This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLASSIFIED LIMITED OFFICIAL USE SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 001473 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE FOR EUR/EE, L, HA, IO 
VIENNA ALSO FOR BOSNIA 
 
E.O. 12356:  N/A 
TAGS: 
SUBJECT:  TFSROL:  SEVERE HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN BOSNIA- 
          HERZEGOIVNA:  EYEWITNESS REPORT OF RAPE AND 
          MALTREATMENT OF CIVILIANS BY SERBIAN FORCES 
                   LIMITED OFFICIAL USE 
 
 
                   LIMITED OFFICIAL USE 
 
PAGE 02        ZAGREB  01473  01 OF 02  131754Z 
 
REF:  ZAGREB 0945 AND PREVIOUS 
 
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INTRODUCTION 
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¶1.  (U) THIS IS ONE IN A SERIES OF INTERVIEWS WITH WAR 
CRIMES VICTIMS CONDUCTED IN LATE 1993 IN MAOCA, BOSNIA- 
HERZEGOVINA BY AN OFDA (DART/ZAGREB) FIELD REPRESENTATIVE 
AND AN AMCIT INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE (IRC) 
REPRESENTATIVE WHILE THEY WERE IN THE AREA ASSESSING 
HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE NEEDS.  THIS REPORT, LIKE THE 
OTHERS, NAMES  VICTIMS AND, IN SOME CASES, PERPETRATORS 
AND THE DETAILS OF SPECIFIC CRIMES. 
 
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WITNESS INFORMATION 
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¶2.  (LOU)  THE WITNESS, MRS. HADZIRA HAMZIC (STRICTLY 
PROTECT) WAS BORN ON APRIL 25, 1937.  HER SONS MEHO AND 
SABAN HAMZIC, HER 3 DAUGHTERS-IN-LAW (SAFETA, NEZIRA AND 
MEVLA) AND SEVEN GRANDCHILDREN (MIRNES, MIRNESA, MEDINA, 
SABINA, MIRSAD, ZAHID AND MIRELA) ARE MENTIONED BELOW; 
THEIR NAMES SHOULD ALSO BE STRICTLY PROTECTED.  MRS. 
HAMZIC LIVED IN LJIPLJE, A VILLAGE NEAR ZVORNIK, WHERE SHE 
WORKED ON THE LAND AND RAISED HER FAMILY.  AT THE TIME OF 
HER INTERVIEW, MRS. HAMZIC LIVED AT IVE ANDRICA B.B., C/O 
HAMDIJA BAJRAMOVIC, IN TUZLA. 
 
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PAGE 03        ZAGREB  01473  01 OF 02  131754Z 
THE WITNESS'S ACCOUNT 
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¶3.  (U) THE WITNESS SAID THAT ON MAY 20, 1992, SEVERAL 
"CHETNIKS" (SERBIAN SOLDIERS) SURROUNDED THE WITNESS'S 
HOUSE AND THE NEARBY HOUSES OF TWO OF HER SONS.  SHE, HER 
TWO SONS, HER THREE DAUGHTERS-IN-LAW AND HER SEVEN 
GRANDCHILDREN WERE GATHERED TOGETHER IN ONE ROOM.  ALL OF 
THEIR GOLD WAS TAKEN FROM THEIR BODIES AND THEIR HOUSES 
WERE SEARCHED.  AFTER THAT, THEY WERE ALL TAKEN ACROSS THE 
RIVER ON FOOT TO THE VILLAGE OF SALIHOVICI.  THERE THEY 
WERE TAKEN TO A LARGE MULTI-STOREY HOUSE OWNED BY "DZUFA" 
(NFI).  THEY WERE SEARCHED THERE AND ADDITIONAL GOLD 
OBJECTS, WHICH THEY HAD SECRETED ABOUT THEIR PERSONS, WERE 
TAKEN. 
 
¶4.  (U) THE WITNESS ESTIMATED THAT SEVERAL HUNDRED MEN, 
WOMEN, AND CHILDREN WERE BEING KEPT IN THE HOUSE.  THE MEN 
WERE KEPT SEPARATELY, IN A VERY CROWDED PANTRY; THEY WERE 
GIVEN NO FOOD FOR THE FIRST THREE DAYS.  OCCASIONALLY, THE 
WITNESS SAID, A PIECE OF BREAD WOULD BE THROWN IN THE ROOM 
WHERE THE WOMEN WERE AND THEY WERE BEATEN IF THEY TRIED TO 
PICK IT UP. 
 
¶5.  (U) THE WITNESS SAID "CHETNIKS" WOULD COME TO THE 
HOUSE AT NIGHT AND TAKE WOMEN INDIVIDUALLY TO ANOTHER 
HOUSE IN THE SAME VILLAGE.  SHE HERSELF WAS TAKEN ON TWO 
OCCASIONS BY TWO SOLDIERS EACH TIME.  SHE WAS RAPED BY 
BOTH MEN ON EACH OCCASION.  THEY WORE REGULAR "CHETNIK" 
UNIFORMS.  THEIR NAMES WERE VLAJKICA OBRENOVIC, "TIHOMIR" 
(NFI), AND "ZORAN" (NFI).  THE FOURTH WAS CALLED BY THE 
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PAGE 04        ZAGREB  01473  01 OF 02  131754Z 
NICKNAME "BRZI" ("SPEEDY").  ON THESE OCCASIONS THE 
WITNESS WAS ALSO BEATEN WITH THE CHAIN FROM A CHAINSAW. 
 
¶6.  (U) ONE OF THE WITNESS'S SONS (THE FIRST MENTIONED IN 
PARA TWO, ABOVE) WAS TAKEN AWAY SEPARATELY AND BEATEN VERY 
BADLY.  HER OTHER SON AND HIS FAMILY WERE TAKEN FROM 
SALIHOVICI DURING HER IMPRISONMENT THERE; AT THE TIME OF 
HER INTERVIEW, THE WITNESS DID NOT KNOW WHERE THEY WERE. 
 
¶7.  (U) ABOUT TWO WEEKS AFTER THE "CHETNIKS" FIRST 
OCCUPIED THE VILLAGE, AT 5:00 P.M. ON A TUESDAY, THE 
BOSNIAN ARMY LIBERATED SALIHOVICI.  EARLIER THE SAME DAY 
THE "CHETNIK" OCCUPIERS HAD ORDERED EVERYONE IN THE HOUSE 
TO COME OUT AND SURRENDER TO THE ATTACKING BOSNIAN ARMY 
FORCES.  THE PEOPLE ON THE FIRST FLOOR DID SO AND WERE 
SHOT AND KILLED BY THE "CHETNIKS,"  THE WITNESS SAID; SHE 
ESTIMATED ABOUT FIFTY PEOPLE DIED IN THIS MANNER.  THE 
PEO 
PLE UPSTAIRS, WHEN THEY SAW THESE EXECUTIONS, REFUSED 
TO COME OUT OF THE HOUSE.  THEY WERE SAVED BY THE BOSNIAN 
ARMY. 
 
¶8.  (U) AFTER HER RELEASE, THE WITNESS DISCOVERED THAT A 
 
 
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PAGE 01        ZAGREB  01473  02 OF 02  131754Z 
ACTION SS-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   AID-01   AMAD-01  CIAE-00  C-01     OASY-00  DODE-00 
      EB-01    EUR-01   OIGO-01  HA-09    H-01     IMMC-01  TEDE-00 
      INR-00   IO-16    L-01     ADS-00   NSAE-00  NSCE-00  OIC-02 
      PA-01    PM-00    PRS-01   P-01     RP-10    RPCS-01  SCT-03 
      SP-00    SR-00    SSO-00   STR-01   TRSE-00  USIE-00  RPE-01 
      SNIS-00  NISC-02  PMB-00     /057W 
                  ------------------3B7F5B  131956Z /38 
R 131737Z APR 94 
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 1544 
INFO AMCONSUL MUNICH 
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 
USMISSION GENEVA 
AMEMBASSY BELGRADE 
AMEMBASSY VIENNA 
 
 
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE SECTION 02 OF 02 ZAGREB 001473 
 
 
STATE FOR EUR/EE, L, HA, IO 
VIENNA ALSO FOR BOSNIA 
 
E.O. 12356:  N/A 
TAGS: 
SUBJECT:  TFSROL:  SEVERE HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN BOSNIA- 
          HERZEGOIVNA:  EYEWITNESS REPORT OF RAPE AND 
          MALTREATMENT OF CIVILIANS BY SERBIAN FORCES 
                   LIMITED OFFICIAL USE 
 
 
                   LIMITED OFFICIAL USE 
 
PAGE 02        ZAGREB  01473  02 OF 02  131754Z 
 
LARGE PIT HAD BEEN RECENTLY DUG NEARBY BY THE "CHETNIKS". 
SHE BELIEVES THIS WAS TO HAVE BEEN USED AS A MASS GRAVE 
AND THAT THE "CHETNIKS" INTENDED TO SLAUGHTER ALL THE 
DETAINEES -- SEVERAL HUNDRED, AS ABOVE. 
 
NEITZKE 
 
 
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