VZCZCXYZ0009
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBW #0167/01 0440622
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 130622Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY BELGRADE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2182
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC

UNCLAS BELGRADE 000167 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DOJ FOR CARL ALEXANDRE 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KIRF ASEC PTER SR US
SUBJECT:  TRIAL of ALLEGED MUSLIM EXTREMISTS IN SERBIA 
 
REF: A) 2007 BELGRADE 1627 B) 2007 BELGRADE 1394 C) 2007 BELGRADE 
1392 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1. (SBU) The trial of 14 Muslims from Serbia's Sandzak region on 
charges of terrorism and related charges began on January 14. 
According to the indictment, the group was planning attacks on the 
U.S. Embassy and other sites in Belgrade and Novi Pazar, as well as 
the murder of an Islamic religious leader.  In their opening 
statements, defendants claimed to be peaceful worshippers who 
established a camp in the mountains because they were not welcome in 
any local mosques.  Although the group does not appear to have any 
ties to the broader Islamic community, the trial underscores the 
Serbian government's need to address disenchantment and economic and 
social dislocation of its Muslim citizens.  End Summary. 
 
Police Find Evidence of Planned Attacks 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) The trial of 14 Muslims from the Sandzak region on charges of 
terrorism, illegal possession of firearms, conspiracy to commit 
unconstitutional activity and attempted murder, in the Organized 
Crime Department of the Belgrade District Court (Special Court) 
began on January 14.  A fifteenth defendant is awaiting extradition 
from France.  The court is investigating an additional five 
individuals.  Of those five, police arrested three in September 
2007, one remains at large, and one is under house arrest in Kosovo, 
pending investigation by the UNMIK prosecutor. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Police arrested the defendants, all Serbian citizens, who 
were living in a mountain camp in Sandzak near the city of Novi 
Pazar, in March 2007.  Police had discovered the camp in the 
mountains in Sandzak while conducting routine operations.  According 
to the indictment, police found weapons and evidence that the group 
was planning attacks on the Novi Pazar police, the hospital, and 
water and electricity stations; as well as attacks on several sites 
in Belgrade.  (The investigative judge and special prosecutor told 
Legal Advisor and regional Legatt that police found a map of 
Belgrade on a computer, with the locations of the U.S. Embassy, 
National Theater, and Hotel Park marked.)  In addition, the 
indictment accuses the group of plotting the murder of Mufti Muamer 
Zukorlic, the leader of Serbian Islamic Community, though his 
authority has been challenged in the past few months by a rival 
mufti (reftels). 
 
The Investigation 
----------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) Since the case met the definition of organized crime, the 
Special Prosecutor for Organized Crime requested the transfer of the 
case from Novi Pazar to his jurisdiction.  The police and prosecutor 
conducted the investigation professionally, and the prosecutor is 
proceeding based on the evidence police collected.  The prosecution 
does not appear to be politically motivated.  The FBI, through the 
Embassy, has been assisting the investigation and is analyzing some 
of the evidence seized, including the computer hard drive and a 
movie celebrating terrorism.  Interior Ministry official Radoslav 
Djinovic told Legal Advisor that the Ministry had created an 
anti-terror department based in Belgrade to deal with such 
investigations in the future. 
 
Defendants Claim to be Peaceful Worshippers While Attacking the 
United States 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (U) Although the media and politicians have called the group 
"Wahhabi," the group are self-professed Ahl-i ("righteous") Sunni 
Muslims, and neither the prosecutor nor the defense have used the 
term "Wahhabi," which the defendants said they considered offensive. 
 In their opening statements, six of the defendants pled not guilty 
and stated the weapons were for self-defense, as they felt 
threatened by Mufti Zukorlic's supporters.  The defendants said they 
did not recognize the authority of either Mufti Zukorlic or the 
rival Mufti Adem Zilkic.  They claimed the camp was a place of 
worship, since they could not practice in mosques, all of which 
aligned with Zukorlic or Zilkic. 
 
¶6. (U) Contrary to their peaceful claims, the defendants attacked 
the United States Government for orchestrating the trial.  One 
defendant, Senad Ramovic, said that "Bush and CIA agent Zukorlic" 
had written the indictment.  Ramovic accused "Americans and Jews" of 
conducting the 9/11 attacks to blame Muslims.  Adnan Hot said, "We 
know who the terrorists are, it is Bush and the U.S. Army."  Fuad 
Hodzic said, "The U.S. Embassy will suffer punishment from Allah." 
 
Defendants Not Related to Islamic Community Split 
------------------------------------ 
¶7. (SBU) The activities of this group do not appear to be related to 
the split in the Islamic community, although Novi Pazar mayor, 
Sulejman Ugljanin continues to make allegations that Zukorlic is 
involved.  Ugljanin previously told DCM that Zukorlic was a 
"murderer" (ref B).  Ugljanin supports Zilkic, and his attempts to 
tie Zukorlic to the trial are not unexpected.  The press in Novi 
Pazar--heavily influenced by the mayor's office--in the past has 
published numerous claims that Zukorlic was supporting terrorists. 
Ugljanin's chief of staff, Fikret Niksic, told poloff on January 20 
that Zukorlic was supporting extremists.  As evidence, Niksic 
referred to the firing range supposedly located in the private 
university that Zukorlic founded and where he is president.  In 
separate meetings on January 20, both Zukorlic and Zilkic told 
poloff that they opposed violence and extremism. 
 
Trial Will Continue in April 
---------------------------- 
 
¶8. (U) Trials at the Special Court are normally scheduled for just a 
few days at a time, because the Special Court has only one courtroom 
equipped for multi-defendant trials, which is shared by all war 
crimes and organized crime cases.  A high-profile trial normally 
lasts over a year as a result.  Only six of the defendants had time 
to present their cases before the trial recessed after January 18. 
The next session is scheduled for April 7-18, and the remaining 
defendants will speak then. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Government officials and the media have a thin 
understanding of the Islamic communities in the country, and the 
political rift between the two Islamic leaders' supporters 
complicates this.  The tendency in the capital to dismiss all 
Muslims in Sandzak as "those Wahhabis" does nothing to address the 
real problems of political and economic marginalization of this 
region.  While Sandzak does not appear to be a hotbed of terrorist 
activity, extremists such as the defendants in this case appear to 
be, could capitalize on this marginalization.  End Comment. 
 
BRUSH