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

CONFIDENTIAL SECTION 01 OF 03 ZAGREB  01801 
 
SIPDIS 
 
USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ3/ECJ4/ECJ5// 
HQUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE//J3/J4/J5// 
CINCUSNAVEUR LONDON UK//N2/N22// 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ZAGREB 001801 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR EUR A/S HOLBROOKE 
A/BHR/OFDA 
VIENNA ALSO FOR BOSNIA 
BAKU FOR DCM FINN 
BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU 
USVIENNA ALSO FOR USDEL CSCE 
 
E.O. 12356: DECL: 5/10/96 
TAGS: 
SUBJECT:  CROATIA UPDATE NO. 32: VISIT TO DETAINEES IN 
          BJELOVAR 
 
REF: ZAGREB 1796 AND PREVIOUS 
 
¶1. CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT. 
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SUMMARY 
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¶2.  POLOFFS AND DART VISITED THE DETENTION CENTER AND JAIL 
IN BJELOVAR ON MAY 9.  WE TALKED TO SERB DETAINEES AND 
UNSUCCESSFULY ATTEMPTED TO VISIT SERB LEADERS FROM THE 
PAKRAC AREA, WHO WERE BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION BY VELKJO 
DJAKULA (REF).  WE ALSO DISCUSSED THE PROCESSING OF 
DETAINEES WITH DIRECTOR OF THE BJELOVAR JAIL AND CHIEF 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 

 
 
 
 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        ZAGREB  01801  01 OF 03  101545Z 
MILITARY JUDGE. 
 
------------------------------------- 
DETAINEES WELL TREATED BUT AMBIVALENT 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  POLOFFS AND DART VISITED SERB DETAINEES AT THE SPORTS 
CENTER IN BJELOVAR.  AT THE TIME OP OUR VISIT, THE 
PRISONERS WERE TAKING A BREAK OUTSIDE.  THE MILITARY 
POLICE OFFICIAL, MATO SICAJA, IN CHARGE OP THE CENTER 
REFUSED TO ANSWER MOST OP OUR QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW 
PRISONERS WERE LOCATED THERE AND HOW MANY HAD BEEN 
RELEASED, CITING THE POTENTIAL FOR POLITICIZATION OF THE 
NUMBERS.  AN ARGENTINE UNMO ON THE SCENE GUESSED THERE 
WERE ABOUT 470 PRISONERS PRESENT.  AT THE END OF THE BREAK 
PERIOD PRISONERS WERE LINED UP TO RETURN TO THE SPORTS 
HALL AND EMBOFFS COUNTED APPROXIMATELY 450-500 PEOPLE. 
 
¶4.  ALL THE DETAINEES WE TALKED WITH WERE PROM THE PAKRAC 
AREA.  THEY SAID WHAT WE HAVE HEARD PROM PREVIOUS CONTACTS 
-- THAT THEY WERE WELL TREATED AND HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH 
THE GUARDS.  ONE OP THE DETAINEES HAD SUSTAINED RECENT 
INJURIES WHICH, ACCORDING TO THE MILITARY POLICE, WERE 
SELF INFLICTED (IN THE PRESENCE OP ECMM, SUBJECT 
REPORTEDLY BANGED HIS HEAD WHILE STANDING NEAR A GUARD). 
EACH WAS PROVIDED WITH BLANKETS, BUT SAID THAT SLEEPING 
ROOM WAS CRAMPED.  ONE GROUP OP DETAINEES SAID THAT THE 
ENTIRE GROUP HAD BEEN WOKEN UP THE PREVIOUS NIGHT AND TOLD 
TO SIGN SOMETHING, BUT THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS. 
GUARDS TOLD US THAT THEY WERE RESPONDING TO CONSTANT 
REQUESTS PROM ZAGREB POR PRECISE HEADCOUNTS AT VARIOUS 
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                           CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 04        ZAGREB  01801  01 OF 03  101545Z 
TIMES DURING THE DAY AND WOKE THE DETAINEES TO HAVE THEM 
SIGN A SHEET SHOWING THEY WERE PRESENT.  OPFICIALS QUICKLY 
PROVIDED EMBOPPS WITH A COPY OF ONE OP THE PAGES ON WHICH 
WERE HAND PRINTED NAMES, BIRTHDATES, AND SIGNATURES. 
 
¶5.  WHEN ASKED WHETHER THEY WANTED TO REMAIN IN CROATIA OR 
GO TO BOSNIA OR SERBIA, SOME RESPONDED THAT THEY WANTED TO 
FIND OUT WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THEIR FAMILIES BEFORE THEY 
MADE A DECISION (DETAINEES SAID THAT THEY HAD BEEN IN 
TOUCH WITH THEIR FAMILIES THROUGH THE ICRC).  ONE PERSON 
SAID THAT A NUMBER OF THE DETAINEES WOULD LIKE UNHCR TO 
RESETTLE THEM IN THIRD COUNTRIES RATHER THAN RETURN TO 
BOSNIAN SERB TERRITORY.  ONE GROUP THAT DART TALKED TO 
SAID THEY HAD BEEN TRYING TO CROSS FROM SECTOR WEST INTO 
BOSNIA FOR THE LAST YEAR, BUT WERE PREVENTED FROM DOING SO 
BY BOSNIAN SERB TROOPS.  THEY ALSO SAID THAT THEY WERE 
PREVENTED FROM DOING SO EVEN DURING THE RETREAT FROM 
SECTOR WEST DURING THE CROATIAN OFFENSIVE. 
 
-------------------------------------- 
BJELOVAR JAIL AND THE JUDICIAL PROCESS 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NNNNPTQ9632 
 
 
 
 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ9632 
 
PAGE 01        ZAGREB  01801  02 OF 03  101545Z 
ACTION EUR-01 
 
INFO  LOG-00   AID-00   CIAE-00  OASY-00  EB-01    FDRE-01  H-01 
      TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-10    L-01     ADS-00   M-00     NSAE-00 
      OIC-02   OMB-01   PA-01    PM-00    PRS-01   P-01     SP-00 
      SR-00    SS-00    STR-01   TRSE-00  T-00     USIE-00  SNIS-00 
      NISC-01  PMB-00   PRME-01  DRL-09   G-00       /033W 
                  ------------------C42E91  101629Z /49 
P 101646Z MAY 95 
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5714 
INFO USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 
COM SIXTHFLT//N2// 
HQ JTF PP NAPLES IT//CA/POLAD// 
DIA WASHDC 
USMISSION GENEVA 
AMCONSUL MUNICH 
USLO SKOPJE 
AMEMBASSY BAKU 
AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA 
AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST 
AMEMBASSY BELGRADE 
NATO EU COLLECTIVE 
JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J-5PMA/J21// 
SECDEF WASHDC//ISA/ISP// 
NSC WASHDC 
CINCUSAFE RAMSTEIN AB GE//DO/LG/XP/IN// 
JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK 
USNMR SHAPE BE//POLAD// 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 

 
 
 
 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        ZAGREB  01801  02 OF 03  101545Z 
USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ3/ECJ4/ECJ5// 
HQUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE//J3/J4/J5// 
CINCUSNAVEUR LONDON UK//N2/N22// 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 03 ZAGREB 001801 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR EUR A/S HOLBROOKE 
A/BHR/OFDA 
VIENNA ALSO FOR BOSNIA 
BAKU FOR DCM FINN 
BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU 
USVIENNA ALSO FOR USDEL CSCE 
 
E.O. 12356: DECL: 5/10/96 
TAGS: 
SUBJECT:  CROATIA UPDATE NO. 32: VISIT TO DETAINEES IN 
          BJELOVAR 
 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  EMBOFFS WERE TOLD BY DETENTION CENTER OFFICIALS THAT 
SERB MILITARY LEADERS AND THOSE SUSPECTED OF WAR CRIMES 
WERE TRANSFERRED TO THE BJELOVAR JAIL.  CROAT OFFICIALS 
HAD NO OBJECTIONS TO OUR REQUEST TO VISIT THE JAIL.  WHEN 
WE ARRIVED, HOWEVER, WE WERE TOLD THAT WE COULD NOT VISIT 
THE PRISONERS WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION FROM THE JUSTICE 
MINISTRY IN ZAGREB.  (NOTE: EMBASSY IS REQUESTING 
AUTHORIZATION AND HOPES TO VISIT THE BJELOVAR JAIL AGAIN 
ON MAY 11.)  WE DID TALK WITH PRISON ADMINISTRATOR ZDRAVKO 
BREBER AND CHIEF MILITARY JUDGE MIHAEL MALCIC.  BREBER 
TOLD US THAT INITIALLY THERE WERE 781 DETAINEES IN 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 

 
 
 
 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        ZAGREB  01801  02 OF 03  101545Z 
BJELOVAR AND THAT 49 HAD BEEN RELEASED MAY 8 AND ANOTHER 
GROUP OF 138 ON MAY 7. 
 
¶7.  THE CITY PRISON IN BJELOVAR IS BEING CONVERTED TO A 
MILITARY PRISON AND WILL TAKE ALL TRANSFERS FROM OTHER 
DETENTION CENTERS IN VARAZDIN AND POZEGA.  AS OF MAY 8 
THERE WERE 48 DETAINEES IN THE PRISON AND OFFICIALS 
EXPECTED TO GET 50 TRANSFERS FROM VARAZDIN ON MAY 9 AND 
POSSIBLY ANOTHER 10 FROM THE BJELOVAR SPORTS CENTER. 
(NOTE: BREBER TOLD US THAT RELATIONS BETWEEN HIS GUARD 
FORCE AND DETAINEES WERE GOOD AND, IN FACT, TWO OF FOUR 
GUARDS ON THE AFTERNOON SHIFT WERE ETHNIC SERBS.)  IN 
TOTAL, BREBER ANTICIPATED HAVING OVER 100 PRISONERS, BUT 
JUDGE MALCIC SAID PROBABLY THAT ONLY 20 TO 30 WOULD BE 
CHARGED WITH WAR CRIMES.  THE DECISION TO TRANSFER 
DETAINEES TO THE JAIL FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION IS MADE 
DURING THE INITIAL INTERVIEW AND IS LARGELY BASED ON 
EVIDENCE PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED BY CROATIAN DISPLACED 
PERSONS. 
 
¶8.  BREBER CONFIRMED THAT TWO OF THE THREE PRISONERS -- 
MLADEN KULIC AND STEVO HARAMBASIC -- ABOUT WHOM SERB 
LEADER VELJKO DJAKULA HAD EXPRESSED CONCERN ON MAY 9 WERE 
BEING HELD IN THE PRISON, BUT THEY HAD NO INFORMATION ON 
THE WHEREABOUTS OF THE THIRD, SAVO RADOSEVIC.  KULIC WAS 
BEING HELD ON CHARGES OF ARMED REBELLION AND CRIMES 
AGAINST CIVILIANS, WHILE HARAMBASIC WAS HELD UNDER A COURT 
ORDER, BUT NO FURTHER INFORMATION WAS AVAILABLE.  WE WERE 
TOLD THAT SPECIFIC INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR CASES WAS FILED 
AT THE MILITARY COURT IN OSIJEK.  BOTH PRISONERS HAD REEN 
REGISTERED WITH ICRC, ACCORDING TO BREBER.  MALCIC SAID 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 

 
 
 
 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 04        ZAGREB  01801  02 OF 03  101545Z 
THAT ALL PRISONERS HELD UNDER CHARGES OF ARMED REBELLION 
WOULD BE RELEASED, BUT WE ARE UNSURE OF KULIC'S STATUS 
GIVEN THE ADDITIONAL CHARGE OF CRIMES AGAINST CIVILIANS. 
 
¶9.  MALCIC SAID THAT HE IS LEADING A TEAM OF 9 JUDGES AND 
TYPISTS TO PROCESS 1,500 CASES.  BY 1500 ON MAY 9 HIS 
STAFF HAD QUESTIONED 24 PEOPLE AND WOULD BE INTERVIEWING 
ANOTHER 15 THAT DAY.  A GROUP OF TRANSFERS FROM VARAZDIN 
WAS DUE TO BE PROCESSED ON MAY 10.  HE SAID THAT THE COURT 
IS MOVING AS FAST AS IT CAN, BUT THE PROCESS IS SLOW 
LARGELY BECAUSE OF CONSTANT REQUESTS FROM ZAGRER FOR 
UPDATES AND STATISTICS.  SPECIFIC CRIMES THE COURT IS 
LOOKING INTO INCLUDE MURDER, POISONING, AND DESTRUCTION OF 
PROPERTY.  HE SAID THAT DETAINEES HAVE BEEN COOPERATIVE 
DURING QUESTIONING AND MANY HAVE COMPLAINED THAT "RSK" 
POLITICIANS AND LEADERS HAVE CHEATED THEM.  MALCIC OPINED 
THAT HALF THE SERBS WHO DECIDE TO LEAVE FOR BOSNIA WILL 
EVENTUALLY RETURN TO CROATIA, SOME TO LIVE AND 
UNFORTUNATELY SOME TO FIGHT. 
 
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                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NNNNPTQ9637 
 
 
 
 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ9637 
 
PAGE 01        ZAGREB  01801  03 OF 03  101545Z 
ACTION EUR-01 
 
INFO  LOG-00   AID-00   CIAE-00  OASY-00  EB-01    FDRE-01  H-01 
      TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-10    L-01     ADS-00   M-00     NSAE-00 
      OIC-02   OMB-01   PA-01    PM-00    PRS-01   P-01     SP-00 
      SR-00    SS-00    STR-01   TRSE-00  T-00     USIE-00  SNIS-00 
      NISC-01  PMB-00   PRME-01  DRL-09   G-00       /033W 
                  ------------------C42EBD  101631Z /49 
P 101646Z MAY 95 
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5715 
INFO USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 
COM SIXTHFLT//N2// 
HQ JTF PP NAPLES IT//CA/POLAD// 
DIA WASHDC 
USMISSION GENEVA 
AMCONSUL MUNICH 
USLO SKOPJE 
AMEMBASSY BAKU 
AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA 
AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST 
AMEMBASSY BELGRADE 
NATO EU COLLECTIVE 
JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J-5PMA/J21// 
SECDEF WASHDC//ISA/ISP// 
NSC WASHDC 
CINCUSAFE RAMSTEIN AB GE//DO/LG/XP/IN// 
JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK 
USNMR SHAPE BE//POLAD// 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 

 
 
 
 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        ZAGREB  01801  03 OF 03  101545Z 
USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ3/ECJ4/ECJ5// 
HQUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE//J3/J4/J5// 
CINCUSNAVEUR LONDON UK//N2/N22// 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 03 OF 03 ZAGREB 001801 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR EUR A/S HOLBROOKE 
A/BHR/OFDA 
VIENNA ALSO FOR BOSNIA 
BAKU FOR DCM FINN 
BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU 
USVIENNA ALSO FOR USDEL CSCE 
 
E.O. 12356: DECL: 5/10/96 
TAGS: 
SUBJECT:  CROATIA UPDATE NO. 32: VISIT TO DETAINEES IN 
          BJELOVAR 
 
COMMENT 
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¶10.  WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE OFFICIAL IN CHARGE OF THE 
DETENTION CENTER, CROATIAN AUTHORITIES WERE COOPERATIVE 
AND RESPONDED QUICKLY TO OUR REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION AND 
DOCUMENTS.  EMBOFFS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WALK AROUND THE 
EXERCISE FIELD UNESCORTED AND SAW NO EVIDENCE THAT ANY OF 
THE DETAINEES WERE MISTREATED.  WE WERE PERMITTED TO TALK 
WITH THE DETAINEES FREELY AND PRIVATELY.  IN SPITE OF THE 
FACT THAT THE DETAINEES WE VISITED ARE BEING WELL TREATED, 
THE GOC SEARCH FOR WAR CRIMINALS -- EVEN IF LIMITED TO THE 
SMALL NUMBER ESTIMATED BY MALCIC -- AND THE SLOWNESS OF 
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                           CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        ZAGREB  01801  03 OF 03  101545Z 
PROCESSING DETAINEES WILL CONTINUE TO BE A POINT OF 
CONTENTION WITH KNIN.  DETAINEES REMAIN SUSPICIOUS OF 
CROATIAN AUTHORITIES, AND THEIR UNCERTAINTY ABOUT WHETHER 
TO REMAIN OR LEAVE WILL PROBABLY CONTINUE WELL PAST THE 
TIME THEY ARE RELEASED.  THE CRITICAL TEST WILL BE HOW 
EVENHANDEDLY THE GOC TREATS SERBS AND CROATS AS THEY 
RETURN TO THE AREA OF FORMER SECTOR WEST. 
 
GALBRAITH 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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