WAR CRIMES IN
BOSNIA-HERCEGOVINA
VOLUME II
Helsinki Watch
A Division of Human Rights Watch
New York • Washington • Los Angeles • London "'
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgments ...... ix
Frequently Used Abbreviations ...... x
Introduction ...... 1 ::)r:. i Methodology ...... 4
Patterns of Abuse ...... 7 .,\c Introduction ...... 7 Abuses by Croatian and Muslim Forces ...... 7 Abuses by Serbian Forces ...... 8 Forced Displacement ...... 10 Attacks Against Civilian Targets, the Use of Siege Warfare and the Indiscriminate and Disproportionate Use of Force ...... , .. 13 Pillage and Destruction of Villages and Cultural Objects ...... 14 Summary Executions ...... 15 Abuse in Detention ...... 17 Rape ...... 20 ~ili~n ...... n Hostage-Holding .. , ...... 24 Obstruction of Humanitarian Aid and Attacks on Relief Personnel ...... 25
Abuses in Northwestern Bosnia ...... 30 Abuses by Serbian Forces ...... 34 Summary Executions ...... 34 Vla~ic ...... 34 Forced Displacement ...... 42 Prijedor ...... 42 Banja Luka ...... 49 Blagaj ...... 49 Hambarine ...... 53 Trnopolje ...... 56 Kevljani ...... 59 Kozarac ...... 61 ~~ ...... u Brdjani ...... 75 Incident at Bridge in Doboj Involving Gornja Sanica ...... 77 Forced Displacement, Killings, Use of RizvanoviCi ...... · ..... · · 80 Human Shields and Other Carakovo ...... - . 81 Abuses ...... 223 Biscani ...... - . 82 Abuses by Croatian Forces ...... 228 Kljul ...... ------· · · · · ·- 83 Abuses in Detention ...... 228 Abuses in Detention ...... · . · · . · . 84 Orasje ...... 228 Omarska Detention Camp ...... 87 Rape 228 Keraterm Detention Camp ...... 121 Posavska Mahala ...... 229 Manjala Detention Camp ...... 133 Bosanski Brod ...... 233 Trnopolje Detention Camp ...... 139 Abuses by Unknown Forces ...... 235 Bosanski N ovi ...... 155 Attacks on Aid Convoys ...... 235 K1jul ...... 159 Tuzla ...... 235 Kotor Varos ...... -...... 160 Banja Luka Hospital ...... - 161 Abuses in Southeastern Bosnia ...... 236 Rape ...... 163 Abuses by Serbian Forces ...... 237 Omarska ...... 163 Abuses in Detention ...... 237 Keraterm ...... 165 Fola ...... 237 Carakovo ...... · · · · · .. -.- · 168 Rape ...... 242 Rakovlani ...... --- -- · · · · · · · 171 Mutilation ...... 253 Municipality of Kljul ...... 172 Summary Executions ...... 256 VojiCi ...... - - - - - ..... - 178 Skelani ...... 256 Trnopolje ...... -- · · · · · · · · · · · 181 Rudo ...... ; ...... 257 Reported Castration ...... - - · · · · · · · · · · 186 Forced Displacement ...... , . 258 Obstruction of Humanitarian Relief ...... 187 Fola ...... 258 Bosanska Krupa ...... ------· · · · 187 Sukovac ...... 260 Indiscriminate Use of Force ...... · · · ..... · 188 Godijevno ...... 261 Jajce ...... - · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 188 Jelec ...... 263 Zagradje ...... 265 Abuses in Northeastern Bosnia ...... · · .. · · · · · · · · · · · · 189 Velika Daljegosta ...... 266 Abuses by Serbian Forces ...... · · · · · . - - - - · 191 Skelani ...... 267 Abuses in Detention ...... - - - - . . . . . 191 Mioca ...... 268 Brlko ...... 191 , '? The Use of Siege Warfare in Sarajevo ...... 268 Luka ...... 197 Abuses by Muslim Forces ...... 271 Batkovic ...... 211 Summary Executions of Disarmed Rape ...... 214 Combatants and Civilians ...... 272 Obudovac ...... - · · · · ..... · 214 Near Bratunac ...... 272 Doboj ...... - · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 215 Kamenica ...... 272 Forced Displacement ...... - · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 220 Attacks on Civilian Targets ...... 273 Brezovo Polje ...... · ... - - - · - - - - 220 GoraZde ...... 273 Zvornik, Cerska and Abuses by All Parties ...... 275 Konjevic Polje ...... 222 Other Abuses ...... · · · · · · · · · · · · 223 Obstruction of Humanitarian Aid and Abuses by Croatian and Muslim Forces ...... 372 Attacks on Relief Personnel ...... 275 Forced Displacement ...... 372 Attacks on Sarajevo Airport and Bradina ...... 372 Relief Flights ...... 277 Pillaging and Destruction of Villages and Attacks on, and Obstruction of, Cultural Objects ...... 374 Aid Convoys ...... 282 Capljina ...... 374 t. Gorazde ...... 282 Livno and Tomislavgrad ...... 375 ·' Sarajevo ...... 284 Bradina ...... 376 \ Srebrenica ...... 286 Mostar ...... 377 Zepa ...... 288 Livno ...... , .... 378 Cerska ...... 290 Fighting Between Croatian and Muslim Attacks on Medical Personnel Forces in Central Bosnia ...... 379 and Hospitals ...... 291 Attacks on Aid Convoys ...... 381 Sarajevo ...... 291 Vitez ...... 381 Abuses by Serbian Forces ...... 382 Abuses in Southwestern and Central Bosnia ...... 293 Forced Displacement ...... 382 Abuses by Croatian Forces ...... 197 Trebinje ...... 382 Abuses in Detention ...... 303 Summary Executions ...... 390 Abuses by HVO Forces ...... 304 Trebinje ...... 390 Mostar ...... 304 Indiscriminate and Disproportionate Livno Police Station ...... 315 Use of Force ...... 391 Livno School ...... 320 Mostar ...... 391 Livno HVO Headquarters ...... 327 Tomislavgrad School ...... 328 , Appendix A: Memorandum of Law: Elements of the Abuses by HOS Forces ...... 331 International .Crime of ncrimes Against Humanity" Mostar ...... 331 Applied in the Former Yugoslavia ...... 394 Dretelj ...... 335 Appendix B: Human Rights Watch/Helsinki Watch Letter to Rape ...... 344 President George Bush, August 7, 1992 ...... 398 Mostar ...... 344 Appendix C: Human Rights Watch/Helsinki Watch Letter to Hostage-Holding ...... 346 Honorable Boutros-Ghali, August 11, 1993 ...... 401 Ra~~ani ...... 346 Appendix D: Human Rights Watch/Helsinki Watch Letter to Donje Selo ...... 349 Honorable Boutros-Ghali, January 14, 1993 ...... 403 Assassination ...... 352 Appendix E: Human Rights Watch/Helsinki Watch Letter to Unlawful Searches and Seizures and Cyrus Vance, February 2, 1992 ...... 406 Arbitrary Dismissal from Employment ...... 353 Appendix F: A Chronology of the Siege of Sarajevo ...... 410 Abuses by Muslim Forces ...... 354 Appendix G: Relevant International Law as it Applies Abuses in Detention ...... 354 to Siege Warfare and Its Aim in the CelebiCi ...... 355 Current Conflict ...... 420 Konjic Sports Hall ...... 366 Bradina School ...... 368 Zenica ...... 371