Grubisno Polje.
Hotel, Grubisno Polje: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) One detention centre has been described as an «improvised jail» in the hotel in Grubisno Polje. Detainees in the camp were ethnic Serbs and the camp was controlled by Croatian forces, including the Ministry of the Interior and ZNG members of the Republic of Croatia. *4709 Reports concerning this camp aver that prisoners have been tortured, mutilated, and killed. The camp was in operation, and violations were allegedly committed, in August 1991. *4710 There is no estimate as to the number of prisoners detained at the hotel.
Reports also refer to other possible detention centres in Grubisno Polje; it is unclear if these are the hotel described above. First, one report claims that in December 1991 ethnic Serbs from Grubisno Polje were arrested, jailed, and tortured in Grubisno Polje. *4711 The location of the jail is not given. Second, from August to October 1991, government officials from the «Government of SAO West Slavonia» allegedly interrogated and tortured captured non-Serbians. It is not clear where detainees were being held. *4712
Imotski: (The existence of a detention facility has been corroborated by multiple sources, including the Permanent Mission of Germany.) Imotski is located in southern Croatia and had a population of 38,555, according to the 1991 census. The population was 95.5 per cent Croat, and 2.9 per cent Serb, and 1.6 per cent other. *4713
Several reports, from various sources, contain the identical unsubstantiated claim that «police premises» in Imotski are used as a detention centre for about 20 Serbians. *4714 Another report claims that, during November 1991, a Serbian soldier was tortured and mistreated in detention facilities in Listica (BiH), Imotski, and Split. The forces in command of these facilities are allegedly members of the MOI and ZNG of the Republic of Croatia. No specific information is provided regarding the alleged facility in Imotski. *4715
Ivanec is located in northern Croatian and had a population of 41,488 according to the 1991 census. The population was 97.6 per cent Croat and 2.4 per cent other. *4716
Lepoglava Prison: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) The ICRC listed the Lepoglava prison as a place of detention and delegates first visited it on 1 June 1993. *4717
The county of Karlovac is located south-west of Zagreb. According to the 1991 census, the population was 80,855. At that time, the population was 66.7 per cent Croatian, 26.6 per cent Serbian, with some 6.3 per cent referred to as «other», and the remaining 3.4 per cent referred to as «Yugoslavs». *4718
Karlovac Prison: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) In June 1991, a prisoner allegedly was interned in Karlovac prison which was run by the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Croatia. He was reportedly ill-treated, beaten with truncheons, forcibly tattooed, and received numerous scars all over his body. He eventually escaped from the prison. *4719 In August 1992, prisoners at the Bosanski Novi Stadium facility were transferred to the Karlovac prison because a United Nations team discovered the camp. *4720 The ICRC reported the Karlovac prison as a place of detention in a report received on 27 May 1994. The representatives first visited the detention facility on 12 February 1992. *4721
Karlovac Police Headquarters: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by neutral sources, namely the ICRC and Helsinki Watch.) One source reported that three soldiers, one Yugoslav army captain, and 17 Yugoslav army reservist, the majority of whom were Serb, left the town of Slunj in two army trucks. They were stopped by Croatian forces on the bridge over the Korana river and told to surrender. Three were transported to the police headquarters in Karlovac and eventually sent to Zagreb for detention. The others, while on the bridge, were allegedly maltreated and some were killed. *4722 The ICRC reported the Karlovac police headquarters as a place of detention in a report received on 27 May 1994. The representatives first visited the detention facility on 12 February 1992. *4723
Knin is located in Krajina and had a population of 42,337 according to the 1991 census. The population was 88.6 per cent Serb, 8.6 per cent Croat and 2.8 per cent other. *4724
By the end of 1990, several villages in Croatia containing sizeable Serbian populations had found themselves with Serb citizens who refused to recognize Croatian authority and had unilaterally established «Serbian autonomous districts». *4725 These districts were governed by the local Serbs and many were even equipped with locally-recruited police forces. *4726
When the conflict erupted in Croatia in 1991, these Serb-run districts became satellite bases for JNA units. *4727 A number of local Croats who were detained by Serb forces in the region have reported that control of these facilities was primarily by local Serb paramilitaries rather than JNA forces. *4728
JNA Jail: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the US State Department. *4729) On 5 and 6 April 1992, JNA units from the Knin corps, the White Eagles and an unidentified JNA tank unit collected some 1,600 Croatian civilians and 35 Bosnian Croatian and Muslim soldiers, loaded them onto buses and transported them to Knin. *4730 The buses arrived in Knin on 7 April and the civilian prisoners were separated from the military prisoners. The military prisoners were then loaded onto a refrigerated truck and told that they were going to a slaughter house. The truck drove all night with the freezer unit turned on. *4731
The military prisoners were removed from the truck and taken to the jail. They were then placed in a small cell on the third floor of the jail. Shortly thereafter, five Bosnian Serb irregulars came and allegedly beat them with clubs and iron rods. *4732 After all the prisoners were beaten, the Serbs left and did not return for three days. During this time, the prisoners were not fed or afforded any sort of care or attention. *4733
On 10 April, the prisoners were moved to a large room on one of the lower floors. A television crew from Belgrade was in this room and the prisoners were given scripts and made to read from them for the press detailing all the atrocities they had allegedly leveled on the Serbian people. *4734 On 20 April, the prisoners were turned over to Martic's police and transported to the Knin jail. *4735
«Southern Camp»(Army Barracks): (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources. *4736) This facility was located on the road from Knin to Drnis, not far from Potkonje. *4737 The report was supplied by a civilian male who spent a month at this facility.
According to the report, Serbian and Montenegrin reservists captured him on the road and took him to a room in the southern Knin barracks. *4738 Interrogation began immediately. The witness recalled being interrogated on four occasions in the Knin garrison building. *4739
Accompanying him in detention and the interrogation proceedings were some 20 other civilians, many of whom were from his town of Drnis. *4740 They were all beaten daily with bludgeons, sticks, or anything that was available. The report alleges that the physical and mental mistreatment was constant and cruel. *4741
Knin Jail: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by multiple sources, including the ICRC and Amnesty International.) Nine of the military prisoners and three civilians from the JNA prison were removed by Martic's police and brought to this facility and detained in room number 4. *4742 The guards at this location were «professional» jail guards who had been working at this facility since well before the beginning of the conflict. *4743
The prisoners were ordered to disrobe so that they could be searched for processing. During the strip search, the guards ordered the detainees to bend
«over and spread their buttocks apart. Serbs would take police nightsticks, brooms or other sharp objects and drive them into a prisoner's rectum with sharp jabs. The guards told the prisoners that they were making sure that no one was hiding any weapons». *4744
Serbian guards typically brought their wives and girlfriends to the jail to see the prisoners. The inmates were instructed to comply with the orders of the «guests» which oftentimes included engaging in fellatio with one another while the women watched. *4745
On several occasions, small children were brought in and the prisoners were ordered to comply with their wishes as well. In one incident, a young boy demanded that one of the prisoners act like a horse so that the child could ride. *4746 When the boy became dissatisfied with the inmate's performance, he urinated on the inmate's face, and then «ordered the prisoner to lick the urine from the floor». *4747 Before leaving, the boy reportedly declared that the prisoner only needed one eye, so the youth stuck the inmate in the eye with a stick. *4748
One report details the experiences of a Croatian soldier captured during the battles for Kijevo in August 1991. *4749 He was detained in a jail cell which measured three or four metres in size. There was only a wooden plank for a bed, very little ventilation and no light. *4750 Four others were detained with him. The five were subjected to repeated and, seemingly unending, interrogation and mistreatment. The process went on for four to five hours daily and lasted 68 days. *4751 Women and children were reportedly brought in to the facility to beat, kick and humiliate the prisoners. The detainees were given food once daily and water once every two days. The witness was exchanged on 2 November 1991. *4752
«District Prison of Knin» (Former Hospital) *4753: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by multiple sources, including the ICRC.) According to one report the facility at this site was extremely overcrowded. Twenty-five inmates were detained in a single room. The rooms were so crowded that the inmates could not all sleep at the same time. *4754
The report mentions that the food and toilet facilities were adequate. Reportedly the men were beaten in the yard each day. *4755
The testimony of two Croatian priests, *4756 suggests that at one time some 70 Croatian inmates were detained at this facility. Approximately half of the inmates were civilians and the other half were National Guardsmen. *4757
According to the witnesses, the inmates were severely mistreated by some of the prison guards. The priests made note of the fact that not all of the guards were cruel, some were quite humane in their treatment of the prisoners. *4758
The priests were often forced to cross themselves in the Orthodox fashion, with three fingers. They were beaten with truncheons on their hands and backs. *4759 They witnessed the broken teeth, jaws, ribs, and legs of the other inmates as well as the injuries to kidneys, ears, and other body parts. The beatings usually took place in the bathrooms or in the hallways. *4760
«SAO Krajina» Prison: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely Amnesty International.) According to one report, an inmate was detained at this location and physically mistreated on a regular basis. His captors attempted to coerce a confession that he gave aid to the residents of Polaca. *4761
According to the report, the detainee was poorly fed for the majority of his detention, except for the last 10 days, just prior to the prisoner exchange. At that time, he began receiving servings of eggs, bacon, beans and canned meat. *4762
In another report from a reserve member of the Croatian police force, he was captured by Serb paramilitary forces on 26 June and detained in the Krajina region. *4763 He notes his awareness of the orders given to the police on duty not to mistreat the prisoners but recalls that they disregarded these orders and subjected the prisoners to beatings on a daily basis. Reportedly when he complained about the beatings to the press, the Serb captors beat him so severely that he suffered a broken rib. *4764
Police Station: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) The beatings began as soon as he was captured, was the report from a captured Croatian soldier. The Serb captors beat the men with everything they could find. *4765 They also removed all of their valuable possessions. The Serbs then took them on buses to Civljane and then to the police station in Knin. *4766 They were reportedly interrogated in groups of two and then beaten. Thereafter they were taken to the prison in the old hosptial building. *4767
Garage in Golubic: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) According to one report, on 26 June 1991, armed Serbs arrested, detained and battered 14 police officers from Glina. The detainees were taken first to Samarica Hill, where local lumberman were also detained. *4768 Two days later, all the detainees were taken and contained in a garage in the village of Golubic near Knin. After a brief stay at this location, the prisoners were again moved, this time to the the old hospital in Knin. *4769
Korenica is a province in western Croatia which borders BiH at Bihac. Its pre-war population was 11,307 of which 75.8 per cent were Serb, 16.8 per cent were Croat, 3.9 per cent other, and 3.5 per cent «Yugoslav».
Military Camp, Frikasic: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) A detention facility identified as military camp in Frikasic was first visited by the ICRC on 27 August 1993. *4770
Korenica Police Station: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by multiple sources, including Amnesty International, and the ICRC.) It is reported that there was a Serbian-run camp at the Korenica Police Station. This camp held Croatian civilians who were arrested and brought in by members of the Martic police and the so-called Serbian Autonomous Region Krajina, two Serbian paramilitary organizations active in the area. *4771
All reports describe that the arrest and detention of Croatians started in October 1991. One witness was picked up on 8 October in the village of Dreznicko Seliste. *4772 Others were brought in during this same time from Rastovaca, Plitvicka Jezera, and Slunj. *4773 A group of Croatian clergymen were picked up near Prijeboj in late October. *4774
Prisoners at the station are reported to have been interrogated, tortured, and abused. They underwent electric shock and beatings with wooden sticks, rubber truncheons, and rifle butts. *4775 They were hosed with cold water, forced to perform fellatio on each other and prison guards, and made to drink urine. *4776 One ex-prisoner was beaten so severely that he cracked seven ribs on the left side and 10 on the right. He was also hit badly in the head and, as a result, has restricted left eye movement and no sense of smell. *4777
The most detailed description of the camp comes from a Croatian priest who was held there from the end of October to the end of November, 1991. *4778 He had asked the commander of the JNA garrison in Slunj in mid-October to provide he and nine other Croatian clergymen with a military escort from Dreznik to Vaganac. *4779 There, they planned to bury six Croatian women who had previously been killed during a Serb attack of the village. The commander accepted their request and guaranteed them safe passage on their journey. Yet, on the way back, on 15 October at about 5:30 p.m. near Prijeboj, the JNA escort handed the religious group over to Serbian Martic police. *4780 These Serbian paramilitaries then ordered them to drive to Korenica. *4781
Upon their arrival at the police station, the group of prisoners was met by 200 Serbian civilians. They waited outside the station and taunted the prisoners as they were transported inside. Once inside, they were made to undress and then beaten by guards. *4782
The next morning a guard entered the cell and told the two nuns and one of the priests that they were free to go. Later, the others were beaten by guards, brought outside to be beaten again by a group of 40 civilians, and then returned to their cell. During these beatings, the witness apparently had a stick kicked into his colon opening. *4783
Later that same day, the witness was asked to see the commander for interrogation. The commander allegedly threatened him with a knife and ordered him to admit that he was a Serb and that he had received money from the local government. At one point, he engraved the Serbian cross and four «C's» in the witness' chest. *4784
Two other perpetrators were named in connection with activities at the camp. One is said to have brought Serbian civilians to the camp to beat and harass the prisoners. The other ame to the camp on the witness' 18th day of detention and participated in prisoner beatings. *4785
A priest was held at Korenica for 23 days during which time he was repeatedly interrogated and beaten. He was asked about his supposed political work in organizing the Croatian Democratic Union Party in Dreznik, Vaganac, Rakovica, and Slunj. He was also accused of receiving money from the Vatican to purchase weapons for the Croatian defence. Furthermore, the witness claims that «bandits» continually came into his cell to beat he and the others. Apparently, they could do as they pleased with the Croatian prisoners detained at the station. *4786
On the 23rd day, a police commander came in and took the witness away. He told the other Serbs that he was taking the priest to be killed but instead took him to an unidentified private house. *4787 It is reported that another of the priests was allowed to go to a hospital in Rijeka from 24 October to 26 October. Three other detained were subsequently released; the fate of the remaining four prisoners is unknown. *4788 Another prisoner at the camp was transferred from Korenica to Manjaca camp on 24 October 1991. *4789
The ICRC reportedly first visited the police station in Korenica on 31 October 1991. *4790
Private House: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) The priest held at the Korenica police station described above was taken to a private house by a police commander near the end of November 1991. The report does not clearly indicate where the house was located and it is only possible that it was in the Korenica province.
While there, the priest was tied to a chair and interrogated by a Commander. *4791 There were 10 other prisoners at the house. They were Serbian deserters from Plitvice who apparently did not want to attack Croatian civilians. *4792 The priest reports that he was treated better at the house than at Korenica. He was given food and beaten very little, allowing his wounds to heal. He stayed there for approximately 10 days upon which time he was taken by an officer Putnik, blindfolded, put on an aeroplane, and brought to the basement of another unidentified building. *4793
No other Serbian perpetrators are named in association with criminal activities in Korenica, but one witness accuses UNPROFOR members of collaborating with the «Cetniks» in the area. *4794
Kostajnica, located on the Croatian side of the border from Bosanski Novi and Bosanska Dubica, BiH, had a pre-war population of 8,000, 35 per cent Croatian and 65 per cent Serbian. *4795
Cavic Brdo: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely Helsinki Watch.) Seven prisoners were detained in Cavic Brdo in the Spamen Dom (Memorial) building in Samarica. The building is either a hotel or a bowling alley located in what appears to be Kostajnica. The location has not been confirmed and may be as far north as Cazma. They were detained by Serbian police from 26 July 1991 until 31 July 1991, though armed civilians had access to the prisoners and abused them. The Serbian police wore camouflage uniforms and berets and treated the prisoners correctly, according to the report. One of the detainees was a local official. He was detained after being allegedly ambushed on his way back from a meeting in Kostajnica. Those detainees who were wounded during the ambush either died or were taken to Bosnia. *4796
The official was badly beaten during his detention in a hotel which he claimed was the Serbian base. He believed he was beaten more severely because he was the only police officer detained. He was blindfolded and had his hands tied in front of his body at all times. Three medical workers who were detained were not blindfolded but they were beaten. *4797
Electric shock was used on the police officer during the course of his interrogation. All the prisoners were detained in the same room and the electric shock occurred in front of the other detainees. He believes that the device used to introduce the electricity to his feet and hands was a Polish telephone, a «dynamo machine on an electric generator» which required cranking. He was not certain of this because he was blindfolded during his interrogation but he heard a cranking noise. Five or six men were present during the interrogation and allegedly laughed when he screamed. He claimed that he was electrocuted after each question he could not answer, each shock lasted for three or four seconds. The Serbian police did the questioning and allowed the civilians to beat the prisoners. The interrogators were asking him about the number of MUPs in the police stations in various villages. The other prisoners were also electrocuted but the witness believed that their treatment was not as severe. *4798
The police were allegedly under orders to watch the prisoners, prevent their escape, prevent others from abusing them. The witness claimed that their commanding officer would come in once a day and would yell at the guards that the abuse was not supposed to occur. However, the witness claims the commanding officers reprimands had no effect on the treatment of the detainees. *4799
The police officer was forced to sleep in a chair for four days. He claimed that he was not allowed to lie down and to prevent this a knife was held at his neck and a gun at his mouth. The prisoners were threatened with death and accused of being «Ustasa». They were fed liverwurst spread twice a day for the first few days, but the witness claims he had difficulty eating due to the head trauma he suffered. *4800
The prisoners were not allowed to bathe but washed their faces in a basin in the corner of the room. *4801
Seven prisoners were transferred to a three by three metre room and their blindfolds were removed on 31 July 1991. In the room was a sponge-like thing on the floor where they slept. The room had no windows or ventilation. They were given aspirin but no medical treatment was received. Two of the seven were released first and then the rest. Five Croatian prisoners were exchanged on 26 July 1991 for two Serbians. The Croatians included the police officer, another man captured during the ambush and three medical workers who allegedly were captured driving a Red Cross ambulance. A truck driver and a commercial food inspector were also detained and the commercial food inspector was released the day before the police officer was exchanged. *4802
Kukuruzara: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) One source reported a detention facility in Kukuruzara, located north-east of the county seat. Fifty-eight prisoners were detained there from 12 to 19 September 1991 and then were transferred to the Glina prison. The prisoners were reported to be members of the Croatian Ministry of Interior and the Croatian Army. All the prisoners were abused, two were killed, and one was held in solitary confinement. The detention facility was controlled by the JNA and members of the SAO Krajina Militia. *4803
The county of Kutina is located in northern Croatia. According to the 1991 census, the population was 39,493. At that time, the population was 82.6 per cent Croatian, 7.9 per cent Serbian, and 9.5 per cent were referred to as «others». *4804
Kutina Police Station: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) The ICRC reported a police station in Kutina as a place of detention. An ICRC representative first visited the police station on 28 December 1991. *4805
The municipality of Metkovic is on the border of Herzegovina in South Dalmatia. It is situated in the Neretva river valley from the Adriatic Sea approximately 22 kilometres north to the town of Metkovic, the county seat. *4806 According to the 1991 population census Metkovic had a population of 22,774, 93.7 per cent of which were Croats, 3.1 per cent Serb, and 3.2 per cent «other». *4807
Prison in Metkovic: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) According to reports, 19 Serb civilians from the village of Glusci, were arrested and detained in the local prison following a police raid in the region on 9 May 1992. Reportedly members of the Croatian National Guard were responsible for these activities. *4808
One report suggested that the 19 civilians were detained at this location for a undisclosed period of time and then transferred to prison camps in Split and Sibenik. *4809
A passenger aboard a JNA plane when it was shot down on 23 April 1992 was reported to have been captured by the Croatian army on the left bank of the Neretva river. Though the prisoner was allegedly taken into custody in BiH he was interned at a prison in Metkovic. There he was reportedly punched and kicked all over his body. The prisoner also claimed that he was forced to make a statement for Croatian television. In the statement he had to say he was a member of the aggressor army and that he had killed innocent Croatian people. *4810
Unidentified camp: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) According to one report, Serbs in the Capljina municipality were detained and mistreated in an unidentified camp in the area of Metkovic. *4811 The inmates were reportedly subjected to beatings, cut with various sharp objects, caused to undergo electric shock treatments and forced to engage in homosexual acts as well as acts of rape with female inmates. Reportedly the facility was operated by members of the HOS paramilitary group. *4812
«Poduh» Tobacco Processing Plant: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the Permanent Mission of Germany. *4813) According to one report, in April 1992, Serb citizens in the Capljina region were arrested by Croatian soldiers. *4814 The detainees were initially taken to the tobacco station in Capljina and held there for a few hours before being blindfolded and transported to the tobacco processing plant in Metkovic. *4815
At the Poduh plant, the personal possessions of the detainees were removed and they were subjected to beatings with clubs, mallets, rifle butts, baseball bats and sticks. The inmates were reportedly beaten in the genital area. *4816 When they lost consciousness, they were reportedly revived with cold water. *4817
Following the beatings, the inmates were detained in a room on the lower level for six days. They were then taken to a location on the upper level of the plant to undergo interrogation. The questioning was performed on an individual basis and reportedly lasted quite some time. *4818
Following the interrogation, the inmates were blindfolded, their hands bound and they were transported to the Lora camp in Split. *4819
Military Police Building: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) The ICRC listed the military police building as a place of detention and first visited it on 3 June 1992. *4820
The county of Nasice is located in north-eastern Croatia. According to the 1991 census, the population was 40,424. At that time, the population was 80.1 per cent Croatian, 11 per cent Serbian, with 8.9 per cent referred to as «others». *4821
Nasice: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) Prisoners were reportedly detained in Nasice. Forty-one Serbian prisoners were exchanged for 380 members of the Croatian paramilitary formations on 27 March 1992. The 41 were reported to have been arrested between 6 November 1991 and 13 March 1992. Almost all the prisoners were interrogated for three to 10 days at various places in Croatia, including Nasice. Then they were allegedly taken to detention facilities in Osijek and Zagreb. *4822
Additionally, there were reports that prisoners taken at Budimci were later exchanged in Nemetin. The majority of the prisoners were Serb civilians and a small number of soldiers. *4823
Nova Gradiska is north of the Sava River and borders Bosanska Gradiska. It had a population of 60,461 according to the 1991 census. The population constited of 71.7 per cent Croats, 20.8 per cent Serb, 3 per cent Yugoslav and 4.5 per cent «other». *4824
Stara Gradiska Prison: *4825 (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by multiple sources, including the US Department of State, Helsinki Watch, and the ICRC. *4826) This camp lies within a Serb-occupied area of Croatia. *4827 The prison was in the centre of town and consisted of two separate wings. *4828 It is unclear if the prison operated as a traditional jail before the conflict in Croatia broke out, but it was used to house prisoners of the conflict from as early as October of 1991 until at least 29 July 1993, when ECMM visited Stara Gradiska and observed that four inmates were being housed there.
A host of Serb forces have been named as being involved in the control and operation of Stara Gradiska camp. It appears that initially, the camp was controlled largely by forces other than the JNA. Many of the reports of detentions occurring in November of 1991 name «Cetniks with cockards,» *4829 members of the Plitvice Territorial Defence Units, *4830 SAO militia, *4831 and the White Eagles as running the camp and participating in the beating and torturing of prisoners. One report stated that on 30 November, the «Cetniks» told the prisoners that from that point forward, their detention came under JNA jurisdiction. *4832
Reports have named several individuals as being involved in the operation of Stara Gradiska. Thirteen persons were identified as reported interrogators at Stara Gradiska, who also maltreated the prisoners, including two members of the Plitvice Territorial Defence Unit. *4833 A Serb irregular was also reportedly involved in the interrogation of prisoners and may have ordered some detainees to be tortured. *4834 The camp's alleged commander, at least as of March 1992, was a former YPA colonel who reportedly ordered soldiers to beat prisoners and may have personally tortured others. *4835
Detainees at Stara Gradiska were largely Croatian, but some Muslims were also detained there on certain occasions. Muslims from Teslic, Prnjavor and Bosanska Gradiska were brought to Stara Gradiska on an unspecified date. 400 people from Lisnija were also taken to the prison. *4836 The prisoners included both civilians and soldiers. One group of prisoners comprised members of the Croatian Defence Council and Serbs who had refused to fight against Croatians. *4837
It appears that there were two «peak» periods in which individuals were detained at Stara Gradiska. The first period was between November of 1991 and January of 1992. At least 18 persons from the county of Slunj were taken to Stara Gradiska from Kljuc militia station in late November 1991. They had all been accused of slaughtering anywhere between one and 15 Serbian children. *4838 One report noted that by 18 November, prisoners were been housed in groups of 50 in small cells, suggesting that the camp population exceeded 100 persons. *4839 Of these prisoners, 20 were sent to Manjaca on 22 November. However, the ICRC intercepted the convoy and the prisoners eventually were released and taken to Zagreb. *4840 An additional 18 persons were taken from Stara Gradiska to Okucani police station on 6 December. *4841
A prisoner who was appointed to serve as «camp doctor» upon his arrival in Stara Gradiska on 9 December 1991, noted that he examined 635 prisoners between 12 December 1991 and 6 February 1992. *4842 According to another former prisoner, additional detainees were brought to the camp from Bucje on 15 December 1991, including 20 women who were later exchanged. *4843
Other Croatians were brought from Grdjevica camp to Stara Gradiska in late 1991. These prisoners spent a total of 5 months in captivity at three different camps, including Grdjevica, Bucje and Stara Gradiska. *4844 In the middle of January 1992, 16 Croatian guardsmen were brought to the camp, but then returned to the camp at Okucani to receive medical attention. *4845 On 16 January 1992, 100 prisoners were exchanged in Pakrac. *4846 Twenty-three additional prisoners were released on 26 January 1992 and taken to Bosanski Samac. *4847
The second high point for detentions occurred between May and June of 1992. On 26 April 1992, a BiH official and an HVO soldier were diverted from their planned meeting with Lt. Col. Zovan Peulican and eventually taken to Stara Gradiska, where they were beaten by police officers and at least one individual who identified himself as a White Eagle. They were sent home that evening. *4848 On 29 May 1992, 400 men were transferred from Kljuc sports hall to Stara Gradiska. Most of them remained there until mid-June, when they were transported to the camp at Manjaca. *4849
The following day, 29 May, four Muslims in an unidentified village were captured by White Eagles and taken along with seven other Muslims to Stara Gradiska camp. *4850 At that time, the prison was holding 450 males and no females. *4851 An additional two dozen prisoners were taken from Knin and arrived at the camp shortly after 4 June. *4852 On 14 June 1992, all 450 inmates were taken to Manjaca and the prison was reportedly abandoned. *4853 However, as mentioned earlier, ECMM visited Stara Gradiska in July 1993, and four inmates were being detained there. *4854 This suggests that the camp was either reopened or remained in operation despite the witness' observations.
By most accounts, the camp was severely overcrowded throughout 1991 and 1992. In November 1991, groups of 50 prisoners were held in rooms measuring five metres by six metres. They were forced to sleep on the bare floor. *4855 One prisoner, who was detained at Stara Gradiska in May and June of 1992, was placed in a room with 60 other men. The room was 18 square metres in size. Because of the crowded conditions, the prisoners were not able to all sleep at one time. *4856
There are discrepancies as to the treatment of prisoners at the camp. Several reports, which are based on interviews with persons detained at Stara Gradiska in November of 1991 note that many prisoners were beaten and tortured by the guards and interrogators at the camp. This activity appears to have occurred when the «Cetniks» or irregulars and SAO militia were in control of the camp. One prisoner stated that he heard shots every night for 12 consecutive nights during his stay at Stara Gradiska, and that he knew of at least four prisoners who died. *4857 This witness also stated that the ICRC visited on Christmas Day 1991 *4858 and that conditions improved mildly after Croatia was recognized in January 1992. However, another former prisoner stated that conditions at Stara Gradiska, while under the control of the JNA, was «bearable, indeed a positive blessing in comparison with Bucje [a camp in Pakrac]». *4859
One of the more notorious forms of torture at Stara Gradiska was the use of electrified water. One prisoner who was held there in March and April of 1992 related that the camp commander threatened to throw him into the water unless he confessed. After being kicked and beaten, the prisoner's body touched a metal net which grazed the water, and he sustained shocks. This treatment was repeated 10 days later. *4860 Other prisoners were made to walk continuously in circles for hours, or to stand still for given intervals of time. In contrast, a prisoner who was detained at Stara Gradiska in May and June of 1992 stated that no one was beaten, «mishandled» or killed during his 14-day stay at the camp. Prisoners were interrogated, however, about their backgrounds and political affiliations. *4861
One ex-detainee stated that prisoners were fed three times a day. Twenty-four prisoners had to share a kilogram of bread. In addition, a piece of cheese was distributed to the prisoners at breakfast and a piece of margarine was given at dinnertime. Prisoners were also given very little water, but were afraid to ask for more sustenance «as it was considered a criticism...and was punished by beating». *4862 In November, prisoners were given only one bath, during which they were beaten and spat on. *4863
Nova Gradiska Detention Camp: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) A group of civilians and Territorial Defence Units in Masicka Sagovina surrendered to Croatian forces. One of the men among the group, a Serb, was taken to the detention camp at Nova Gradiska. No other details about the camp were provided. *4864
Okucani Police Station: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by multiple sources however none among them are neutral.) Okucani is located just north of Stara Gradiska and west of Nova Gradiska proper. The former police station in Okucani served as a Serb-run detention facility in late 1991. As early as 6 December 1991, individuals were taken to this site and detained. The last known date on which prisoners were held at Okucani is the middle of January 1992.
Okucani was run by Serb forces, but it is unclear whether the forces were regular or paramilitary. One report noted that members of the Okucani Territorial Defence forces and SAO Krajina «tortured and killed detainees in Nova Gradiska,» but does not specifically mention Okucani. *4865 Three individuals were identified as reportedly participating in the beating of Okucani prisoners. The military unit to which these persons belonged was not given in the report. *4866
Most of the Okucani detainees appear to have been Croatian, and included civilians and military personnel. One group of 18 persons was taken from the camp at Stara Gradiska to Okucani on 6 December 1991. Among the prisoners were women and civilians. Twelve of these 18 were eventually returned to Stara Gradiska. *4867 An additional report noted that 12 persons were taken from Okucani to Stara Gradiska on 24 December 1991. It is possible that this report is referring to the same 12 individuals. *4868 Additionally, 16 Croatian guardsmen were brought to Stara Gradiska in the middle of January 1992. However, they were returned to Okucani because they were severely beaten and could not receive appropriate medical attention at Stara Gradiska. *4869
Prisoners at Okucani were housed in small cells which measured one metre by 1.8 metres, so that the prisoners could not all sit down at one time. In one cell of this size, 14 prisoners were detained. The cells had neither windows or doors. Upon arrival at Okucani, detainees were stripped of all their belongings. During the day, the prisoners were beaten with all sorts of weapons, and at night, they were taken into a separate room where between five to six men beat the prisoners. Several individuals died as a result of beatings. *4870
At least one prisoner was mutilated while detained at Okucani. An electric appliance for use in cattle was implemented to maltreat the prisoners, but the method used was not described. Others were forced to open a heated oven with their bare hands or eat salt and drink salt water. *4871 The group of prisoners who were taken from Okucani to Stara Gradiska on 24 December 1991 were described as having been severely beaten. In addition, one of the women prisoners had been tortured and raped by Okucani guards and other prisoners. *4872
Police Station: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) The ICRC reported the police station as a place of detention and first visited the facility on 3 January 1992. *4873
Novska is located north of the Sava River and borders Bosanska Dubica. According to the 1991 census it had a population of 24,731. The population was 67 per cent Croat, 21.8 per cent Serb, and 11.2 per cent other. *4874
Novska Prison: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) In December 1991, a Serbian family was taken by local Croatian authorities to the «Novska prison». At the prison, the entire family was allegedly subjected to physical and mental abuse. *4875 Also within the municipality of Novska, in the village of Borovac, several members of Serbian paramilitary forces were accused of illegally detaining, harassing, and mistreating ethnic Croatians. These violations were allegedly committed between August and December 1991; no specific location is given. *4876
The county of Ogulin is located in Croatia, south-west of Zagreb near the border with Slovenia. According to the 1991 census, the population was 28,904. At that time, the population was 59.9 per cent Croatian, 35.3 per cent Serbian, with the remaining 4.8 per cent referred to as «others». *4877
Saborsko: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) There was a report of detention of civilians in Saborsko by Serbian paramilitary formations on 12 November 1991. *4878
Plaski Police Station: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) It was reported that on 1 December 1991, a member of the Serbian paramilitary forces, interrogated civilians in the police station in Plaski. *4879
Ogulin Police Station: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by multiple sources however none among them are neutral.) Two reports from the same source indicated that 23 Serbs from Ogulin and the surrounding villages were arbitrarily arrested between 17 November 1991 and 20 November 1991. The Serbs allegedly were held in the Ogulin police station for three days, where they were physically abused by police officers and a ZNG member of the Republic of Croatia, in an effort to extract confessions on alleged collaboration with «Cetniks» and possession of firearms. They were questioned and beaten at the police station. One of the officers fired shots from an automatic weapon, killing three of them and gravely wounding one. *4880
Another source reported on what appears to be the same incident and included two statements by ex-detainees. Both statements concern the arrest and detention of ethnic Serbs at the Ogulin police station. On 18 November 1991 one witness was arrested at work by a patrol from the Croatian Ministry of Interior. No reason was given for the arrest. He was detained at the Ogulin police station with 23 other people of Serbian nationality. *4881 The other witness was arrested at his house on 17 November 1991 by the so-called «Josip Turkovic Intervention Unit» and taken by police van to the Ogulin police station allegedly to give a statement. *4882
According to the first witness, the interrogations began the same evening and the detainees were interrogated individually by six to eight people. The witness was interrogated by a co-worker from the Cumerija enterprise for one hour and 10 minutes which involved the beating of the prisoner on the legs and arms with a nightstick. He was accused of having been involved in an armed rebellion against the Republic of Croatia. *4883
The second witness was first interrogated by an elderly man allegedly from Zagreb to whom he gave his personal data and who questioned him about the Serbs from Plaski. He was then taken to another room where he spent up to two hours. A guard pointed a gun at his head and continuously clicked the trigger. A tall Croatian Defence Force (HOS) member with a red beret and a shorter man in civilian clothes entered the room. The two began interrogating and beating the witness. The HOS member kicked the witness in the head which caused bleeding. They left the prisoner ordering him to write a statement. The two men returned half an hour later and beat him again because he had not written anything. Another severely beaten prisoner was brought in and shortly thereafter the civilian took him away while the HOS member remained with the witness demanding a confession. The prisoner was then fed some bread and canned meat and when the other prisoner returned he too had been fed. The two prisoners were then taken to another cell which contained a severely beaten Serb. The Serb claimed he had been beaten all night, forced to sing «Ustase» songs, and declare himself a «Cetnik». *4884
The next day the two prisoners were taken out of the cell and told they would be released. Instead they were taken to a meeting room which held 10 other Serbs who had been arrested that morning. They were watched by two guards, one of whom collected money from the prisoners and bought them sandwiches and cigarettes. In the evening the prisoners were moved to the cafeteria in the basement. At 8:00 p.m., two «Turkovic's special policemen» entered the room and began taking prisoners out one by one. The prisoners returned badly beaten, the interrogators allegedly jumped from tables on to the chests of the prisoners. This continued until 4:00 a.m. on 19 November 1991. *4885
Those left in the room were threatened by a named person, who cocked his gun and pointed it at the prisoners. The witness was not beaten and he was told the man was saving him for last. At 7:00 a.m., two men entered and took the personal data of the prisoners. The witness was asked to reveal the names of the «Cetniks» and Serbian Democratic Party (SDS) members in Josip Dol. The witness gave only the names of the deceased and those who had fled. During that day, around seven more Serbs were detained. *4886
Both of the witnesses claim that at some time during their detention a man entered the room where the prisoners were held and fired at the prisoners. The first witness claims that on 19 November 1991, the two guards who watched the prisoners were joined by an armed man. This armed man fired his weapon at the prisoners. Three detainees were killed and one was seriously wounded. The guards disarmed the assailant and moved the prisoners to another room where they spent the night. *4887
The other witness claims that the assailant was a member of the Croatian National Guard (ZNG). The guards, one a special policemen and the other a man from Modrusa, attempted to get the assailant to leave. They were initially successful, however, he returned minutes later and joined the two policemen at a table where they were interviewing the detainees. The assailant appeared to be intoxicated and began telling the other two about his experiences in the war. The two police tried to convince him to leave and get some rest as his shift was over. The assailant allegedly started for the door but suddenly turned and fired from his automatic weapon on the detainees. The two policemen pushed his gun to the floor and one hit him in the head with his gun. Two prisoners died and one was severely wounded. A policemen named called an ambulance and the wounded prisoner was taken away. *4888
On 20 November 1991 the prisoners were released without explanation. *4889
Another report alleged that between 19 November 1991 and 21 November 1991 some one hundred Serbs from different villages were arrested and taken to the police station in Ogulin. There they were beaten and interrogated about an alleged rebellion. Ten people were killed and 90 have disappeared. *4890
The county of Osijek is in eastern Croatia bordering FRY at Vojvodina. According to the 1991 census, the pre-war population was 164,577. At that time, 66.6 per cent were Croatian, 20 per cent were Serbian, 8.4 per cent were referred to as «other», and 5 per cent were referred to as «Yugoslav». *4891
Dalj Camp: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by multiple sources, including the ICRC. *4892) It was reported that on 10 August 1991, in the village of Erdut, *4893 members of the JNA Novi Sad Corps, and members of irregular militia *4894 comprised of Serb villagers from Erdut began arresting Croatian and Hungarian civilians remaining in the town after the JNA occupation. A number of civilians *4895 were arrested and taken to the village of Dalj. After an interrogation and physical abuse, some of the civilians were released while some were taken to Borovo Selo. On 25 August 1991, additional Croatian civilians were arrested by the «Krajina Militia» in the town of Erdut. They were imprisoned in Dalj for seven days and then taken to Borovo Selo. Several days later some of the Croatians were taken back to Dalj and imprisoned in the «Kooperacija» company building. *4896
Temporary Dalj Camp: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) It was reported that a number of captured Croatian civilians from Vukovar were transported and temporarily detained in the village of Dalj during the last week of November 1991, after the fall of Vukovar. They were allegedly tortured and most of them were executed thereafter. *4897 A witness testimony in another report corroborates the existence of this temporary camp in Dalj where many people were held and then allegedly executed. *4898
«Kooperacija» Company Building, Dalj: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) It was reported that several Croatian civilians who were arrested in Erdut by members of JNA Novi Sad Corps and members of the «Krajina Militia» were imprisoned in Dalj in the «Kooperacija» company building. *4899
«Private» Prison in Dalj (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) It was reported that Veso Proa, a Serb from Vukovar and a resident from Belgrade fired at an imprisoned Croatian civilian near the cyrillic sign «Dalj» at the entrance to the village. The man survived and was taken to the private prison in Dalj along with two other men. *4900 Another report says that there is a «private» camp in Dalj. *4901
Police Station, Dalj: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely Amnesty International. *4902) A member of the Croatian National Guard interviewed in the Zagreb weekly newspaper Danas of 27 August 1991 described how he was captured in Dalj on 3 August, by local Serbs, former police officers who had occupied the police station in Dalj. He was questioned and released. The following day he was again detained and held together with some 20 other Croatians. He alleged that he was forced to load the bodies of 22 dead Croatian National Guardsmen and police into a refrigerated truck. He also alleged that he and his fellow prisoners were forced to carry out various physical tasks by their captors who punched and beat them with rifle butts, put out cigarettes on their bodies and humiliated them. *4903
Police Station Jail, Osijek: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely Helsinki Watch.) A Serbian man being held in the Osijek jail described his arrest and treatment in an interview with Helsinki Watch. On 7 July 1991 the man's house in the village of Shilopsi was surrounded by the Croatian National Guard and he and the other civilians in the house surrendered. They were beaten inside the house with rifle butts and kicked. He reported that about 20 to 30 National Guards were hitting and kicking them. After being beaten in the house, they were forced to walk about one to two kilometres to their cars where they were again beaten. They were then taken to Djakovo police station and he was taken to the hospital where his wounds were stitched. They were then taken to the Osijek police station and put in jail at about 3:00 p.m. on 8 July. There were seven people arrested (four men) and the men were all in the jail in Osijek. *4904 In another interview with Helsinki Watch, the police chief of Knin reported that they believe there to be a total of 45 men held in the jails in Osijek and Banija. *4905
Osijek Prison: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely ICRC.) A report alleges that a man, Savo Ojkic of Vocin, who was imprisoned by Croatian authorities was subjected to brutal physical torture in Osijek prison which resulted in serious injuries of which he later died. He died in a Zagreb hospital where he had be taken for treatment. *4906 The ICRC reports that its representatives first visited the Osijek prison on 7 December 1991. *4907
Osijek Barracks: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) The ICRC reports that its representatives first visited the Osijek barracks on 23 April 1992. There are no details given. *4908
Osijek Hospital: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) The ICRC reports that its representatives first visited the Osijek hospital on 31 March 1994. There are no details given. *4909
Secretariat of Internal Affairs Building, Osijek: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) It was reported that after members of the Yugoslav People's Army surrendered in Osijek, they were taken to the Secretariat of Internal Affairs building where all their belongings were seized and they were forced to run a gauntlet of enemy soldiers on their way to prison cells. They were allegedly beaten severely. *4910
Basement of House, Osijek: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) According to witness statements, members of the Croatian forces had entered into Paulin Dvor *4911 on the night of 12 or 13 December 1991. Seventeen people were arrested and taken to the basement of the house of Mr. Andrija Bukvic. According to the witnesses, they were all killed. *4912
Unidentified Osijek camp: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by multiple sources however none among them are neutral.) A report discusses detailed information gathered from former prisoners of a camp in Osijek. They were allegedly subjected to severe physical and mental mistreatment. The forms of mental mistreatment ranged from bullying, threats, blackmail, recruitment and humiliation to brutal maltreatment, and sexual abuse. *4913 This report is corroborated by another report discussing the treatment of the prisoners exchanged in the village of Nemetin on 27 March 1992. *4914 Another report says that prisoners were taken out to downtown Osijek during the fiercest fighting to collect refuse and deposit it into street refuse bins. *4915
Second unidentified Osijek camp: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) It was reported that a parish priest in Koprivnica *4916 was arbitrarily arrested and detained by Croatian armed forces. He was first in preventive detention in Bjelovar and was then transferred to Osijek. Although he was a civilian and clergyman, he was exchanged as a prisoner of war for Croatian soldiers. He was allegedly ill treated and physically tortured as a result of which he suffered great bodily harm. *4917
Unidentifed Ernestinovo camp: (The existence of a detention facility in this village has been corroborated by neutral sources, namely the ICRC and Amnesty International.) An Amnesty International and the ICRC report states that there is a camp in Ernestinovo, in the county of Osijek. There are no details concerning this camp. *4918
Otocac is located near Gospic and had a population of 24,779. The population was 64.9 per cent Croat, 32.2 per cent Serb, and 2.9 per cent other. *4919
Otocac Prison: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) The ICRC listed the Otocac Prison as a place of detention and first visited the facility on 2 April 1992. *4920
Before the second World War, Pakrac and its environs were almost entirely populated by Croats. Following World War II, Serbs began to inhabit the region and many Croats departed the area. *4921
According to the 1991 Yugoslav census, the municipality of Pakrac had a population of 27,288. Of that number 46.4 per cent were Serbs, 36 per cent were Croats and the remaining 17.6 per cent were described as «others».
Reports received from the region suggest that of the three detention facilities in the municipality, two were Croat- run and one was Serb controlled.
Bucje Camp: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by multiple sources, including Amnesty International.) The village of Bucje is located some 20 kilometres east of Pakrac. According to reports, Bucje had become a reference point for «SAO West Slavonija». *4922 The village became the military and administrative centre of the «SAO West». *4923 As a result, the prison was the most logical central warehouse to which prisoners captured from surrounding areas with undetermined containment assignment could be registered and detained. *4924
According to one report, on 19 August 1991, «Cetniks» attacked and occupied a portion of this Croatian community killing a number of civilians and imprisoning others at this camp. From August to November 1991, a great many the prisoners at this location were reportedly questioned, tortured and killed. *4925
In another account, an elderly Croat reported being arrested on 21 September by Serbian paramilitary forces and taken to the village of Bucje. He reported being held with both civilian and captured soldiers in a school building. *4926
According to the report, the detainees were made to sleep on concrete floors with only a piece of cardboard for bedding. *4927 The detainees' hands were tied behind their backs and their ankles bound. They were reportedly beaten simultaneously by several of their captors. *4928
One former detainee, who was arrested in August 1991 and held in several detention facilities, stated that his treatment at Bucje was the worst. He reported that he and other prisoners were beaten by their captors while they were handcuffed and blindfolded. «Life in Stara Gradiska, under the control of the JNA was bearable, indeed a positive blessing in comparison with Bucje». *4929
In another report, on 29 August 1991, a physician from Pakrac was taken to and detained in the basement of the forestry company at Bucje. He was kept in a room that contained only a stool and a piece of paper. He was given bread to eat and, the following morning, a blanket. On the evening of the second day he was taken to a physician to be treated for his wounds. He was reportedly removed from the camp for a few days and then returned on 6 September, this time he was detained in the room in the former veterinary clinic. The room used to be a stable. The floor was damp. He was given a sponge mattress, two blankets and a pillow. He was permitted regular meals. There was reportedly a female lawyer held in the room next to his and 40 people captured were detained in a wooden barn in the municipality. According to the witness, Serbs as well as Croats were detained at this facility. Reportedly Serbs who were part of a resistance were detained by the Serb paramilitaries. *4930
The witness identified members of the JNA bringing in refugees from surrounding villages. According to the witness there were 150 individuals held at Bucje. Serbs were reportedly released 10-15 days after their arrival. There were reportedly 30 Serbs detained there. Approximately six people were killed, 10 people were unaccounted for and a number of women were raped. *4931
«Stara Ciglana»: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) «Stara Ciglana» was regarded as a death camp. *4932 It was located in Pakracka Poljana, near Kutina. This facility was reportedly created by Special Forces Units of the Ministry of the Interior Affairs of the Republic of Croatia for the containment and control of ethnic Serbs. *4933
Reportedly, after their arrest, ethnic Serbs were brought to this location and, either individually or in small groups, prepared for and «liquidated». *4934 According to the report, those not destroyed were detained in the camp for several days and thereafter removed to locations where they were later killed. *4935
«Ribarska Koliba» Hotel: *4936 (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely Helsinki Watch.) This Marino Selo hotel was reportedly converted into the Croatian National Guard/Military Police headquarters and death camp. *4937 It was reportedly a small settlement just betwen Pakrac and Kutina. It was created in late October 1991 and secured by some 30 military police officers. The commander at that time was one Damir Sirac. *4938
According to one report, on 15 November 1991, members of the Croatian army arrested 15 Serbs from the village of Kip, six from Klisa, and one from Batinjani. *4939 Most of the prisoners were reportedly members of Serbian insurgency, but all were unarmed. They were detained in a hotel in the village Marino Selo, and guarded by 12-15 Croat army members. *4940 The prisoners were reportedly used as forced labour to bury the bodies of those killed in the camp. *4941
The detainees at this facility were beaten with iron rods which were removed from military beds, beaten with wooden truncheons, and reportedly in one case, a blow torch was burned across the chest of one of the inmates. *4942
Following the beatings, they were detained in a room in the cellar from which regular beatings were inflicted. *4943 There was also reportedly a room next to this cellar containment area where other detainees were taken solely for the purpose of being beaten. *4944
One detainee recalled that his son was taken by members of the National Guard to a hotel room where he was placed in a chair with his hands tied behind his back and thereafter connected to electricity and tortured. *4945
In another incident, the Croatian soldiers reportedly cut off the ears of one inmate and then forced another detainee who witnessed the event to eat the ear. *4946 They reportedly later cut the ears and fingers off of several other detainees. *4947
Police Headquarters: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) The ICRC reported the existence of a camp at the Police Headquarters in Pakrac. The ICRC first visited the camp on 14 January 1992. *4948
Jedinstvo Football Club: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) In December of 1991 a Serb prisoner was interned in an improvised prison in the locker room of the Jedinstvo Football Club at Pakracka Poljana by the Croatian Army. While interned there he was interrogated and asked about the military positions of the JNA. He was also beaten daily. He filmed for five hours while interrogated. He was dressed in a furcap, a coat of arms with a cetnik insignia for the event. The guards also electrocuted him by hooking a power transformer to his toes and turning the power on. His stomach was also burned and he was treated in Pakracka Poljana hospital. *4949
Unidentified House, Pakrac: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) According to the testimony of a civilian from Pakrac, who was arrested by Serb paramilitaries on 19 August 1991, he recalled being taken to an unidentified house near Bucje. He was handcuffed and blindfolded and was unsure of his exact location. He was interrogated and beaten in this condition. The witness made a wreitten statement and was detained in the bathroom of this house overnight. The following day he and another detainee were transported to another private home in the area. *4950
Home of Jela Tarbuk, Pakrac: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) According to the statement of a civilian physician detained at this location, the home of a now deceased patient, he and another physician were kept here from 20 August 1991 to 29 August 1991. Reportedly one guard was posted at the location during the day and two at nights. They were fed three times a day and interrogated only once. The witness was made to write a letter to the hospital in Pakrac requesting surgical equipment and other supplies. The witness was transferred to Bucje on 29 August 1991. *4951
Petrinja is located near Glina and had a population of 35,622 according to the 1991 census. The population was 44.2 per cent Croat, 44.9 per cent Serb, 5.1 per cent Yugoslav, 5.8 per cent «other». *4952
Taboriste Settlement, Brijest: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) A concentration camp in which Serbians were detained was allegedly located at the Taboriste settlement, in the village of Brijest. *4953 About 500 prisoners were detained there, including 80 women and 40 children. The children ranged in age from 8 to 15, and they were beaten and forced to work during their detention. The female prisoners were raped every day, and the male prisoners were reportedly killed and buried in mass graves. *4954
Vasil Gacesa Casern: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by multiple sources, including the US Department of State.) The Vasil Gacesa casern, which was formerly operated by the JNA, reportedly served as a Serb-run detention facility in September of 1991. The casern was used to house Croatian civilians in Petrinja county. At least 31 Croatian persons were captured while trying to escape the fighting in Petrinja and taken to the casern. *4955 The prisoners were told they were being held «for their own security». Five of them were released the following morning. At least one of the prisoners was interrogated, beaten and forced to sign several confessions. The detainees also participated in burial detail, where bodies of killed persons were buried in two identified mass graves. One of the mass graves was reportedly located within Vasil Gacesa casern itself, and the other was near a small hill, where 18 Croatian soldiers were buried. *4956 The report did not indicate whether the soldiers were former prisoners of the casern.
According to another report, SAO Krajina forces arrested a group of citizens on 21 September and took them to the casern, where a number of them were interrogated and tortured. Others were forced into labour. *4957
Croatian soldiers may have also been detained at the Vasil Gacesa casern. On 16 September, Serb paramilitaries and JNA troops captured a group of 23 Croatian soldiers. They were reportedly tortured for several hours, then executed by a firing squad and buried in a mass grave. While the report did not specify the precise location where the captured soldiers were taken, the date of the incident coincides with other reports which mention the Vasil Gacesa casern. *4958
Several individuals have been identified as participating in the operation of the Vasil Gacesa facility. Reportedly, the chief jailer was a JNA Sergeant and the commander of the casern was a JNA Major. *4959 Four alleged JNA interrogators were also identified.
Podravska Slatina is located in northern Croatia and had a population of 31,155 according to the 1991 census. The population of the opstina was 57.2 per cent Croat, 35.8 per cent Serb, 3.5 per cent Yugoslav, and the remaining 3.5 per cent were described as «other». *4960
Unidentified Detention Facility: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) Little specific information is available regarding detention facilities in the municipality of Podravska Slatina. One report refers to Podravska Slatina, among other locations, as a place where Croatian authorities detained ethnic Serbs. POW's interviewed in March 1992 reported physical violence and mental mistreatment. The names of prison guards and members of the Croatian Ministry of Internal Affairs are given as alleged perpetrators. *4961
Police Station, Vocin: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely Amnesty International.) It is reported that the police station in Vocin was used by Serbs as a detention centre. *4962
Pula is located in Istria and had a population of 84,606. The population was 55.5 per cent Croat, 7.6 per cent Serb, 36.9 per cent other, and 11.9 per cent regional ethnic orientation. *4963
District Prison: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) The ICRC listed the district prison in Pula as a place of detention and first visited the facility on 16 February 1992. *4964
The county of Rijeka is located in north-west Croatia bordering the Adriatic Sea, near the Istria peninsula. According to the 1991 census, the population was 205,836. At that time, the population was 71.4 per cent Croatian, 10.6 per cent Serbian, 2.9 per cent Muslim, 11.2 per cent of the population was referred to as «other», and 3.9 per cent was referred to as «Yugoslav». *4965
Rijeka: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by multiple sources, including ECMM and Helsinki Watch.) One source reported that the Croatian forces maintain a detention centre in Rijeka. *4966 Around 14 September 1993 team Gospic of the ECMM was informed by the local Red Cross that some Serb prisoners allegedly had been transferred to Rijeka for unknown reasons after the last Croatian Army offensive in the Gospic pocket. The team was also informed that the authorities in Gospic would not allow anyone to see all the prisoners detained after the last offensive. *4967 Another report claims that 12 draft age men, who arrived in Jablanica during January and February 1993, reported being picked up in various parts of Croatia by the Croatian police and detained in Rijeka before being sent to Posusje. The men appear to have been Bosnian Muslims though possibly three were Serbian. *4968
Rijeka Prison: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) On 29 September 1993 the Knin Red Cross delivered the list of Croats incarcerated in the Glina jail and were given in return a list of Serbian soldiers, captured by the Croats in Citluk, Divoselo, and Medak and who were reportedly detained in the Rijeka prison. *4969 The ICRC visited the prison in Rijeka on 4 October 1991. *4970
Rijeka Military Police Building: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) The ICRC reported the military police building in Rijeka as a place of detention in a report received on 27 May 1994. The representatives first visited the detention facility on 12 September 1993. *4971
The county of Sibenik is located in southern Croatia and borders the Adriatic Sea. According to the 1991 census, the population was 84,435. At that time, the population was 84.1 per cent Croatian, 10.5 per cent Serbian, with 5.4 per cent referred to as «others». *4972
Sibenik Prison: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) It was reported that on 9 May 1992, Croatian authorities arrested 19 Serbs from the village of Glusci in the county of Metkovic on charges of «armed rebellion against the Croatian state». The arrested villagers were first imprisoned in Metkovic, then in Split and Sibenik. A prisoner exchange was arranged between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Croatia for 14 August 1992. Twelve of the prisoners were exchanged, but seven refused to be exchanged and were reportedly then held in the prison in Sibenik for another 56 days. *4973 Another report also discusses the allegation that the prison in Sibenik is holding prisoners of war. *4974 There is also mention of a camp in a prison/penitentiary reportedly first visited by the ICRC on 9 September 1991. *4975
«Ante Jonjic» Barracks: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources. *4976) In a statement given by a Serbian man *4977, it is reported that there is a camp in the «Ante Jonjic» Barracks in Sibenik. The man was arrested by Croatian soldiers near the village of Mumilovaca on his way to Prebilovci in Capljina county on 8 April 1992. He was handcuffed and taken to a camp at the tobacco processing plant in Capljina. He was held there with others and they were all beaten. They were then taken to the «Poduh» tobacco processing plant in Metkovic, where their personal documents and all valuables were taken. They were also again subjected to severe and repeated beatings. They were later taken to the «Lora» camp in Split. They were again beaten repeatedly and given very little food. The man witnessed at least one man being killed. Allegedly, one night before the arrival of the International Red Cross, 12 of the prisoners were tied up and taken in a van to Zadar where they were held in the former JNA barracks. They were again beaten. From here, they were taken to Duvno (now Tomislavgrad) where they were held for about 10 days in the cellar of an abandoned house. They were then driven to Ljubuski and were again beaten. The witness was beaten so severely that he was taken to the hospital in Split where he stayed for 15 days. After this he was taken to Sibenik, to what he believes was the «Ante Jonjic» barracks. There, the prisoners were forced to «graze» on the grass. He was beaten and stabbed in the chest. He witnessed a 70 year-old woman and her 15 year-old granddaughter being raped. After about 10 days, he was taken back to «Lora» in Split. He was there for about a month and a half and then driven with other prisoners in three or four busses to the Kerestinec camp. From there, he was sent to Nemetin near Osijek and exchanged on 14 August 1992. *4978
Temporary Detention Centre: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the UK Defence Debriefing Team.) A witness reported being held for two days in what he believed to be a temporary detention centre in a cellar of a deserted house in the Sibenik area with 10 other prisoners. The guards were black-uniformed Muslims from the Black Legion. All the prisoners were beaten and as a result of being beaten himself, the source received a broken shoulder, broken nose and lost several teeth. From here the prisoners were moved to Eminovo Selo. During the move, 8 prisoners disappeared and the source believes they were killed. *4979
Sibenik Hospital: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) Reportedly the ICRC first visited this facility on 2 February 1992. There are no details given concerning this camp. *4980
Unknown Cellar: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the UK Defence Debriefing Team.) A witness reported being moved from Split to a location he cannot remember but believes to have been Sibenik where he spent one night and one day in the cellar of a normal village house with 10 other prisoners. *4981 The source believes the village may have been Serbian as it was «empty» at the time he was there. *4982
A. Unidentified Sibenik Camp: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) An unknown Sibenik camp was reported in a list of camps. *4983
B. Unidentified Sibenik Camp: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the Thomson CSCE Mission.) An unidentified Sibenik camp was reported in a list supplied by Colonel Milosevic, Commander of Serbian forces at Trebinje. *4984
Sinj is located in southern Croatia and had a population of 60,178 according to the 1991 census. The population was 92.6 per cent Croat, 4.5 per cent Serb, and 2.9 per cent «other». *4985
Sinj Military Police Building: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) The ICRC reported the military police building in Sinj as a place of detention and first visited the facility on 24 June 1993. *4986
Sisak is located approximately 40 kilometres south-east of Zagreb and approximately 100 kilometres north-west of Prijedor, BiH. According to the 1991 census Sisak had a population of 84,247; 64.5 per cent were Croat, 3.2 per cent Muslim, 22.8 per cent Serb, 4.4 per cent Yugoslav, and 5.2 per cent other. *4987 Reports based on statements of Serb prisoners detained in Croatian facilities in the area of Sisak suggest that they were subjected to physical, mental, and social mistreatment. *4988
Police Station: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by multiple sources, including Helsinki Watch.) In one report, six Serbs--four women and two men- -were arrested on 27 January 1992 on the highway near Sisak. The six were detained at the police station for 24 hours without food or water. *4989 Their personal possessions were removed and they were divided into groups. Three were sent to Slavonski Brod and the remaining three, it was believed, were sent to Slavonska Pozega. *4990
According to one report, a Serbian male was arrested in Zagreb by local police officers and taken to Zagreb police station. After being detained there for several hours--without explanation, he and his son were transferred to the police station in Sisak. *4991 The witness was hand-cuffed and taken to a room with several police officers who immediately began interrogating and verbally assaulting him. *4992 He was then taken to a room on the first floor of the station unaccompanied by his son. He was once again interrogated regarding the activities of his brother. This second round of questioning lasted just under an hour, after which he was transferred to the jail in Sisak. *4993
Sisak Jail: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely Helsinki Watch.) According to the witness he was placed in cell number 4 after the interrogation process at the local police station. He reportedly shared the cell with several other men. *4994 In the early morning hours, he heard someone being beaten and recognized the screams as that of his brother. The beating reportedly lasted several hours. *4995
The witness was blindfolded the majority of the time and so was neither able to describe the surroundings, nor identify his captors or fellow inmates. He reportedly remained at this location overnight and was returned to the police station the following day where he was registered and released. *4996
Sisak Prison: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) On an unreported date in 1992, ZNG member allegedly captured five Serbs in a forest, location unknown; three of those captured were women. The five were reportedly taken to the prison in Sisak where the guards allegedly beat and kicked one of the women who was pregnant. *4997
The Sisak prison was reported on the ICRC list of places of detention and was first visited on 5 August 1991. *4998
The county of Slavonska Pozega is located in eastern Croatia near the border with BiH. According to the 1991 census, the pre-war population was 71,299. At that time, the population was 79.4 per cent Croatian, 14 per cent Serbian, and 6.6 per cent was referred to as «other». *4999
Unidentified Prison, Slavonska Pozega: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) Forty-one Serbian prisoners were exchanged for 380 members of the Croatian paramilitary formations on 27 March 1992. The 41 were reported to have been arrested between 6 November 1991 and 13 March 1992. Almost all the prisoners were interrogated for three to 10 days at various places in Croatia, including Slavonska Pozega. Then they were allegedly taken to detention facilities in Osijek and Zagreb. *5000
Several sources submitted identical reports alleging that at least one person was taken into custody in Sisak and sent to Slavonska Pozega. However, the report does not indicate whether the individual was detained there. *5001
Police Station, Pozega: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) Pozega appears to be the same place as Slavonska Pozega and the ICRC reported the police station in the opcina as a place of detention. A representative first visited the police station on 6 April 1992. *5002
Slavonska Pozega Prison: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) On 10 December 1991, the village of Vucjak Cecevacki was attacked by Croatian forces. After the attack a member of the local Territorial Defence was arrested and taken to prison in Slavonska Pozega. He was visited and registered by the ICRC. *5003
The ICRC first visited the Pozega district prison on 24 October 1991. *5004
Slavonska Pozega Jail: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) In December 1991 Gornji Grahovljani, populated mainly by Serbs, was captured by Croatian forces. There remained 15 people in the village after the occupation and they fled to the woods. All 15 were killed expect for one 17 year old male. He was detained in the Slavonska Pozega Jail by the Croats and released on 1 June 1993. At the jail he was questioned about the location of weapons in Gornji Grahovljani and taken back to the village to look. No weapons were found. A court in Osijek sentenced him to a year and a half in prison though he was not present for his sentencing. He served his entire sentence in the Slavonska Pozega Jail. The ECMM team reported that the Croatian Ministry of Interior denies that the witness was ever jailed at Slavonska Pozega. *5005
Local Prisons: (The existence of these detention facilities have been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ECMM.) On 24 November 1991 an ECMM team visited two local prisons in the Slavonska Pozega opcina. These prisons contained two JNA officers and two «Cetnik» suspects and all stated that their treatment in the prison was totally correct and in conformity with accepted norms. One of the JNA officers was charged with unspecified war crimes. Three of the prisoners had been beaten when they were initially arrested by Croatian forces at Slavonski Brod and of these one was badly beaten. *5006
One of the JNA officers claimed that the prisoners were separated from each other. Mail could be received and sent but it was checked by prison authorities. The prisoners were given three meals a day, a bath once a week, and allowed to shave twice a week. They had to purchase their own toiletries and were seen by a doctor once a week. *5007
The other JNA officer claimed he had not been allowed to contact his family until the last 10 days of his detention. He had been interrogated but stated that this was conducted in a correct manner. One of the suspected «Cetniks» claimed he too had medical treatment and was allowed visits from his wife. He had hired a lawyer. *5008
During this same visit the ECMM team had planned to interview a wounded «Cetnik» at the hospital but the man had died before they arrived. The team was satisfied that the man died naturally from his wounds as they viewed the blood transfusion records. *5009
Slavonski Brod is in south-eastern Croatia on the border of Bosanski Brod, BiH. In 1991, it had a population of 113,551, of which 85.2 per cent were Croat, 6.5 per cent were Serb, 5.4 per cent other, and 2.9 per cent «Yugoslav».
The killing and detention of Serbs in Slavonski Brod and the surrounding region is said to have started on 8 May 1992 and continued throughout July 1993. *5010 Three Croatian-run camps were apparently established during this time. They include a female prisoner «brothel», Kod Bardaka private bowling alley, and Slavonski Brod oil refinery. While the Serbs were detained in these camps, the Croats allegedly looted and destroyed all of their property. *5011
Brothel at Slavonski Brod: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by multiple sources however none among them are neutral.) The brothel at Slavonski Brod was set up to hold Serbian women and girls for the purpose of rape by Croatian and Muslim military personnel. Women brought to the camp were arrested and kidnapped from their homes.
Apparently, women who got pregnant at the brothel were not allowed to leave so that they could not get an abortion. It is reported that members of Croatian and Muslim forces that had contracted AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases were deliberately sent to the brothel to have sex with the Serbian prisoners. *5012
Twenty-eight of the girls at the camp are reported to have come from the village of Sijekovac. They were kidnapped from their homes by four identified perpetrators. One of them implies in his signed confession of these crimes that there may have been other Croatian groups carrying out similar kidnappings in the area since he refers to himself and the other men as «his group» as if there were others. *5013
These men raided all of the houses from the Zidic store and bus station in Sijekovac along the road in the direction of Derventa. *5014 One source explains that they used a station wagon which belonged to one of the perpetrators to carry out the kidnappings while another source indicates that they also used a van in these crimes. *5015
During the kidnappings, they would often tie up all of the relatives in the house and rape the girls there before taking them away. One of the perpetrators confessed that in certain instances they cut family members' throats. *5016
One report claims that the van became overcrowded at one point and that they had to take most of the girls to Slavonski Brod before making a second trip to pick up the six or seven remaining. *5017
After they had taken the 28 girls to Slavonski Brod, they each took one for themselves and brought them to the village of Gornje Kolibe. One of the perpetrators detained «his girl» in his house for several days during which time he raped her repeatedly. *5018
Kod Bardaka bowling alley: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the UK Defence Debriefing Team.) There are two reports that Serbian prisoners were detained at this private bowling alley. Apparently, prisoners were brought here when the Army of the Republic of Srpska took control of the area of Bosanski Brod and Odzak on or near 6 October 1992. *5019 At this time, the Croatians retreated and transferred all inmates from the Serbian villages of Odzak, Bosanski Brod, and Derventa to Slavonski Brod. One of the places they brought prisoners was the Kod Bardaka bowling alley. *5020
One prisoner reports being brought there with 70 other men at this time from Bosanski Brod. The group spent one night at the bowling alley before being transferred to another camp which is not identified. *5021 At the alley, the prisoners were severely beaten. One man reports spending the night at the alley and being beaten throughout the night. He claims that he was slapped in the face so many times that he was deaf for days. During these beatings, another prisoner had his ear bitten off. *5022
One perpetrator named in connection with the beatings at the bowling alley is a Croat. *5023
Slavonski Brod oil refinery: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by multiple sources however none among them are neutral.) The oil refinery was the largest reported detention facility in the area. At the camp, all young girls and women aged 12 to 45 were held in one hangar; the older men and women kept in another. *5024 Prisoners had all of their personal belongings taken from them and were given one thin blanket with which to sleep. *5025
The prisoners at the refinery were beaten throughout their detention. Apparently, those in charge of the camp called this «brainwashing». *5026 One witness relates that while at Slavonski Brod he was beaten naked for hours and that other Serbs were hung by their legs and beaten upside down. *5027 In one instance, due to a theft or false accusation, one of the soldiers broke the skull of a 40 year-old prisoner with the butt of his rifle. *5028 Many times, prisoners were taken outside the hangar to watch the beatings and killings of others. *5029
Women were regularly raped at the oil refinery. Military personnel would come in at night and take them to be raped and sexually abused. One witness understood that the women were detained at the camp in order to bear as many Croatian children as possible. *5030 In one instance, the soldiers raped a group of women on a stack of empty oil barrels which were stored just outside the hanger in which they were held.
The women raped on the oil barrels were also severely beaten. Some had their ears cut off and their «eyebrows carved in full length» with a knife; others lost an eye or a nose. *5031 One girl even had her lip cut into pieces. *5032 When the women were left alone, they received no food. *5033
One woman relates that she was raped and molested by four men at one time. When she struggled to get free from one of the men who was raping her at the time, another tried to cut her arm off with an axe. Later, another soldier burned her leg with a cigarette and then stabbed it with his knife. At this point, she fainted. *5034
Many of the women at the camp were from the villages of Bosanska Krajina and Kninska Krajina. *5035 Some of them were even pregnant, but they were still physically abused. In one instance, the Croatian soldiers brought an eight-month pregnant woman to the camp, cut her stomach open with a knife, and stabbed her unborn baby. The woman died sometime later. *5036
Another instance of severe abuse involved a woman who was transferred to Slavonski Brod from Bosanski Brod in early October 1992. *5037 According to another prisoner, the woman was gang-raped at Bosanski Brod on 2 October by 40 men and then had two 40 centimetre sticks stuck into her, one in her vagina and the other in her anus. She reportedly bled profusely and could not walk when she and the others were transferred to Slavonski Brod on 6 October. Apparently, she fell by the park in Slavonski Brod. An «Ustasa» came up to her, kicked her, and then fired all of the bullets in his pistol into her head. *5038
One witness relates that he was picked up on the highway near Sisak on 12 January 1993. He and an unidentified number of other prisoners were brought directly to Slavonski Brod. Apparently, they were left alone for two days, but then the soldiers from the front came to the camp to «rest and have some fun», and they were severely beaten. *5039
Another ex-prisoner relates that she was also on the road from Zagreb to Sisak when she and five other individuals were ordered off a bus by Croatian policemen. *5040 Their arrest occurred on 28 January 1993. The prisoners were first taken to the Sisak police station where they were «classified». *5041 They were held for 24 hours before being taken on to Slavonski Brod. *5042 During this time, they were offered no food or water and were stripped of all of their valuables. *5043
Apparently, while detained at the refinery, a fire broke out at some point, and the soldiers enlisted the help of the women to extinguish it. *5044 The witness stayed at the oil refinery until 22 April at which time she was transferred with 50 other women to the River Sana and then on to the camp at the primary school in Odzak. She claims that most all of the prisoners transferred with her were in their late stages of pregnancy. *5045
The perpetrators at the camp are said to have all used nicknames so that no one would know their true identities. The nicknames were colours and names of saints. One witness relates that the guards were named things like «Black», «Blue», and «Jesus». *5046 These were their combat names, and they never deviated from them. *5047
One of the men at the camp was nicknamed «Plavi». He is said to have been one that liked to carve out eyebrows in place of real ones on beautiful women, bite off ears, and poke out eyes. Apparently, he did either or all of these things to women. *5048
Unidentified Camp, Slavonski Brod: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) While the ICRC reportedly made several visits to the camp at Slavonski Brod, the camp was not specifically identified. They visited the camp on 1 February 1992 and witnessed 13 prisoners; they visited on 7 March and recorded 15 prisoners; finally, they went on 7 April and 10 June and again recorded 15 prisoners. *5049
Unidentified Camp, Slavonski Brod: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) In mid-July 1991 authorities in Slavonski Brod allegedly imprisoned more than 90 citizens of Serb nationality. *5050
Private House, Slavonski Brod: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) The ICRC reportedly first visited a detention facility in a private house in Slavonski Brod on 13 August 1992. *5051
Military Prison, Slavonski Brod: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) The ICRC reportedly first vistited the military prison in Slavonski Brod on 2 June 1992. *5052
According to the 1981 Yugoslav census, the municipality of Slunj had 23,000 residents. Eighty per cent were Croat and the remaining 20 per cent were Serbs, Muslims, Albanians and other. Tensions purportedly began to rise in 1990 when, as a result of the general elections when the controlling Serbs lost a great deal of power. *5053
In response to the undesired changes, Serbian paramilitaries reportedly established an armed resistance. On 23 July 1991, the Serbs allegedly fired upon the villages of Dreznik and Saborsko. *5054 The paramilitaries were reportedly assisted by the JNA in the occupation of several villages in the area. *5055
Thereafter Serbs began closing the roads around Slunj and on 11 November 1991, airstrikes signalled the beginnning of Serb occupation of the municipality. On the morning of 16 November, most of the civilian residents in the county fled to Cazin (BiH) and neighbouring villages to escape the attack by Serb forces. *5056 The Croatian civilians who remained in the area were reportedly intimidated, looted, mistreated and arrested. *5057 These actions reportedly resulted in the capture and detention of many civilians. *5058
Police Station in Dreznik: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely Amnesty International.) According to one report, a Serb male from the village of Grabovac in Slunj, was arrested by Croatian police in Dreznik on 28 August and detained at the local police station. He was reportedly interrogated and beaten for several hours. *5059 During the questioning period, he was reportedly taken from the interrogation room and into the hallway where some 10 police officers beat him until he lost consciousness. His captors reportedly poured water over him and then resumed the interrogation. *5060 Reportedly one police officer struck him in the chest so severely that he vomited blood. He was then reportedly ordered to lick up his blood, when he refused he was struck in the head with a rifle butt. He was reportedly later transferred to the police station in Slunj where he was not mistreated. *5061
Tourist Complex, Grabovac: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) Reportedly on 3 September 1992, the Croatian village of Vaganac was attacked and allegedly razed to the ground. A concentration camp was thereafter erected by Serbs to contain the captured Croats. *5062 No information regarding length of detention, treatment nor conditions at the facility were made available.
Barracks, Slunj: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) The ICRC reported the barracks at Slunj as a place of detention and first visited the facility on 26 October 1993. *5063
Split is located on the Adriatic Coast in the southern part of Croatia and had a population of 206,612 according to the 1991 census. The population was 87.3 per cent Croat, 4.2 per cent Serb, and 8.5 per cent other.
Two sources indicated that a detention facility existed in Split. *5064 One witness who claimed to have been held in the prison in Split by members of the Ministry of Interior and the ZNG stated that he was burned with a hot bayonet, and was cut and beaten every day. He allegedly was denied food and water and threatened with death. *5065
Lora Prison: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by multiple sources, including the UK Defence Debriefing Team, and Helsinki Watch.) Lora prison is located in the town of Split. *5066 During the Yugoslav conflict, this camp was in operation from as early as December 1991 until September 1992. Lora prison is situated at the naval base in Split. *5067 The prison was circled by a high concrete wall and four metre-high barbed wire. *5068 It appears that the camp consisted of several different cell blocks, one of which was allegedly used to hide prisoners when the ICRC visited. *5069 Another source described the Lora prison as port buildings containing five hundred Serb prisoners. *5070 Another source claimed that the prisoners were mainly civilians though 15 to 20 were Serbian volunteer fighters. During April and May of 1992 this source alleged there to be around 60 prisoners in the detention facility. *5071
Both ZNG and MUP forces are said to have been in control of Lora Prison. Two reports identified Croatian military police as present at the camp in April and May of 1992. *5072 Another witness related that prisoners were told that the camp guards fell under the command of the military police, but were «not quite following directions». *5073 The commander of Lora prison was identified by name. *5074 His wife allegedly participated in the beating of prisoners at Lora. *5075 He allegedly took part in the abuse of the prisoners and one witness claims he put on a rubber glove and forced it into a prisoner's anus. *5076 Another man was identified as a deputy warden. *5077
The interrogators at the detention facility reportedly tortured prisoners with electricity. The prisoners were allegedly strapped into a chair in the warden's office for this purpose. The interrogators used a hand-cranked generator to supply the electricity and would shock the prisoners until they passed out. *5078
According to one source, an undetermined number of Serbs from Capljina were detained in Lora detention facility by members of the HOS. *5079 They were apparently beaten, tortured, cut with various instruments and given electric shocks. *5080 Two witnesses claimed that their ears were pierced with paper clips which were connected to a power generator and they were electrocuted in this manner. *5081 Another prisoner reported that his fingers tied with wire which was connected to a field telephone power inductor. The prisoner was electrocuted in this way. *5082 Another detainee claimed that electrical cords were attached to his sexual organs. *5083 A priest was reportedly forced to perform fellatio on another prisoner while they were both electrocuted. *5084 Others were allegedly forced to perform homosexual intercourse and the females detainees were raped. *5085 In addition a report stated that 15 to 20 Serbs were held in the detention facility from April to May of 1992. *5086 In March 1992, a low ranking JNA non-commissioned officer detained at Lora had German shepherd dogs attack him in his cell on orders of guards in masks. He was then ordered to kiss the dogs. *5087
The prisoners were deprived of food for periods up to four days. *5088 Others claimed to have been deprived of food for two days and when they were fed they received a slice of bread. *5089 Another source reported that the prisoners were fed small quantities of food twice a day and water four times a day. *5090
An undetermined number of JNA officers and soldiers were detained in the prison from January 1991 to August 1992 possibly as many as five hundred. *5091 They were allegedly subjected to daily mental and physical maltreatment by the ZNG military police who were present at the detention facility. *5092
Allegedly prisoners were kicked, punched, and beaten on a regular basis. Often the guards would burst into the cells at night to beat the Serb prisoners. *5093 The prisoners were forced to turn to the wall and put their hands on the wall above their heads, with legs stretched away from the wall so that their bodies were in a slanted position, whereafter they were beaten on the kidneys and loins. Prisoners were also ordered to stand still, raise their hands and inhale. As they exhaled the guards would hit them in the stomach. *5094
Several reports indicated that the prisoners received medical treatment at the Firule hospital. There they were under guard of the ZNG military police who allegedly maltreated them. There was no indication that the hospital staff participated in the maltreatment. *5095 Another report indicated that a severely beaten prisoner was hospitalized but then returned to the prison where the beatings allegedly continued. *5096 One witness claimed that he was hospitalized after having his ribs broken during a beating. He claimed that he was registered at the Firule hospital under a false name from 1 May until 20 May 1992. *5097
Prisoners were forced to make statements to the effect that they were «Cetniks» and that they had killed Croats and Muslims. They were forced to recite a memorized statement to the ICRC representatives and were beaten if they made a mistake. They were also made to race each other on hands and knees and the loser was beaten. *5098
Three prisoners reportedly died from the beatings they received while in custody at Lora. One was held in block "C" where the guards reportedly hid some prisoners they did not want the ICRC to view. The prisoner was beaten while loud music was played to muffle his cries. He died in July 1992. Another prisoner was allegedly killed in the toilet next to cell number 2. The report alleged that the warden was replaced as prison warden due to these deaths. *5099
An undetermined number of Serb prisoners were transferred from «Poduh» tobacco processing plant in Metkovic to the Lora detention facility in April 1992. The report indicated that at least one Montenegrin was detained at the facility. They were being detained by Croatian soldiers. Upon arrival they were ordered to take off their clothes and were deprived of their personal property. Then, they were taken to a concrete cell, measuring two by three metres and were beaten. These prisoners were allegedly forced to rape other female prisoners. *5100
According to one report the ICRC visited the facility four times between 22 April 1992 and 10 June 1992. *5101
Hospital, Split: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) The ICRC reportedly first visited the hospital on 31 March 1992. *5102
Military Hospital, Split: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) The ICRC reportedly first visited the military hospital on 29 April 1992. *5103
Penitentiary/Prison, Split: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) The ICRC reportedly first visited the penitentiary on 1 October 1991. *5104
The county of Vinkovci is located in eastern Croatia bordering Vojvodina. According to the 1991 census, the population was 98,484. At that time, the population was 80 per cent Croatian, 13 per cent Serbian, and 7 per cent was referred to as «other». *5105
Vinkovci: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) Prisoners were reportedly detained in Vinkovci. Forty-one Serbian prisoners were exchanged for 380 members of the Croatian paramilitary formations on 27 March 1992. The 41 were reported to have been arrested in various opcinas between 6 November 1991 and 13 March 1992. Almost all the prisoners were interrogated for three to 10 days at various places in Croatia, including Vinkovci. Then they were allegedly taken to detention facilities in Osijek and Zagreb. *5106
Mirkovci: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) Mirkovci police station was reported as a place of detention by the ICRC who first visited the facility on 19 February 1993. *5107
The county of Varazdin is located in north-central Croatia on the border of Slovenia. According to the 1991 census, the population was 94,020. At that time, the population was 94.9 per cent Croat and 5.1 per cent was referred to as «other». *5108
Varazdin Prison: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) The ICRC reportedly first visited this prison on 7 February 1992. *5109 There is no further information on this facility.
The county of Vojnic is located south-west of Zagreb bordering BiH. According to the 1991 census, the population was 8,190. At that time, the population was 90.6 per cent Serbian, 5.3 per cent Muslim, and 4.1 per cent was referred to as «other». *5110
Vojnic Police Station: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the US Government.) Another source reported that a prisoner interned in the detention facility in Vojnic was not exchanged on 4 March 1992 in Karlovac with the prisoners from the Glina facility. This prisoner was not exchanged because the Serbs allegedly wanted to prevent the ICRC representatives from learning of the existence of the Vojnic facility. The Vojnic facility was located in the Vojnic police station, west of Glina on the road to Karlovac. It was not organizationally associated with the Glina facility. *5111
Vojnic Hospital: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) The ICRC reported the Vojnic Hospital as a place of detention in a report received on 27 May 1994. The representatives first visited the detention facility on 30 June 1993. *5112
Vojnic Prison: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) The ICRC reported the Vojnic prison as a place of detention in a report received on 27 May 1994. The representatives first visited the detention facility on 22 September 1992. *5113
The county of Vrbovec is located in northern Croatia, east of Zagreb. According to the 1991 census, the population was 27,903. At that time, the population was 93.9 per cent Croatian, and 6.1 per cent was referred to as «other». *5114
Gaj: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) According to one report, Gaj, which is located in Vrbovec, contains a detention facility. Forty-one Serbian prisoners were exchanged for 380 members of the Croatian paramilitary formations on 27 March 1992. The 41 were reported to have been arrested between 6 November 1991 and 13 March 1992. Almost all the prisoners, after being interrogated for three to 10 days at various places in Croatia, were allegedly taken to detention facilities in Osijek and Zagreb and those at Zagreb were then detained in Gaj and Kerestinec. *5115
The county of Vrginmost is located south of Zagreb on the border with BiH. According to the 1991 census, the population was 16,534. At that time, the population was 70.6 per cent Serbian, 24.4 per cent Croatian, and 5 per cent was referred to as «other». *5116
Vrginmost Police Station: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) On 14 September 1991, the villagers of Ponikvari were reportedly expelled from their village. One of the women fled to Topusko and was allegedly arrested on 21 September 1991, by Borivoje Sapic and other members of «Cetnik» forces. She was taken to the Vrginmost police station and held until 4 October 1991. During her internment she was subjected to maltreatment and insults. *5117
In July 1991, Serb forces launched artillery attacks on the village of Borovo Naselje and other areas of Vukovar county. Reportedly, tanks, howitzers, mortars and battleship guns fired upon the region for several days in a seemingly unrelenting fashion. *5118 Before the fighting began, there were some 84,000 inhabitants in Vukovar county, of which 43.7 per cent were Croats, 37.4 per cent were Serbs, and the remaining 18.9 per cent were comprised of other ethnic groups. By August 1991, just over 15,000 remained. *5119
Despite their initial disorganization, the people of Vukovar put up a strong defence to the alleged aggressions of Serbian forces. For three months, the inhabitants of Vukovar resisted their aggressors. *5120 Eventually, however, the town was surrounded and the defenders were forced to surrender. Many of the citizens were captured and held in camps and detention facilities. The majority of the detainees were taken to facilities throughout FRY. A large number of citizens were also detained in facilities scattered throughout the region. Although a few of the detention facilities were run by Croatian National Forces, *5121 the vast majority of the sites were controlled and operated by various Serb paramilitary groups.
Velepromet: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by multiple sources however none among them are neutral.) Vukovar was reportedly occupied on 18 November 1991 by the Yugoslav Army and members of several Serb paramilitary groups. Velepromet was the local subsidiary of a business which, following the occupation, served as a major collecting point for thousands of captured civilians as well as a distribution centre for several area Serb concentration camps. *5122
The process of registration and distribution of detainees presumably began with the separation of men from women and women from children. Each group was then taken to locations where they were interrogated--and in the case of women--raped and in some instances disfigured. *5123
Many of the women were taken to locations outside of the Velepromet facility. The men were detained throughout the facility itself. Many underwent medical examinations in addition to lengthly interrogations. Beatings were reportedly the standard accompaniment to the interrogation proceedings. *5124
Serb forces not only controlled the military and police activities in the county but also the judicial services. According to one witness, while held at Velepromet, she was taken before Krajina court and charged with «genocide upon the Serbian people». Her captors allegedly brought in a gurney with a child who had been burned and accused the witness of the crime. She was sentenced to 15 years in jail and returned to the containment area at Velepromet. *5125
Another detainee recalled the situation at the facility towards the end of May 1992. He was placed in a room which measured approximately 100 metres square. There were 260 male detainees in this room. *5126 He recalled that men were removed from the room all night and those who remained could hear machine- gun fire and concluded that the Serbs were killing the other inmates. *5127
According to the testimony of another former detainee, he witnessed his captors taking a two or three month old child and throwing it against the concrete with such force that the child's «brain littered all over the concrete». *5128 The Serbs then proceeded to cut off the breasts of the child's mother. The woman reportedly bled to death. *5129
Many inmates were used as compulsory labourers and performed such tasks as cleaning the streets, fixing roofs and burying the dead at the nearby Bulgarian cemetery. Several inmates identified members of Seselj's units at the prison. *5130
According to one witness, there were more than 400 detainees at the Velepromet facility. *5131 Upon arrival, prisoners were reportedly separated into three groups. *5132 One group was situated in the basement *5133, the second group was in a small room near the guard house *5134 and the third group was contained in the carpentry workshop. *5135
Velepromet Office Building: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) Following the occupation of Vukovar, members of the Serb paramilitary group led by one called Vojvoda established a National Court-Martial and housed it in the Velepromet Office Building. The premises also served as a detention facility--the fate of whose population was determined by the court established here. *5136
Velepromet Storehouses: *5137 (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) In one report, several members of the JNA assisted by other «cetnik» forces collected eight civilian prisoners from detention in the storehouse, bound their hands with wire, tied them to a tall barbed wire fence near the storehouse and then shot them. *5138 The report notes additionally that three other civilian detainees were hung in the area near the storehouse. *5139
According to one report, Serbian forces gathered Croatian citizens, separating the men and detaining them in the storehouse. The men were interrogated and beaten at this location. On one occasion, Serb forces allegedly took 25 men from among those contained at this facility and shot them all. *5140
Velepromet Carpentry Workshop: *5141 (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) On 1 December 1991, members of the JNA military police allegedly transferred prisoners to the Velepromet workshop where they were subjected to severe beatings and physical mistreatment. *5142
The workshop reportedly consisted of two rooms, one which was called the execution room, allegedly because all of the detainees in this room were executed. *5143 The other room contained prisoners who were regularly mistreated and beaten. This second room was also, apparently, the location from which interrogations were conducted. *5144
Allegedly one Serb prisoner was repeatedly kicked in the spinal area. The abuse was reportedly administered on a daily basis. The prisoners were later transferred to the JNA barracks in Vukovar. *5145
According to another report, a number of civilians were brought into the workshop by Serbian paramilitaries and killed. *5146 Executions were reportedly held day and night. The situs of the executions was some 50 metres from the workshop containment area and all those detained in Velepromet could watch the executions as they occurred. *5147
According to one witness, on one occasion, he and others held at the workshop were taken out to witness the court martialing process. Reportedly, a young Croatian soldier form Vukovar was brought out, one Serb guard jumped on his back, the Croat fell to the ground on his stomach and the Serb allegedly decapitated him and impaled his head for all to see. *5148 On another occasion, the Serbs reportedly cut a man in half with a circular saw forcing other detainees to witness the event. *5149
«Wooden Market»: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) According to one report, on 18 November 1991, a group of men dressed in JNA uniforms arrested several civilians from the city of Vukovar and detained them in what was called the Wooden Market located on Svapsko Brdo. *5150 Information regarding the conditions, treatment or length of incarceration was not provided. The prisoners were reportedly later separated by ethnicity and gender and transferred by truck to the Velepromet storehouses. *5151
According to one report, a bakery was once located at the «Drveni Pijac» (Wooden Market) *5152. The witness recalled that on 19 November 1991 some 30 people were taken to the front yard of the bakery. After some time only one woman returned. The woman was reportedly crying because whe had witnessed the killing of her husband. *5153
Bakery, Vukovar: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) According to one report, Serb forces took four Croatian civilians to the local bakery and detained them there for an undisclosed period of time. *5154 During the detention, the men learned that former bakery detainees were killed and their bodies allegedly burned. One of the detainees managed to leave and was later taken to Velepromet. *5155
Vukovar Barracks: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by multiple sources however none among them are neutral.) According to a Croatian inmate at the camp Velepromet, she and several others were loaded on to buses and taken to the Vukovar barracks. *5156 Regular soldiers reportedly manned this facility and the prisoners were provided with food and water upon arrival. In her statement, she suggests that the inmates were not mistreated at this facility, permitted regular meals and even allowed to smoke cigarettes. *5157 The witness was later taken to Sremska Mitrovica and then exchanged on 27 March 1992 in Bosanski Samac. *5158
Another detainee recalled that she and other women and children were separated from the men after the Serbs removed them from their homes. *5159 The women were taken to the barracks and held there overnight. The following morning, she and the others were transported to Velepromet. *5160
In still another report, from an individual evacuated from the Vukovar Hospital, several individuals were transported to the JNA barracks and were reportedly physically mistreated and humiliated by their Serbian captors. Allegedly, following a brief period of internment, the hospital evacuees were loaded onto buses--along with several other individuals already in residence at the barracks and transported to Ovcara. *5161
Vukovar Police Station: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) According to one report, at the end of September 1991, members of the Croatian National Guard searched all Serbian homes on Dalmatinska Street intentionally looting and pillaging as well as detaining the residents therefrom in the local police station. *5162 Reportedly, the individuals detained here were all killed at the beginning of October 1991. The report identified several of those victimized at this location. *5163
Vukovar Municipality Building: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) According to one report, from mid-October 1991 through early November 1991, several Serbian males were reportedly removed from their hiding places in various apartment buildings in the city of Vukovar, arrested and detained by members of the Croatian National Guard's military police in the prison established in the Vukovar Municipality building. *5164 Many of these men were reportedly taken by members of the paramilitary group in handcuffs to the edge of the Danube, killed and their bodies deposited into the river. *5165
Vukovar Prison: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) Several inmates from the Komerc shelter were taken to and detained in the Vukovar Prison. The report suggests that only men were detained at this facility, however that fact has not as yet been confirmed. *5166
71 Nova Street: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) According to the testimony of a Serb soldier, this location in the city of Vukovar is the address of a house which was used by Serbs to kill area residents. *5167 The house stood near a shop and was situated in front of the house of a man called Stanko, a taxi driver. Serb activities in this house were allegedly ordered by an identified Captain. *5168
The Serbs reportedly began the attacks on Vukovar from this and neighbouring homes. When control of Nova Street was had, the residents were taken to Velepromet and control of neighbouring streets was then sought. *5169
Supermarket in Radnicko Naselje: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) A Croatian family was evacuated from their home in Vukovar and on 16 September 1991, detained in the basement of the supermarket in Radnicko Naselje. They were detained there for two days with other Croatians expelled from their homes. The witness, a male member of this family, was later transferred to Petrova Gora. *5170
House in Petrova Gora: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) According to a witness transferred from the supermarket detention facility to a private home at Svetozara Markovica Street No. 222 *5171 in Petrova Gora, he was detained in the basement of this home with approximately six others and subjected to frequent physical mistreatment. *5172 Guards from Vukovar watched the prisoners for some 12 days at this facility. The guards reportedly wore uniforms bearing red stars. *5173 The inmates were used as forced labour to dig graves in the area of the new fairgrounds. *5174 The inmates were also made to bury many of the dead. The witness identified Milan Cveticanin *5175 as a member of the White Eagles and commander of the prison guards. *5176
Barracks at Sajmiste: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) According to one report, a Croatian inmate was transferred from the prison on S. Markovica Street, to the basement containment area at Sajmiste. *5177 There were reportedly some 23 others also in detention at this site. The detainee was forced to repair the vehicles of his Serbian captors. *5178 He recalled being detained with the others for one hour or so before being compelled into forced labour. According to his testimony, all of his fellow detainees at this facility were killed. *5179
House of Jozo Gelo, Sajmiste: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) According to one report, the witness and many others, forced from the streets by the military forces, were sent to the house of Jozo Gelo in the Sajmiste district. The witness remained at this site for two days with some 11 other people. *5180 Thereafter, the detainees were loaded onto trucks and taken to the barracks where they were interrogated. *5181 They were later returned to this location where they were assigned to forced labour groups. The detainees at this location were reportedly supplied with tinned food and other supplies. *5182
«Cooperative Yard» *5183, Lovas: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely Amnesty International.) The village of Lovas is located some 20 kilometres south of Vukovar. Lovas reportedly had a population of 1700 residents before Serb occupation. Ninety- four per cent of the village's inhabitants were Croatian. *5184
According to sources, the largely Croatian villagers surrendered to Serb paramilitary forces to avoid the aggressive occupation suffered by neighbouring villages at the hands of these groups. *5185 However, despite the cooperative efforts of the local inhabitants, Serb forces purportedly attacked the village on 10 October 1991. Reportedly, the village was again attacked on 17 October after which, Serb forces succeeded in occupying the village. *5186
Following Serb occupation, some 1,500 Serbs from Western Slavonia, Bosnia and Vojvodina were reportedly resettled in the village. Thereafter, approximately 100 Croats remained in occupied Lovas. *5187
Following the JNA attack on Lovas on 10 October 1991, Croatians were forced from their homes and collected in the cooperative yard located in the centre of the village. The yard was used by the Serbs as a sort of prisoner clearinghouse. *5188 There were over 100 women, children and elderly detained here. *5189 Reportedly, the beatings and interrogation commenced almost immediately. The report suggests that following interrogation, many women and children were permitted to return home. By contrast, the male detainees were held for almost a month. And in some cases, many of those detained were reportedly killed by their captors on 18 October 1991. *5190
According to another report, all male inhabitants between 18 and 55 were collected and assigned to forced labour groups. *5191 The men were placed in a courtyard, seated in chairs and instructed not to move. Those who failed to comply with this command were severely beaten. *5192 They were reportedly detained in this manner overnight, some reportedly did not survive the beatings. *5193
The following morning, 17 *5194 from among them were selected, allegedly to harvest grapes. The location for harvest lay a great distance from the camp and the detainees were made to walk there. *5195 As the group neared the outskirts of the village, they were reportedly ordered to enter a field of clover. They were reportedly made to walk through the field holding each other's hand. *5196 As they entered, they discovered that this was a minefield. *5197 The Serbs reportedly shot many victims in the back and forced others to continue walking through the field. *5198 Reportedly 17 men were killed by mines or shot in the back. *5199 Another report regarding this same incident alleged that some 60 captured individuals were forced to walk across this minefield. Those who refused were reportedly shot by their Serbian captors. *5200
Another group of Croatian men from the courtyard were reportedly collected by members of the paramilitary group «Dusan the Great». *5201 On 17 October 1991, these Serbs reportedly subjected the inmates to beatings and interrogation. Some from among this group were transferred that day to a private home. *5202
Home of Mirko Milic, Lovas: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) On 17 October 1991, some 12 men from the cooperative yard were transferred to this private home and detained overnight. They were used as forced labour the following day. The prisoners were used to dig graves and bury the dead. *5203
Local Government Office, Lovas: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) According to one report, 19 Croatian civilians detained in the basement of the local government office building were killed by Serbs on the evening of 18 October 1991. The witness was forced to bury the dead and saw one of the victims shortly before he died. *5204
The source continues that the population of Serbs began to grow as a massive Serb colonization began in the village. *5205 On 22 December 1991, police from Knin came and collected some 20 Croats and detained them in the local government offices where they were subjected to beatings with metal rods and wooden boards. *5206 The Serbs reportedly drilled holes in the feet of two of the inmates, using the same drill, holes were made in one inmates knee. The Serbs reportedly removed the gold capped teeth of one of the inmates with pliers; the men were reportedly beaten about their genitalia and forced to fight one another. *5207 The prisoners were released and told to leave the village on 26 December 1991. *5208
Police Station, Lovas: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) According to one report, on 22 December 1991, police of the «SAO Krajina» scoured the homes in Lovas and reportedly arrested some 20 Croatian civilians. The detainees were allegedly taken to the local police station where they were interrogated, beaten and otherwise maltreated. *5209 Following the beatings, the Croatian detainees were instructed to leave the village. The witness and his family as well as many others reportedly complied, leaving on 25 December 1991. *5210
House of Bora Keser: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) The Serbs had reportedly converted this private home into a police station and jail. The ground and first floors were reportedly the police station while the basement area served as the jail. *5211 No information was provided regarding treatment, duration of incarceration, identity of detainees or the conditions at this facility.
Unidentified Building, Borovo Selo: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely Helsinki Watch.) According to an elderly witness, on 1 July 1991, he was detianed by masked men just outside his home. He was taken by car, first, to the city of Tenja where he was detained in a garage. *5212 Then later, he and four others were blindfolded and taken to Bobota where they were detained in a building's basement for four days. During this time they were not abused. *5213
The five were then taken by car to Borovo Selo and placed in a waiting area in an unidentified building. The waiting area was located on the ground floor of the building. *5214 The witnesses were reportedly severely beaten at this location. It was reportedly at this location where the inmates' physical mistreatment began. *5215
The detainees were held in a dark room and beaten by men holding flashlights and clubs. The beatings and interrogations reportedly lasted for 10 consecutive days. The detainees were comprised of nine Croats and five Albanians. Many who were able to work were used as forced labour. The victims were detained at this location for 24 days. *5216
The building was situated across from the city council complex in what the witness described as a storage room. The door to the room had a window with bars. The doors were made of steel and were green in colour. The detainees were fed twice a day and taken outside once or twice daily. *5217
Unidentified Facility, Borovo Naselje: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) The ICRC first visited this camp on 13 August 1991. The ICRC does not identify the facility. *5218
«Komerc» Building, Borovo Naselje: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by multiple sources however none among them are neutral.) The town of Borovo Naselje is situated four kilometres north of Vukovar. At the time that JNA troops entered this town, there were reportedly some 4,000 individuals residing in large shelters. *5219 The Komerc factory was among the buildings used as a shelter facility. Reports suggest that 1,000 civilians were housed in the facility at the «Borovokomerc» factory. *5220
On 19 November, JNA forces surrounded the factory building and instructed the people to surrender. Following their surrender, the JNA began to register them, separate them, marking all men ages 17-70 as «defenders» and transporting them by bus to detention facilities as far away as Nis, Serbia. *5221
According to one witness, she, her husband and five others who were patients in Vukovar Hospital in late October 1991, were transferred to the Komerc shelter in the Borovo combine. The shelter was reportedly populated with quite a few Croatian National Guardsmen and approximtately 30 Serbian men and women. *5222 Reportedly Martin Sablic was the commander in charge of the civilian prison population and a man called «Gagi» was in charge of the military prison population. *5223 A man named Lavoslav Bosanac was reportedly in charge of the entire Borovo Combine. *5224
According to one report, in mid-November 1991, several civilians were captured and detained at the Komerc factory building. They were reportedly beaten and robbed by their JNA captors who thereafter sentenced them all to be executed. *5225
«BZ» Shelter, Borovo Naselje: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by multiple sources however none among them are neutral.) According to one report, a detention facility was established in another one of the shelters in the community of Borovo Naselje. The report suggests that on 12 October 1991, inmates were transferred from one area of the shelter/prison to another for interrogation. The inmates were instructed that if they refused to answer questions put to them they would be beaten. *5226 Many were reportedly beaten and maltreated despite there efforts at cooperation. *5227
In one instance in early November 1991, an identified inmate was subjected to interrogation at this facility. His captors gave him pencil and paper and told him to make a written statement. Despite his admission of possessing weapons validly, he was imprisoned in the cellar for some days and then transported to the kindergarten courtyard and reportedly shot by four guards simultaneously and at close range. *5228
«Dom Tehnike», Borovo Naselje: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) According to one report, four prisoners who were held in the cellar of the «BZ» Shelter in Borovo Naselje were taken to «Dom Tehnike» where they were scheduled to be killed. The four were held at this location for a few hours and then returned without injury to the shelter. *5229
According to another report, in early October 1991, a Serb detained at this location was reportedly severely beaten and threatened by his captors. The report suggests that named guards at this facility were responsible for the killing of three facility inmates. *5230
«Abrazija» Pizza Parlour, Borovo Naselje: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) Members of the ZNG military police detained individuals in the cellar of the Abrazija pizza parlour and subjected the inmates to extensive interrogation and severe physical mistreatment. *5231 One inmate was reportedly killed after being severely beaten in an attempt to extract a criminal confession. *5232 Some inmates were detained here for several days, others for several hours, before being moved to other locations of detention. *5233 According to one report, inmates were killed in order to serve as examples for others who refused or were hesitant in supplying requested information. *5234
Kindergarten, Borovo Naselje: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) According to one report, one inmate was detained at this location by four members of the ZNG military police. The inmate's captors reportedly shot him simultaneously. *5235 Prisoners were reportedly routinely transported to this location from the S 10/2 Skyscraper and the BZ Shelter and shot by firing squad. *5236
S 10/2 Skyscraper *5237, Borovo Naselje: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by multiple sources however none among them are neutral.) On 5 November 1991, two inmates were reportedly transferred from the detention facility in the BZ Shelter to the cellar of the S 10/2 skyscraper. *5238 The two were interrogated by several members of a Serbian paramilitary group, beaten severely and threatened with death. The two were allegedly then taken to the court yard of the kindergarten, lined up against the wall and shot. *5239 A similar event occurred on 18 November, when three inmates were taken from the shelter in the Nova Obucara building to a room in the skyscraper and interrogated by three members of the paramilitary formations. *5240 They were reportedly then taken to the cellar of the building, made to lie on the floor and beaten severely by their captors. The following morning, the three inmates were reportedly taken to the court yard of the kindergarten, lined up against the wall and shot. *5241
«Nova Obucara» Shelter: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by multiple sources however none among them are neutral.) Nova Obucara personnel reportedly went into residential locations and announced that all citizens seeking shelter at Obucara were welcome. According to one report, the existence of this shelter was kept from the international humanitarian community. *5242
Upon arrival at the shelter, one witness noticed that people were lying about on the ground. Just off to the right of the entrance were long benches and all incoming residents were instructed to have a seat to await registration. *5243 According to one witness, he and his wife remained seated on these benches for almost 24 hours. *5244 Thereafter, the detainees are directed to the dining room where they were searched and personal effects confiscated. The prisoners were thereafter interrogated by the camp commander. *5245
A short time later, the detainees were escorted out and driven to an undisclosed location near the railway station and made to get out of the car and walk ahead of the vehicle. *5246 After walking for a short distance, the detainees were reportedly shot from behind. The male witness survived, however his wife was killed. *5247
According to another report, individuals detained at the Komerc shelter were transferred to this location on 7 November 1991. *5248 Martin Sablic was said to have been the commander at both locations. Although the prisoners were fed, the frequency of the food distribution is unknown. The inmates were also reportedly searched for weapons. *5249
A variety of sources suggest that detainees were transferred back and forth from this facility. One report suggests that several inmates were transferred from this location on 18 November 1991 to the Zbor premises in the building S 10/2. *5250
In many cases, individuals were transported from this site to locations where they were scheduled to meet their deaths. One report details the occurences on 11 November, of a married Serbian couple who were removed from the shelter and allegedly killed. Additionally, on 14 November and 16 November, seven and 15 Serbian inmates, respectively, were removed from detention at this facility by their captors, transported to the bank of the Danube River and reportedly killed. Their bodies were disposed of in the Danube. *5251
Concentration Camp, Berak: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) Before fighting erupted in Berak, the population of the village was 56 per cent Croatian and 38 per cent Serb. *5252 Following the occupation of Berak on 2 September 1991 by alleged members of the JNA and Serbian paramilitary groups, the non- Serbian inhabitants of the village were reportedly placed in a local concentration camp. *5253 A total of 92 civilians were reportedly detained at this facility between 2 September and 12 December 1991. *5254 The detainees were interrogated and reportedly physically abused. A number of them were removed from the camp and their status remains unknown. The report identifies the principal perpetrator. *5255
Fertilizer Store, Berak: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely Amnesty International.) According to the statement of a 50 year-old Croatian woman from the village of Berak, in October 1991, Serbian paramilitary forces collected many of the remaining non-Serbian civilians and detained them in a fertilizer store. *5256 Reportedly, the men were systematically interrogated and many among them were physically mistreated. The report alleges further that many of the male detainees who disappeared from the camp are suspected to have been killed. Many of the detainees were later transferred to a private home and held there for some undisclosed period of time. *5257
Private House, Berak: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely Amnesty International.) According to an elderly Croatian female, members of the Serbian paramilitary group, the White Eagles, invaded her village in mid-December 1991. They reportedly came to her home, blindfolded her and took her to a neighbouring house. *5258 She believed that she was selected because her son had participated in the organization of military exercises. She was reportedly stripped naked and, over the course of about two hours, raped and forced to perform fellatio on seven men. *5259 Her captors reportedly put a knife to her breast, stuffed clothing in her mouth and screamed her son's name throughout the abuse. She was later fired upon with automatic weapons as they chased her away from the house. *5260
Tovarnik: The village of Tovarnik is located in the southern portion of Vukovar county in eastern Slavonia. According to the 1991 Yugoslav census, there were some 3,000 inhabitants in this village; three-fourths of which were Croatian and the remainder were primarily Serbs. *5261
Following Tito's death and the formation of the first political parties, relations between Serbs and Croats deteriorated. After the initial attack on Vukovar, military presence increased in Tovarnik and on 20 September 1991, Tovarnik was attacked by armoured units from Sid and Ilinci. By 23 September 1991, the village was occupied by Serbian forces. *5262
House of Deceased Dr. Zivorad Cvejic, Tovarnik: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by multiple sources however none among them are neutral.) Reportedly on 20 September 1991, after Yugoslav Army tanks entered the village, Croatian civilians were captured and detained at this private home. *5263 The detainees were reportedly interrogated, beaten and insulted. *5264 The report suggests the beatings were inflicted by the local Serbs and that the JNA interrogated the inmates without maltreating them. In addition to a prison, this facility allegedly also served as a police station. *5265 The detainees were later transferred to Sid and then to Begejci detention facility. *5266
According to another report, during the fighting in Tovarnik, Serbs allegedly collected some 40 residents from the village and detained them in the basement of this house. *5267 Reportedly, over the course of a few days, the numbers of detainees thinned. Many were removed and never returned. Those who remained in detention reportedly heard screams and fire from outside the house. *5268 The remaining detainees alleged being subjected to repeated physical abuse and mistreatment. After some time in detention, the detainees were released. *5269
Home of Milenko Svetica, Tovarnik: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) On 20 September 1991, Serb forces reportedly captured four civilians and detained them in the basement of one of the captured civilian's homes. *5270 Some time thereafter, the detainees were transferred to Milenko Svetica's home where they were interrogated and reportedly mistreated. *5271 According to one of the four detainees, the other inmates were killed by their Serb captors while he was permitted to escape. *5272
Unknown Building, Tovarnik: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) According to one report, a detention facililty was still in existence here on 25 May 1992, and some 22 Croatians were taken from their homes in Tovarnik and detained in the hall of this unidentified local building. *5273 The detainees were reportedly beaten during their detention, forced to sign over control of their property and then transferred to Lipovac. *5274
School in Tovarnik: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) According to one report a Croatian from the village of Lovas, who was a mechanic by trade, was allegedly ordered by Serbs to work at a school in Tovarnik. The school reportedly served as one of the headquarters for area Serb activity. *5275 The witness was able to identify several residents of Tovarnik detained in a small room at this site. *5276
«Ovcara»: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by multiple sources, including ITN.) Several sources suggest that «Ovcara» is a part of the VUPIK- VUKOVAR agricultural factory. It's exact location in the area of Vukovar has not been secured. There are, however, reports that suggest that «Ovcara» was composed of a farm, a metal hangar and a warehouse. *5277
«Ovcara» Farm: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely ITN.) According to one report patients were transported from the Vukovar hospital to the «Ovcara» farm where some among them were beaten severely *5278. One former inmate was able to identify the man who «carried out most of the beatings». In some cases, prisoners were reportedly beaten to death. *5279
Metal Hangar, «Ovcara»: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) The testimony of a former patient at the Vukovar hospital who, after evacution from the hospital, was taken to «Ovcara» noted that two busloads of individuals were corralled into the metal hangar. *5280 The facility was described as 50 metres by 20 metres with four doors. There was straw scattered about in the middle of the hangar. There were windows and also artificial light available inside. *5281
When the detainees entered the hangar, several Serb paramilitary members were lined up awaiting them. As the inmates passed by the waiting Serb soldiers, down the corridor, they were beaten and kicked with a variety of objects. *5282 All of their personal effects were then removed, afterwhich individual episodes of mistreatment began. According to the witness, the beatings continued for several hours. *5283 The Serbs then prepared lists detailing names, family names, birthdates and addresses of the 300 or so male detainees. Thereafter, the inmates were separated into smaller groups, loaded onto trucks and told that they were to be taken to another hangar. The witness escaped from the truck en route to its next location. The whereabouts of the succeeding detention site was not made available. *5284
According to another report, on 5 November 1991, some 300 Croatian civilians and members of the military were detained at this particular «Ovcara» facility. *5285 The report suggests that after registration, detainees were loaded onto trucks in groups of 20 and transported to surrounding locations. *5286
«Ovcara» Warehouse: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the Austrian Mission.) A former-detainee recalled that on 20 November 1991, he and several other Vukovar hospital employees--totalling almost 250 individuals--were placed onto buses and transported to either the Vukovar barracks or to the warehouse at «Ovcara». *5287 The detainees transported to «Ovcara» were led to a warehouse depot which was allegedly used to store agricultural machinery. The inmates' personal effects were taken from them at the entrance to the warehouse and, once inside, they were reportedly physically and mentally mistreated. *5288 After an undisclosed period of time a large percentage of the inmates were then returned to Vukovar and interned at the Velepromet facility. *5289
Building in Marinci: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) According to one report, on 19 November 1991, JNA members attacked a group of civilians just outside the village of Marinci, allegedly opening fire on them. The civilians were then captured and taken to an unidentified building in Marinci and detained in the basement. The Serbs reportedly threatened by the inmates with an instrument described as a device used to «gauge `Ustase' eyes out». *5290
House in Negoslavci: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) According to one report, several wounded individuals as well as employees of the Vukovar Hospital were transported to the basement of a home in Negoslavci. *5291 Reportedly the conditions were severely lacking. Because no toilet facilities were made available, the inmates were compelled to urinate in a common pot. *5292 The Serb captors reportedly beat the prisoners constantly and indiscriminantely. The inmates received no food and only an occasional cup of water. *5293
Unidentified Building, Mitnica: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) Mitnica is reportedly a part of the Vukovar municipality whose inhabitants defended themselves and then surrendered after lengthy negotiations with the JNA. *5294 The conclusory arrangements included the surrender and disarmament of all area individuals regardless of profession or ethnicity. The agreement stated further that all who surrendered would be permitted to move about freely as well as to leave for other parts of Croatia. *5295 Additionally that all individuals would be administered to according to Geneva Convention standards. *5296
However, without regard for the written promises made to the contrary, Croatian men ages 14-70 were arrested and many were transferred to camps in FRY. *5297 In the case of those not sent to Serbia, military personnel were separated from civilians and the former were detained at Ovcara and the latter at Velepromet. *5298
Detention facilities were created throughout the area. According to one report, Croatian guardsmen held 18 individuals in the cellar of an undisclosed building in Mitnica. *5299 Two Croats were among the detainees. *5300 Despite the cooperative surrender, there were allegations of severe physical mistreatment and the existence of compulsory labour groups. No information regarding length of duration or the specific location of the facility was provided. *5301
«The Second Congress»: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) According to one witness, on 9 December 1991, Serb paramilitaries collected a group of Croat and Serb individuals and detained them in a building known as «The Second Congress», which was, more accurately, a demolished school building. *5302 Members of the Serb paramilitary group, Seselj, were reportedly conducting orgies in this facility. *5303 The detainee recalled hearing screams from neighbouring rooms and recognized *5304 the voices as those of former students. *5305
The detainees were reportedly registered and then separated, with Serbs being transferred to Velepromet and Croats transported to unknown destinations. It was believed by some that many of the Croatian detainees were killed. *5306
The county of Zadar is located in south-eastern Croatia and borders the Adriatic Sea. According to the 1991 census, the pre-war population was 134,881. At that time, the population was 83.4 per cent Croatian, 10.5 per cent Serbian, and 6.1 per cent was referred to as «other». *5307
Brickyard, Nin: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely Amnesty International.) In a story in the Belgrade newspaper, Politika Ekspres, on 28 September, *5308 it was reported that Croatians dressed in black were spreading terror amongst Zadar's Serbian population and arresting or forcibly evicting Serbian families. It was reported that a detention centre for Serbs was set up in a brickyard in the town of Nin, in Zadar county. The article claimed that the leader was a former police officer from the town of Benkovac. *5309
Zadar Military Prison: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by multiple sources, including the ICRC and Amnesty International.) According to a report in Borba on 16 December, a number of prisoners released from Zadar military prison in an exchange of prisoners on 12 December 1991, stated that they had been beaten and ill-treated by Croatian security forces. *5310 The ICRC reportedly first visited this camp on 17 October 1991. *5311
Zadar Jail: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ECMM.) The Mayor of Starigrad reported that Serbian prisoners of war were being held in Zadar jail. *5312
Zadar Prison/Penitentiary: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) A camp referred to as the «prison/penitentiary» was first visited by the ICRC on 16 October 1991. *5313 It is unclear if this is the same camp referred to as the Zadar «Jail» above.
Zadar Hospital: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by multiple sources, including the ICRC and the ECMM.) The Mayor of Starigrad reported that four Serbian prisoners of war were being held in Zadar hospital. *5314 This camp is also reported on an ICRC list of places of detention. *5315
Former JNA Barracks, Zadar: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) In a statement given by a Serbian man *5316, it is reported that there is a camp in the former JNA barracks in Zadar. The man was arrested by Croatian soldiers near the village of Mumilovaca on his way to Prebilovci in Capljina county on 8 April 1992. He was handcuffed and taken to a camp at the tobacco processing plant in Capljina. He was held there with others and they were all beaten. They were then taken to the «Poduh» tobacco processing plant in Metkovic, where their personal documents and all valuables were taken. They were again subjected to severe and repeated beatings. They were later taken to the «Lora» camp in Split. They were again beaten repeatedly and given very little food. The man witnessed at least one man being killed. Allegedly, one night before the arrival of the International Red Cross, 12 of the prisoners were tied up and taken in a van to Zadar where they were held in the former JNA barracks. They were again beaten. From here, they were taken to Duvno (now Tomislavgrad) where they were held for about 10 days in the cellar of an abandoned house. They were then driven to Ljubuski and were again beaten. The witness was beaten so severely that he was taken to the hospital in Split where he stayed for 15 days. After this he was taken to Sibenik, to what he believes was the «Ante Jonjic» barracks. There, the prisoners were forced to «graze» on the grass. He was beaten and stabbed in the chest. He witnessed a 70 year-old woman and her 15 year- old granddaughter being raped. After about 10 days, he was taken back to «Lora» in Split. He was there for about a month and a half and then driven with other prisoners in three or four busses to the Kerestinec camp. From there, he was sent to Nemetin near Osijek and exchanged on 14 August 1992. *5317
Unidentified Place of Detention, Zadar: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely Amnesty International.) A man *5318 from Zadar reported being arrested by Croatian police officers in Zadar and held in detention there in October and November of 1991. He was allegedly mistreated and beaten. There are no other details available. *5319 In another report it stated that on 11 November 1991, a Serbian adviser to the Croatian President confirmed at a news conference in Zagreb that a detention centre had been set up for Serbs in Zadar and that some Serbs had been killed on the spot. *5320 Amnesty International has received reports of the torture and ill-treatment of prisoners detained by Croatian authorities in an unspecified detention centre in Zadar. *5321
Zagreb is the largest province in Croatia. It is located in the north-west corner of the country. As of 1991, it had a population of 930,550 of which 85.6 per cent were Croatian, 9 per cent «other», and 5.4 per cent Serbian.
Kerestinec Camp/Military Barracks: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by multiple sources, including the Norwegian Institute of Human Rights, the ICRC, and the ECMM.) Kerestinec detention camp was located in the military barracks in Sveta Nedela near Zagreb. The camp reportedly held Serbs, Muslims, Hungarians and members of other unidentified nationalities. *5322 There are no precise details about who was running the camp, but according to witnesses, it appears to have been managed by Croatian military and police forces. *5323
Reports date the existence of the camp from October 1991 to August 1992 although exactly when it was established and presumably shut down is unknown. Likewise, the number of detainees at the camp is unknown. The only estimation comes from a witness brought to the camp in August 1992 who states that he was one of 420 prisoners. *5324
Many prisoners came from interrogation centres in Vinkovci, Slavonska Orahovica, Savonska Pozega, Podravska Slatina, Djakovo, Novska, Nasice and Sisak. These prisoners were split up and sent either to Zagreb, Osijek or Gaj, Vrbovec for long-term detention. *5325
One of the earliest reports of detention at Kerestinec describes the arrest of a JNA reservist by the Croatian forces around 8 October 1992. Apparently, the Serbian soldier was taken to Kerestinec camp, and there has been no sign of him since this time. The report does state that there are indications that he was subjected to torture at the camp and then killed. *5326
There are no detailed descriptions of the camp premises, but one witness who was detained at Kerestinec and other camps explains that all Croatian camps were sectioned off into three blocks. "A" was for former JNA members who had surrendered without a struggle; "B" was for elderly people between 70 and 80 years-old who were arrested in their apartments; block "C" was for military police, volunteers, and people whom the Croats called «Cetniks». Apparently, those held in cell "C" received the harshest treatment from Croatian authorities. *5327
Inmates at Kerestinec were reportedly subject to torture and abuse on a daily basis. Apart from beatings, the most frequent forms of torture were low-voltage electric shocks, the rape of women, and forced fellatio on camp guards. *5328 One report indicated that in April of 1992 six Serb detainees were taken in to room with black wall and force to play «Russian roulette». One prisoner reportedly turned the gun on the guards and was hung from his legs and stabbed to death. The other prisoners were allegedly forced to clean the blood up by licking the floor. *5329 Another report indicated that a prisoner was hung by his feet in the black room and also taken to mock executions. *5330
One report indicated that inmates were sexually abused. Male prisoners were taken to a movie theatre to watch guards rape Serbian women. Men were also forced to perform sexually acts on one another. The report included a father and his two sons allegedly being forced to have sexual intercourse with each other. *5331
Prisoners received little to no food, were forbidden to sleep, were forced to sing anti-Serbian songs, march and salute the «Ustasa way,» and were commonly poured with cold water. *5332 Other abuses included putting the muzzle of a gun in prisoners' mouths, forcing prisoners to swallow various inedible objects, gouging their eyes, and cutting off their ears. *5333 Also, when prisoners asked to see a doctor, they were sent instead to a veterinarian. *5334 Another source reported that the a prisoner was beaten until he did not regain consciousness and was then taken to the Simunska Street hospital. *5335
One Serbian man detained there in January and February 1992 reports that he was kept with six other prisoners in a small room measuring six square metres with a concrete floor. On the third night of their detention, they were given pillows and a blanket each. He and the others were regularly beaten and always hungry. He also claims that almost all of the guards at the camp behaved in a «violent, aggressive way». *5336
Generally, prisoners were transferred to Kerestinec from other camps and ultimately sent from there to other places for exchange. In fact, some reports suggest that Kerestinec was a place where Croatian authorities got prisoners «ready» for exchange by feeding them, letting them shower and shave, changing their clothes, and offering them medical attention.
Several reports describe the transfer of prisoners to Kerestinec from a camp in Lora, Split. One such report explains that in August 1992 a Serbian prisoner was brought to Kerestinec in a convoy of three or four «overcrowded» buses. This convoy was accompanied by a «strong Croatian security force». *5337 Once at Kerestinec, he and the others were prepared over several days for exchange. Camp officials allowed the prisoners to shave, take a bath every other day, and see a doctor. Some were even dressed in JNA uniforms before being exchanged. *5338 From there, they went to Nemetin near Osijek where they were exchanged on 14 August 1992. *5339
A second report describes the transfer of still another convoy of prisoners who came to Kerestinec from Lora on 14 August 1991 at 7:00 p.m. This convoy was made up of about eight or nine buses and included up to 420 prisoners. Upon their arrival, they were given new clothes, pain killers and make-up to cover marks from their beatings. *5340 Ultimately, they too were taken to Osijek to be exchanged at the Nemetin-Sarvas check-point. At this time, it is reported that 160 of the 420 prisoners did not want to be exchanged, claiming that they belonged to Croatia and should be allowed to stay there. *5341
Still another report indicates that a Serb prisoner at Gospic Camp was transferred to Kerestinec on 27 January 1992. This man was a retired JNA officer from the village of Siroka Kula. He was released from Kerestinec on 21 February 1992 but then picked up again by Croatian military police officers from his home five days later. He was brought back to the camp and told he would be exchanged. Yet, the witness was ordered to go to Krajina, and he did not want to leave Zagreb. As a result, he was not exchanged and instead brought to Sibenik for one night and released the next day. *5342
The ICRC first visited the prison in Kerestinec on 20 Janaury 1992. *5343
Prison in Vlaska Street, Zagreb: (The existence of this detention facility has not been corroborated by multiple sources.) There is one report that a JNA reserve captain was arrested, brought to Vlaska Street prison, and killed. The arrest occurred sometime in the first half of 1991. Apparently, he was hit on the head with metal rods until his skull broke open; then, his body was chopped into pieces. *5344 From the report, it appears that he was detained for longer than just his killing.
There is another more general report which alleges that detainees at the prison were maltreated with electricity, were forced to swallow inedible objects, had their eyes gauged out and their ears cut off. *5345 There is no further information about this camp.
Only five names are indicated in relation to the crimes committed at these two camps. *5346
Prison in former Military Court: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) In November 1991 four ethnic Serbs were allegedly held in the prison in the building of the former Military Court on Gajeva Street. They were held in separate cells of the prison and were harshly treated. One was a soldier from Slavonija, another was a corporal from a Serbian tank crew, the third was a reservist from Banja Luka, and the fourth was a taxi driver. They were reportedly beaten every day and were drenched with water and made to stand in the cold weather. One was allegedly forced to wash cars naked in the prison yard and others were forced to have oral sex. They were reportedly forced to beat one another and sing Ustasa songs. *5347 The ICRC reportedly first visited this facility on 19 October 1991. *5348
Remetinac Prison: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) At the end of September a member of the JNA was detained in the Remetinac prison in Zagreb. He was allegedly held for 41 days and was beaten continuously. He was also reportedly stabbed in the arm and had cigarettes extinguished on his body. The food was reportedly inadequate and served to the detainees through a slot at the bottom of the cell door. The prisoner claimed to have lost a substantial amount of weight. *5349 The ICRC reported Remetinac as a place of detention and first visited the facility on 19 September 1991. *5350
Military Camp, Zagreb: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) The ICRC reports that it first visited this facility on 12 July 1991. *5351 There is no further information on this facility.
Military Hospital, Zagreb: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) The ICRC reports that it first visited this facility on 11 November 1991. *5352 There is no further information on this facility.
Military Prison, Zagreb: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) The ICRC reports that it first visited this facility on 1 June 1992. *5353 There is no further information on this facility.
Prison Hospital, Zagreb: (The existence of this detention facility has been corroborated by a neutral source, namely the ICRC.) The ICRC reports that it first visited this facility on 16 July 1991. *5354 There is no further information on this facility.
| Associated notes | Previous part | Next part |