MGK
2005-06-22 17:20:40 UTC
ATTACK ON RS ARMY MILITARY CONVOY IN ZEPA CANYON
ON JUNE 4, 1992
Organized and long prepared attacks on garrisons and military convoys of
regular JNA at the beginning and in the middle of 1992 committed by Islamic
fundamentalists, members of Green Berets and so-called Patriotic League,
have been continued with the same intensity on regular RS Army when there
was no military need for those attacks and when there were verified
agreements on letting these convoys pass to their military destination in
Zepa area.
Preparations and organization of perfidious attacks, after the set
agreements, was done according to the same procedure as in previously
mentioned attacks on JNA military convoys in Tuzla and Sarajevo, in order to
destroy BH defense system and create conditions for the attack on Serbian
people with the aim of their elimination and persecution - ethnical
cleansing from BH area. The attack on military convoy in Zepa area showed
all hypocrisy, cruelty and seriousness of crimes without precedent in the
war, when the wounded and the captured were murdered in the most atrocious
ways, vehicles burnt and property destroyed.
The military organizing of Muslims in Zepa region
In spite of the previous agreement with the Moslem leadership in Zepa on
free passing for military convoy to the military facility and TV relay
Zlovrh, Moslems, organized in Patriotic League and Green Berets,
perfidiously attacked the convoy in one gorge in Zepa. On that occasion, 45
members of VRS whose names are enclosed in this information got killed, many
wounded and 30 captured. Many vehicles and other equipment were burnt up and
destroyed, and wounded soldiers from the convoy were, contrary to the
regulations of international law, atrociously killed on the spot (KP No.
15-1/02-KU56/94-DC-1/30).
This attack was committed by special terrorist groups formed by SDA HQ in
Sarajevo and Srebrenica sub-region, for the area of GODENJE, BRLOZNIK and
STOBORAN and other villages surrounding Zepa.
All decisions in Muslim part of the leadership were brought in meetings of
the highest SDA leadership whose members were the following: Alija
Izetbegovic, Ejup Ganic, Haris Silajdzic, Rusmir Mahmutcehajic, Omer Behmen
and sometimes Irfan Ajanovic. This leadership founded "Patriotic League" as
its military wing. The founding of "Patriotic League", as illegal military
organization, started in April 1991, when BH Deputy Minister of Defense,
together with Sulejman Vranj and some more Muslims created Instructions on
organization and acting in the field. In May 1991 the organization was named
"Patriotic League". Sefer Halilovic and Rusmir Mahmutcehajic participated in
its organizing and foundation. "Patriotic league" achieved the high level of
military organization and it had 9 regional and 103 municipal HQs with
98.000 soldiers at the beginning of the war (BH had 109 municipalities in
total). Municipalities from Eastern Bosnia were also included, especially
those from Srebrenica sub-region. For Zepa and Han Pijesak municipalities
everything was organized through the commander of "Patriotic League"
regional HQ Cardakovic Ramo, and his commander of the squad that attacked
VRS military convoy was Pavlic Avdo, and for Zepa area it was Beho Kulovac.
Kustura Zeljko supplied these terrorist formations with weapons in April
1992, and he performed that task through the authorised person of SDA -
Demonjic Hazem, born in Olovo village, Gorazde municipality, who lived in
Sarajevo (testimony of Cavcic Mehmedalija, son of Mehmed, born in 1957 -
DC-1/30). A big amount of infantry weapons was brought, among which the most
numerous were AP "Kalasnjikov". All weapons were brought to the house of
Kustura Zajko. Other part of weapons came through Osmanlic Ismet, the Chief
of PSS Rogatica and the President of SDA Rogatica
Municipal Board. The following persons helped them distribute weapons:
Imamovic Musan, Imamovic Amir, Cesko Salem, Podzic Ago and others. After
Muslim terrorist units were armed, the organization of the attack on
military convoy was done by Brigade Commander Osmanovic Hasib with Sehic
Muharem, Hasib Mulic, Mujkic Hamed and Cardakovic Ibro.
The first group of diversionists was led by Omerovic Hasib, and the
following participated in the attack: Stitkovac Enver, Zimic Abid, Divovic
Hamed alias Div, Cavic Meho, Cavcic Bohodil, Zimic Ago, Mehmedovic Alija,
Zimic Ramiz, Omanovic Ibro, Zimic Osmo, Podzic Dzevad, Cavcic Hamza, Podzic
Ago, Rucic Himzo, Kacevic Omer, Rucic Omer, Hraljo Hamid, Hraljo Ceman,
Imamovic Esad, Cavcic Sinan, Imamovic Amir, Cavcic Hamdija, Imamovic Musan,
Kacevic Sejdalija, Rucic Ahmo, Kacevic Ohran, Kacevic Galib, Kacevic Hamed,
Kacevic Edhem, Kacevic Kemal, Cavic Bego, Kacevic Adil, Cavic Smajo, Hodzic
Ragib, Hrulja Osman, Brdanin Ago, Zimic Ibro, Brdanin Avdo, Zimic Hasan,
Gluhic Himzo, Zimic Mustafa, Gluhic Camil, Zimic Mehmed, Gluhic Zulfo, Zimic
Hamdija, Cesko Sinan, Mesanovic Resid, Kulovac Sabid, Mesanovic Camil,
Kulovac Nezir, Hodzic Resid, Kulovac Nedzib, Hodzic Halil, Cesko Salim,
Zimic Samedin, Dizdarevic Ago, Cavcic Zejnil, Dizdarevic Hasan, Ramic
Hajrudin, Dizdarevic Mujo, Bicic Numo, Ramic Sakib, Mujcinovic Mujo, Vatres
Mustafa, Bogilovic Avdo, Omanovic Nusret, Lisic Halid, Kustura Himzo,
Kacevic Hamza, Cavcic Himzo, Hajric Mehmed, Cavcic Omer, Cesko Nedzad,
Udovcic Jasmin, Kulovac Sead, Otajagic Ferid, Cavkusic Fuad, Holjic Fadil,
Cavkusic Sefko, Brankovic Munib, Kulovac Benjamin, Salic Dzemal, Zigic Asim,
Karahodzic Iso and Covcic Mehmedalija.
The second group, from the direction of Godenje, was led by Sehic Kurem and
Nesib Mulic, and the following participated in the attack: Curic Zejnil,
Lilic Bajuzin, Lilic Zajko alias Zuti, Lilic Sejdalija, Lilic Selim, Dzebo
Hajrudin, Lilic Safet, Omerspahic Abid, Lilic Socan, Kulic Hasib, Lilic
Sejo, Hodzic Ibro, Lilic Sefik, Dzabo Ismet, Lilic Remzo, Podzic Edhem,
Podzic Ramiz, Dzebo Suad, Lilic Ibrahim, Dzebo Nedzad, Muratovic Nedzad,
Omerspahic Agonja, Muratovic Safet, Smajic Zahid, Kamenica Hamza, Avdic
Suad, Kamenica Mujo, Omerspahic Mehmed, Kamenica Ahmet, Lilic Zajko, Avdic
Besim, Avdic Zenadil, Sahic Elsadet, Lilic Nasko, Muratovic Hamed, Dzebo
Rahman, Muratovic Emin, Nakic Hasan and his brother Avdic Meho alias Pero,
Zigic Nijaz, Dzebo Musan, Zigic Rasim, Lilic Himzo, Zigic Zajim, Lilic Abid,
Omerspahic Hurija, Dzebo Meho, Omerspahic Nusret, Curic Mehmedalija, Lilic
Ahmet and Muratovic Dzevad alias Ciro.
The third group, from the direction of Brloznik village, was organized and
commanded by Mujkic Hamed alias Hajva, and the folloeing participated in the
attack: Mujkic Hasib, Mujkic Muhamed, Mujkic Ahmo, Mujkic Mehmed, Mujkic
Himzo, Nuhanovic Sahman, Mujkic Kadija, Nuhanovic Hamzo, Mujkic Ibrahim
alias Alkan, Ferlak Hajrudin, Nuhanovic Sabrija, Nuhanovic Mustafa,
Nuhanovic Neil, Nuhanovic Mevludin, Nuhanovic Jusuf, Nuhanovic Meho,
Nuhanovic Sarija and Mujkic Selman.
The fourth group, from the direction of Stoborane and helped with people
from Podzepolje was led and commanded by Ibro Cardakovic, and the following
participated in the attack: Cardakovic Ramiz alias Zoran, Cardakovic Alsad,
Cardakovic Safet, Jusufovic Rasid, Bitic Mujo, Ridzal Ramiz, Sejfic Sead,
Gusic Ramiz alias Cajner, Hodzic Hasan, Hodzic Zejnil, Hodzic Alija, son of
Zaim, Hasanovic Ekrem, Dzebo Himzo, Ivojevic Jusuf, Cardakovic Emin alias
Braco, Jusufovic Hajrudin, Hodzic Hamdija, Hodzic Zejnil, Hasanovic Salko
and Krestalica Mehmed.
Ambush in Zepa gorge
On June 4, 1992 in the early morning on that day, one armed RS Army
battalion with several military vehicles, under the command of Major Suka
Dragan, started from Pale through Han Pijesak towards Zepa. Their task was
to deliver food, water, medical and other
necessary equipment to VRS members who secured military facility and a TV
relay on the Zlovrh hill, in Zepa area.
Many soldiers were murdered after being wounded or captured, when they put
away their weapons as a sing of their surrender. Two members of Green Berets
shot Serbian soldier Tomic Milenko, son of Diko, born on 01/11/1935 in Novi
Karlovci, Indija Municipality, Republic of Serbia, although he had thrown
away his weapon and raised his hands as a sign of surrender, but due to
circumstances he stayed alive. Why he was lying down severely wounded, Tomic
was listening to cries of other captured Serbian soldiers who begged Moslem
to kill them instead of torture the. According to the statement of witnesses
of this event, one unidentified helpless severely wounded member of VRS was
killed by Lilic Nasko, and the other also unidentified severely wounded VRS
member was killed by Kacevic Edhem (other data on the mentioned executors of
these crimes are in explanation of criminal charge under items 3 and 4). It
was impossible to identify murdered soldiers for their bodies were burnt up
after the murder and their corpses were carbonized.
According to obtained evidence and insinuations, the main organizers of the
attack on VRS military convoy, of killing the wounded and the captured, and
finally of massacring and burning down of corpses were: Cardakovic Ramo,
Sahic Hurem, Lilic Nasko, Kacevic Edhem, Palic Avdo, Mujkic Hamed, Jusufovic
Rasid, Ridzal Ramiz, Dzebo Rahman, Muratovic Hamed, Cardakovic Emin, Hulovac
Benjamin, Omanovic Hasib and Dizdarevic Ago (other data on these persons are
stated in the explanation of the charge). They have, contrary to regulations
of the Geneva Convention on Treatment of War Prisoners from 12/08/1949,
ordered murdering and murdered helpless wounded and captured soldiers,
committed sacrileges and burnt their corpses, for what there is photo
documentation under Nos. 1-13 and reports of pathologist. In most of the
cases it was impossible for experts to determine the cause of death and even
to identify 9 bodies, which were greatly damaged by burning.
During the operational research on this crime against wounded and captured
VRS soldiers, military medical facility and on the breach of the agreement
of the cooperation and maintenance of Zlovrh relay near Zepa, a number of
witnesses were heard, photo documents of burnt and exhumed bodies of young
soldiers and other medical documentation obtained and all that is included
in the charge. Among all testimonies, it is important to look into the
testimony given by Lilic Smail, son of Idriz, born in 1949 in Godenje, Han
Pijesak Municipality, who was a active member of Moslem military formation
that attacked the convoy as well as the testimony of Todorovic Milorad, son
of Borisa, born in 1954 in Praca, Pale Municipality, who experienced
golgotha of this VRS battalion.
In his testimony, Lilic Smail stated: "In the beginning of May 1992, I
started to Han Pijesak together with the workers from Godenje, Podzeplje and
Zepa, to get the salary and we were sent back. Upon my arrival to Godenje,
meetings of SDA higher leadership were held. A TO unit for the area of
Godenje, Podzeplje and other Moslem villages from Han Pijesak Municipality
was formed at the beginning. The main person in that HQ was Cardakovic Ramo
and Sahic Hurem and Hasanovic Salih were also members of the HQ. Weapons for
that unit were obtained earlier through Mujkic Himza, President of SDA for
Han Pijesak. Each person who received weapons had to pay for it, some of
them even 800 DM. At that time there were no actions, but only guards were
held. Some time during May 1992, Palic Avdo was appointed as a TO unit
Commander and Cardakovic Ramo as TO Regional HQ Commander, covering the area
of Zepa and Han Pijesak. Squad Commander for Godenje and Podzeplje area was
Palic Avdo, and for Zepa area it was Beno Kulovac. The HQ was moved to Zepa.
At the same time, a unit of militia commanded by Sahic Hurem was formed.
Osmanovic Hasib from Zepa was also active in leadership.
Then the oath was signed and all conscripts were obliged to do it, so I did
it too. Then I was sent to work, and I had to do physical labor. At that
time the unit in our area had two snipers carried by Kamenica Hamza and
Cardakovic Emin. Ridzail Ramiz, Dzebo Rahman, Muratovic Hamed and Lilic
Nasko were distinguished for their extremism.
Sometime in the beginning of June, Zepa Squad blocked Zlovrh where JNA was
placed. In the morning, a courier from Srebrenica came to the HQ in Godenje
where Cardakovic Ramo was, and he said that an army convoy of vehicles and
tanks was going down the road towards Zepa. I know that Ramo has said
several times to let the convoy through and not prevent their free passing.
Ramo ordered everybody to evacuate their respective families into shelters
and that was done. Army convoy came from Stoborani towards Godenja, some
time before noon. There were around 30 vehicles, several tanks, trucks, cars
and busses. The Army passed through villages peacefully - they laughed and
told us not to run away and threw us some cigarettes. From Godenje, the
convoy went towards Brloznik. After the convoy left, Cardakovic Ramo came
and ordered me to cut down three trees, with a power saw, over the road in
order to block the road, down which the convoy went. In Secerov Lager I
found Lilic Sejo on the road. He was cutting down the trees but he did not
know how to put them over the road, so I took the power saw from him and cut
down three trees over the road. In my opinion, the aim of that roadblock was
to prevent the convoy from turning back as well as to prevent any possible
help to them. After I finished with that, I went back to my wife and my
children. A heavy shooting could be heard at that time. Standing next to the
stable, I was watching the fight between the army and people from ambush.
The ambush was set up in Luke, on the crossroads for Godenje, Purtici and
Han Pijesak and the convoy were attacked when some vehicles were already
across the wooden bridge. Commander of the ambush was Mujkic Hamed with his
soldiers from Brleznik. Later on, a unit from Podzeplje, commanded by
Jusupovic Resid, came to help. The fight did not last for a long time and
the convoy went on towards Luke, without any major stopping. The convoy was
shot at while passing through. The convoy was moving down the road in front
of the house of Mujkic Himzo, when I saw Cardakovic Ramo and Sahic Hurem
together with soldiers from Godenje, Tobarani and other villages, at least
150 of them getting involved in the fight attacking the convoy from
direction of Grobici and along the river. The hardest fight was in Kulevkina
Ograda where the convoy was stopped and the road blocked on both sides. That
is the place where quarry is, at the border of Han Pijesak and Rogatica
municipalities, before Berak village. The attack was done from all sides,
because that spot is very convenient for ambushing, being placed in a gorge.
Zepa Squad commanded by Kunovac Beno, was attacking from direction of Berak,
and our Squad, commanded by Palic Avdo, from the opposite direction. From
direction of Radava, the attack was done by the Squad commanded by Mujkic
Hamed and from direction of Godenje by the Squad commanded by Cardakovic
Ramo and Sahic Hurem. People from Podzeplje, Plana and Krivaca attacked
together with people from Brloznik. The struggle lasted till 20,30 hrs when
it was finished with the total defeat of the army in convoy. I have heard
that during this struggle Sarija Nuhanovic, from Brloznik, set a car tire on
fire and threw it among army vehicles, what caused vehicles in convoy to
burn. I do not know exactly what was happening during the fight, because at
that time I was in the cave, bellow the house of Hamed Smajic. I have heard
later that especially active in that fight were Hakic Hasan, who was
carrying a machine gun M-53, Muratovic Hamid, Curic Zejmil and Dizdarevic
Ago. In the evening I was in Godenje village and saw 31 prisoners brought to
a school. They were brought by the unit commanded by Sahic Hurem and
Cardakovic Ramo. Several prisoners were wounded, one of them severely, who
was brought in a tent fly and died the next morning. The prisoners were
placed in a small room in school, into which even 10 of them would be hardly
placed, so I don't know how 30 of them were managed inside. The wounded were
taken care of by a male nurse Dzibo Himza. After that I went home. Bodies of
dead soldiers and burnt down vehicles remained on the spot. A great amount
of weapons and ammunition was seized on that occasion. I know that two
vehicles were also seized- ambulance was driven by Curic Zejmil and a truck
by Kamenica Hamza. Next morning, about 20 of us who were there taken to
work, under command of Dzebo Musan were sent to the spot. Every one, who had
a gun, took it with him. I did not have any weapons, so I tool nothing. I
was together with Lilic Himzo, Lilic Ahmed and Lilic Abid. When we came to
the spot, we met Lilic Nasko and around 50 people from Brloznik. It was a
complete chaos - many corpses and many burnt and carbonized bodies. We
searched the terrain looking for weapons, ammunition and other equipment. I
saw one wounded soldier who was standing with his arm against the stable
wall. I walked beside him and 10-15 minutes later I heard a shot and saw
that the wounded soldier was killed. Later, I heard that Kacevic, whose
first name I don't know, killed him. That Kacevic person is young, around 20
years old, blond, from Purtici. His brother is Kacevic Hamed who worked in
SIP "Planinsko".
I found the other wounded soldier on the road, who was all covered in blood.
While I was passing by him, he asked me to get his cigarettes out of his
pocket what I did. I took already open package of cigarettes from his pocket
together with the lighter, and then took out one cigarette, lit it up, and
gave it to him. He told me to take one cigarette as well, and later he gave
me remaining cigarettes and told me "Take it, I won't need it anymore". Then
I was called by Curic Zejmil and as I was going towards him, I heard a gun
shot and it was obvious who did it - Lilic Nasko, who shot him in the chest
from semi-automatic rifle. I immediately approached the soldier and I saw
him dead with the half of the cigarette still between his fingers. After the
weapons and equipment were collected, we returned to the village.
On the same day, as my wife, father and sister-in-law told me, five soldiers
with weapons running away from the spot passed by the cave they were in. The
soldiers asked them for the shortest way to the nearest Serbian village and
they gave one chocolate to each of the children (7 of them). My
sister-in-law showed them the way to Mislove. Later, I heard that they took
the road to Berovac and one of them got killed there, but the others made
it. Two our soldiers - Nurko Brgulja and Jusuf Dumenjic got killed in
Berovac on that occasion.
None of our soldiers got killed during the attack on the convoy but some of
them were wounded. After the action, blocked soldiers in Zlovrh surrendered
to the Zepa unit and I know that they were released later and they came
through Godenje and Stobran to Jelovce.
After 2-3 days, the attack of Serbian army followed and they managed to
reach the spot of ambush where the soldiers from convoy got killed. There
was no stronger resistance of our soldiers. During that attack, a shop was
shelled and the prisoners from the school escaped. Serbian army took all the
bodies from the spot. Later, Cardakovic Ramo used to say that it had been a
mistake to attack the convoy and that they shouldn't have done it.
Afterwards, the Squad was named "4th June", after the event."
The statement of Lilic who was the attacker corresponds pretty much to the
statement of Todorovic who was the defender, who stated:
"In the early morning on 04/06/1992, my company, to which I belonged as a
soldier of Republic of Srpska, started to Zlovrh in Zepa area, in order to
deliver food, medical and other equipment to VRS soldiers who were securing
the transmitter. Before we started, Battalion Commander Major Suka informed
us that he had been in that area during previous days and that he agreed
with the villagers passing of our convoy, so he expected no problems. The
convoy was escorted by one tank, two transporters and one anti-aircraft
canon, in any case. Arriving to Jelovci, Han Pijesak Municipality, we found
first roadblocks made of tree logs and it wasn't clear to me if they were
put by our army or Moslems from this area. After we passed those first
roadblocks, we went through first Moslem village before the canyon and as we
saw no villagers, we proceeded towards Zlovrh. On stiff cliffs on both sides
of the canyon, I noticed bunkers and parapets but I saw no people in them.
Somewhere in that direction I saw two young man and one woman who greeted us
while we passed along and soon we came
to a village with a Mosque, where we took the turn for Zlovrh. After we
passed the village in which we saw a number of men and women hurrying
towards the wood, we reached up to a bridge that was destroyed. We got off,
intending to mend the bridge and while doing so, Moslems from that area
attacked us from infantry weapons without any warning. We got sheltered and
responded to their fire, and after the bridge was mended and the fire
ceased, we got into the vehicles and moved on. There we got first wounding
of our men. After we crossed the river, we came to a ravine between two
hills where the Moslems heavily attacked us from all sides. And we had to
get off, find shelters around vehicles and respond to the fire. There was
panic and mess because many of my comrades were wounded and some of them got
killed. Moslems shot the drivers first, so new drivers had to replace them
and move on, and some vehicles had to be moved off the road because they
were heavily damaged. After we passed through the ravine, we found ourselves
in a plain where majority of my comrades got killed and we fought Moslem
from that area for a long time. The convoy was cut off because some vehicles
remained damaged. I was at the end of the first half of the convoy so we
managed to go through the plain and as we moved forward, we kept finding
barricades that we removed. In front of us we heard Moslems cutting down
trees with power saws making barricades for us. They planned and prepared
that earlier, by cutting into them, and as we were approaching, those trees
were pulled down. It was not long before we came to a huge barricade, made
of tree logs that was not possible to remove even with a power saw, so we
tried to remove it with a tank and we failed. The tank got off the road and
got stuck, so we couldn't move on. Commander Major Suka took around 20
people and went towards Zlovrh that was allegedly not far away, trying to
get through and get in touch with the Command in Pale, since our radio as
damaged, in order to ask for help and consult for further actions. After
some time, Suka and his people came, carrying one dead soldier and told us
that one soldier remained there, for they could not take him out. He also
told us that he did not manage to get through to Zlovrh because he ran into
their bunkers, where Moslems attacked them with infantry weapons. There were
no armed conflicts in that area at that time and regarding the agreement
with Major Suka, we were surprised by perfidious attack. If we were to
expect it, we would go in different formation and not as many of us would
get killed. We spent the night between Thursday and Friday there and it was
heavily raining all night long. We put the wounded under the vehicles and
into transporters and the dead on trucks while we took the position around
the vehicles and kept guarding as much as possible.
And they kept attacking us on that spot. Taking into account the terrain and
stiff cliffs on both sides, Moslems kept throwing tree logs and big rocks on
us and our vehicles, so many vehicles got damaged and some people injured.
During the next day, Moslems kept attacking us from infantry weapons and we
managed to establish a connection with our Command in Pale and they told us
that the help was on the way. During that first night, Mico Tomic managed to
come to us from last cut-off part of the convoy and he told us that all
people from that part of the convoy were killed and burnt up, and that he
managed to escape. However, not all the people from that part were killed,
some of them were captured and later released by our unit that came to
rescue. On 06/06/1992 (Saturday morning) our rescue team came from the
direction of Han Pijesak. They managed to get through only to place where
the convoy was cut off and where the other part of the convoy remained, so
Major Suka told us that we had to get through to them with the rest of the
vehicles. We put the wounded into transporters and the dead on the vehicles
and we did as we were told. While going back we found barricades again that
were by Moslems in the meantime. As we reached the river, we found the
bridge destroyed again, so we had to mend it again. Moslems kept shooting on
us from the nearby cliffs. During that attack, three young men who came to
help us got killed and I don't know if anybody was wounded. After we crossed
the river, we managed to reach free area around Han Pijesak and in the
afternoon of that day a small group of us who survived arrived at Pale.
I wish to emphasize that upon our arrival to the place where we met the
rescue team, we saw a horrible scene - our comrades lying dead on and about
the road, many corpses carbonized for they were wet with fuel and burnt up.
We collected those bodies, so that none either dead or wounded who was not
far from the road, remained, except for one part of those who got lost and
remained."
Victims of the crime
A. Killed VRS soldiers
1. Babic Risto, son of Dusan, born on 09/06/1939, last residency in Hresa,
(other data unknown)
2. Borovcanin Radenko, son of Risto, born on 25/05/1937, last residency in
Sarajevo, (other data unknown.
3. Caic Slobodan, son of Milanko, born on 20/02/1952 in Nepravdici, Sokolac
municipality, resided in Pale at the address 3. April bb
4. Cerovina Mladen, son of Ranko and Kovilja, maiden name Skipina, born on
29/11/1958 in Praca, Pale Municipality, Serb, resided in Pale, at the
address Magistralni put 29
5. Cicovic Mico, son of Grujo, born on 11/12/1953 in Sjetlina, Pale
Municipality, Serb, driver, resided in Pale, at the address 3. Aprila 49
6. Gaco Novo, son of Milos, born on 14/01/1951, (other data unknown)
7. Jokic Novica, son of Nedo and Anda, maiden name Petricevic, born on
07/01/1959 in Kosare, Pale Municipality, Serb, resided in Bjelogorci, Pale
Municipality
8. Jugovic Drago, son of Pavle, born on 22/04/1947, last residency in
Sarajevo, (other data unknown)
9. Klacar Dragan, son of Maksim, born on 05/05/1960, last residency in
Sarajevo, (other data unknown)
10. Klacar Mile, son of Maksim, born on 07/12/1957, last residency in
Ilijas, (other data unknown)
11. Klacar Nedeljko, son of Tadija and Persa, maiden name Lazic, born on
01/01/1951 in Ljubovosta, Pale Municipality, Serb, resided in Donja
Ljubovosta
12. Komadan Vaso, son of Krsto, born on 28/05/1960, last residency in
Ljubovosta, Pale, (other data unknown)
13. Kostovic Niko, son of Ljubo, born on 14/09/1948 in Vranjevici, Foca
Municipality, Serb, resided in Pale, at the address M. Simovica 7
14. Lazarevic Dragoslav, son of Jovan, born on 22/01/1951, last residency in
Ljubovosta, Pale, (other data unknown)
15. Lazarevic Drago, son of Mirko and Stana, maiden name Ciric, born on
29/10/1948 in Pale, Serb, driver, resided in Pale, at the address Romanijska
41
16. Lazarevic Radomir, son of Tomo and Mitra, maiden name Tomic, born on
03/12/1965 in Ljubogosta, Pale Municipality, where he resided, Serb
17. Lazarevic Nedo, son of Vlado and Rada, maiden name Lizdek, born on
01/04/1951 in Donji Pribanj, Pale Municipality, Serb, metal-turner, resided
in Pale, at the address 3. Aprila 12/2
18. Lopatic Petar, son of Sreto and Danica, maiden name Vukovic, born on
21/04/1954 in Donja Ljubovosta, Pale Municipality, resided in the place of
birth, Serb
19. Lucic Vuk, son of Savo and Tomka, maiden name Bukera, born on 20/02/1951
in Bare, Pale Municipality, Serb, Traffic Engineer, resided in Pale, at the
address 3. Aprila 35
20. Mastilo Tomo, son of Jovo and Jovana, maiden name Golijanin, born on
09/09/1943 in Uksici, Foca Municipality, Serb, resided in Kremenita brda,
Pale Municipality
21. Mihaljovic Novica, son of Momir, born on 24/01/1965, last residency in
Pale, (other data unknown)
22. Milutinovic Branko, son of Vojislav and Jovanka, born on 31/05/1968 in
Sarajevo, Mechanical Technician, Serb, resided in Pale, at the address S. V.
Cice 3
23. Muharemovic Novak, son of Spasoje, born on 20/02/1956 in Kalauzovici,
Sokolac Municipality, Serb, driver, resided in Pale, S. V. Cice 8
24. Okuka Milovan, son of Momcilo, born on 16/07/1957, driver of ambulance,
last residency in Sarajevo
25. Pandurevic Srdan, son of Spaso and Mila, maiden name Knezevic, born on
11/01/1960 in Jasik, Pale Municipality, Serb, resided in Jasik
26. Pavlovic Zdravko, son of Bojo and Zora, maiden name Zeljaja, born on
02/10/1959 in Gornje Pale, Pale Municipality, Serb, Mechanical Technician,
working in Pale
27. Pavlovic Nenad, son of Bojo and Zorka, maiden name Zeljaja, born on
17/08/1959 in Gornje Pale, Pale Municipality, Serb, resided in Pale, at the
address 3. Aprila 41,
28. Petronic Branislav, son of Milan and Milena, born on 04/07/1955 in
Sarajevo, Serb, metal-turner, resided in Pale, at the address 3. Aprila 11,
missing.
29. Ljepic Drazen, son of Marko, born on 26/07/1967, last residency in
Sarajevo, (other data unknown)
30. Radovic Miroslav, son of Momcilo and Milka, maiden name Andric, born on
30/04/1970 in Sarajevo, Serb, resided in Pale, at the address Magistralni
put 31
31. Radovic Obren, son of Slobodan, born in 1950 with last residency in
Sarajevo (other data unknown)
32. Radonja Mirko, son of Dragomir, born in 1965, (other data unknown)
33. Samardzija Delivoje, son of Malisa and Mitra, maiden name Bajagic, born
on 17/08/1959 in Rogatica, Rogatica Municipality, Serb, resided in Pale, at
the address 3. Aprila 109
34. Simanic Komljen, son of Gavro, born on 02/07/1938 in Hotocina, Pale
Municipality, Serb, driver, resided in Pale, at the address Jahorinska bb
35. Srdanovic Radomir, son of Sretko and Radinka, maiden name Kovacevic,
born on 15/10/1969 in Sarajevo, resided in Pale, at the address 3. Aprila
75, Serb
36. Stanisic Bosko, born on 06/02/1945 in Donja Ljobovosta, Pale
Municipality, Serb, resided in the place of birth
37. Stanisic Radislav, son of Petar and Sava, maiden name Jankovic, born on
23/03/1952 in Ljubovosta, Pale Municipality, resided in Donja Ljubovosta,
Serb
38. Stanisic Radenko, son of Svetozar, born on 14/07/1953, last residency in
Kozja cuprija - Stari grad, Sarajevo, (other data unknown)
39. Tadic Predrag, son of Vaso, born in 1965, (other data unknown)
40. Tomic Stana, daughter of Novo, born on 22/04/1955, a nurse, last
residency in Pale, (other data unknown)
41. Veljovic Milomir, son of Stjepan, born on 21/07/1956 in Podloznik, Pale
Municipality, Serb, driver, resided in place of birth
42. Veselinovic Lazar, son of Mladan, born on 15/03/1941, last residency in
Sarajevo, (other data unknown)
43. Veselinovic Miroslav, son of Savo and Dragica, maiden name Andric, born
on 22/11/1965 in Sarajevo, resided in Ljubogosta, Pale, graduated from
Economy High School
44. Vukadin Branislav, son of Kosta and Vukosava, maiden name Samardzic,
born on 10/06/1956 in Grabovica, Pale Municipality, Serb, resided in Pale,
at the address S. V. Cice 11
45. Vukovic Momcilo, son of Ilija and Milena, maiden name Andric, born on
02/03/0943 in Ljubogosta, Pale Municipality, Serb, resided in Ljubogosta
Wounded VRS soldiers
1. Babic Dragan, son of Petar, born in 1950
2. Blagojevic Radomir, son of Gajo and Rajka, maiden name Kusmuk, born on
01/02/1960 in Gornji Pribanj, Pale Municipality, residing in Pale, Trifka
Grabeza bb
3. Bozovic Mile, son of Zdravko and Stoja, maiden name Babic, born on
13/02/1962 in Rogatica, residing in Pale, Milana Simovica bb.
4. Brezo Nikola, son of Gojko and Radojka, maiden name Samardzic, born on
11/11/1949 in Bud, Pale Municipality, residing in Pale, Pere Kosorica 4.
5. Cerovina Branislav, son of Veljko, born on 05/02/1966 in Donja
Ljubogosta, Pale Municipality, where he resides
6. Cosovic Drago, son of Sekula and Milena, maiden name Bojkovic, born on
01/08/1969 in Gluhovici, Pale Municipality, residing in Pale, Omladinska 24
7.Dragas Boro, son of Dusan, born in 1946
8. Drobnjak Vitomir, son of Radenko and Jelisaveta, born on 04/09/1962 in
Resici, Rudo Municipality, residing in Pale, Pere Kosorica 16
9. Goreta Jovica, son of Miroslav and Milanka, maiden name Kablar, born on
13/08/1971 in Sarajevo, residing in Pale, S. V. Cice 9
10. Grcic Veljko, son of Rajko and Milka, maiden name Caic, born on
06/03/1961 in Nepravdici, Sokolac Municipality, residing in Pale, S. V. Cice
161
11. Jokic Mirko, son of Petko, born in 1967
12. Kosmajac Goran, son of Panto, born in 1965
13. Kusmuk Milkan, son of Borisa and Milka, born on 09/12/1957 in Pale,
residing in Pale, Vrelo Miljacke bb
14. Lazarevic Spaso, son of Milan and Zora, maiden name Santrac, born on
20/10/1955 in Ljubogosta, Pale Municipality, residing in Pale, Ljubogosta.
15. Lazarevic Milinko, son of Milorad and Milena, maiden name Bunjevac, born
on 07/09/1952 in Ljubogosta, Pale Municipality, residing in Ljubogosta,
Pale.
16. Lopatic Arso, son of Nikola and Cvijeta, maiden name Lazarevic, born on
24/05/1954 in Ljubogosta, Pale Municipality, where he resides.
17. Lopatic Slobodan, son of Sekula, born in 1969
18. Lucic Tomislav, son of Risto, born in 1963
19. Milinkovic Darko, son of Milan and Marija, maiden name Badnjak, born on
19/02/1970 in Osijek, Croatia, residing in Pale, Mihajla Cvore 105.
20. Mojovic Desimir, son of Novak and Milica, maiden name Todorovic, born on
25/03/1969 in Vrbica, Foca Municipality, residing in Pale, Kremenita brda bb
21. Obradovic Aleksandar, son of Nedo, born in 1969.
22. Pavlovic Slavisa, son of Nebojsa, born in 1963
23. Poljakovic Zoran, son of Mlado and Pejka, maiden name Sarac, born on
15/11/1963 in Ljubogosta, Pale Municipality, where he resides
24. Samardzic Zdravko, son of Ranko, born in 1957.
25. Samardzic Miodrag, son of Veljko and Plema, maiden name Klacar, born on
02/11/1959 in Sarajevo, residing in Pale, Koran bb
26. Savic Nenad, son of Krsto, born in 1948.
27. Simovic Milos, son of Ostoja and Stana, maiden name Todorovic, born on
20/07/1957 in Jabuka, Foca Municipality, residing in Pale, Vrelo Miljacke bb
28. Sarac Ivo, son of Drago and Milena, maiden name Radovic, born on
28/02/1954 in Bogovici, Pale Municipality, residing in Gornje Pale bb
29. Timotic Radoslav, son of Manojlo, born on 25/06/1958 in Vucija Luka,
Stari grad - Sarajevo Municipality, residing in Pale, Drvarska bb
30. Tomic Bosko, son of Dorde and Zora, maiden name Pandurevic, born on
20/01/1949 in Zabojska, Trnovo Municipality, residing in Pale, 3. Aprila 41
31. Veselinovic Slobodan, son of Ljubo and Milojka, born on 27/07/1961 in
Ljubogosta, Pale Municipality, residing in Pale, Omladinska 11.
NOTE: Beside victims' names are names of villages they got killed in. In
most cases these are places of their birth or their pre-war residences.
The source of the data: Milivoje Ivanisevic: "The chronicle of Our
Graveyard"
Perpetrators
During the research of the attack on military convoy committed on June 4,5
and 6, 1992, it is determined that there is reasonable doubt that the crime
against wounded and captured soldiers of VRS was committed by:
1. Cardakovic Emin alias Braco, son of Beg, born on 11/02/1964 in Han
Pijesak.
Kulovac Benjamin alias Beno, son of Saban and Osmana, born on 01/11/1963 in
Rogatica, a doctor
2. Cardakovic Ramo, son of Osman and Temina, born on 18/04/1957 in Stoborani
village, Han Pijesak Municipality.
3. Dizdarevic Ago, son of Musan and Haska, born on 01/12/1954 in Borovac,
Rogatica Municipality, a forester
4. Dzebo Rahman, son of Himzo, born on 10/05/1941 in Godenje, Han Pijesak
Municipality.
Muratovic Hamed, son of Hasib and Sahija, born on 14/11/1931 in Godenje, Han
Pijesak Municipality.
5. Jusupovic Resid, son of Mujo, born on 10/05/1940 in Podzeplje, Han
Pijesak Municipality.
Ridzald Ramiz, son of Sacir, born on 12/02/1951 in Godenje, Han Pijesak
Municipality
Omanovic Hasib, son of Asim and Tima, born on 08/08/1941 in Zepa, Rogatica
Municipality
6. Kacevic Edhem, son of Sejdalija and Havka, born on 20/11/1970 in Prutici,
Rogatica Municipality
7. Kulovac Benjamin, son of Saban, called Beno, born on 01/11/1963 in
Rogatica, a doctor
8. Lilic Nasko, son of Nezir, born on 16/01/1952 in Godenje village, Han
Pijesak Municipality, former employee of SIP "Planinsko", residing in the
place of birth
9. Mujkic Hamed, son of Avdo and Hajrija, born on 25/07/1937 in Brloznik,
Han Pijesak Municipality
10. Muratovic Hamed, son of Hasib, born on 14/11/1931 in Godenje, Han
Pijesak municipality
11. Omanovic Hasib, son of Asim, born on 08/08/1941 in Zepa, Rogatica
municipality
12. Palic Avdo, son of Murat and Muska, born on 04/04/1958 in Krivaca, Han
Pijesak Municipality, Mechanical Engineer, former employee of High School
Center in Vlasenica
13. Ridzal Ramiz, son of Sacir, born on 12/02/1951 in Godenje, Han Pijesak
municipality
14. Sahic Hurem, son of Murat and Dulka, born on 10/07/1960 in Godenje
village, Han Pijesak Municipality, a militiaman, former employee of PSS Han
Pijesak.
Above listed persons are suspected for committing criminal acts of the war
crime against the wounded and the sick, and the war crime against war
prisoners (articles 143 and 144 of RS Criminal Law).
Armed activities of Muslim formations after the ambush
Except his description of ambush in Zepa canyon, Lilic Smail described in
his statement several other actions of armed Muslim formations conducted in
Zepa area in the second half of 1992:
"On 20/06/1992 Kamenica Hamza, Hakic Hasan, Curic Zejnil and Ridzal Ramiz
went out on reconnaissance towards Serbs" lines in the direction of
Brestovace. I heard from them
that on that occasion they killed Simic Debar and not his brother Borisav.
They told that Simic tried to make an ambush for them but Hakic Haso saw him
first, shot him and most probably killed him.
On 07/07/1992 I heard that one of our groups that was going towards Crna
Rijeka killed one officer from an ambush. The officer was alone in a car and
heard that they took one radio-station and one pistol from him. They also
said that they let a van full of people pass. I know that people from
Krivaca did, it but I don't know precisely who did it.
In August I went with my family to Radava. I knew that the action to attack
Zep hill, where the Serbian army was placed, was being prepared. That action
was planned by Palic Avdo. 20-30 of the most extreme people from Srebrenica
came to help our Squad out. I heard when the attack started - it was early
morning when villages of Borovine and Jelovci were attacked. Palic Avdo led
the attack on Zep and our soldiers together with people from Srebrenica and
Zepa attacked Bolovci and Borovina. That happened on 07/08/1993. I know that
they captured Zep and detained 10-12 soldiers and seized the weapons. I
heard that in Borovina they slaughtered Borovina Slavko who was ill and
unable to move as well as his father Marko and his mother All out soldiers
used to claim that people from Srebrenica did it. I know that on Borovine
one group was led by Muratovic Dzevad alias Ciro, who took with him mostly
people from Godenje: Dzebo, Lilic Nasko, Lilic Bajruzin, Cardakovic Ibro,
Cardakovic Mehmedalija, Halimanovic Ismet, Omerspahic Agonja, Avdic Salko
alias Div, Lilic Ramiz, Lilic Tufe, Jusufovic Enes and Sajfic Ismet alias
Crta who was wounded then together with Lilic Teufik alias Tufe.
I know that Brdanin Hrustem participated in that action; Sahic Hurem who led
Militia Squad certainly participated in it as well. To his unit belonged:
Avdic Meho, Dzebo Hajrudin, Omerspahic Hamdija, Podzic Edhem, Hakic Hasan,
Zigic Nijaz, Lilic Semsudin, Cardakovic and Sejfic Ismet alias Crta. Crta
was wounded by the shell, just bellow the place of Jelovci, while they were
retreating, as was Lilic Teufik.
After that event, the captured soldiers from Zep were exchanged for flour
and fuel. Then, the Serbian army attacked our lines.
In the action of Serbian soldiers for taking the corpses of Serbian soldiers
killed on 04/06/1992, the following people got killed: Avdic Meho, Dzebo
Hajrudin, Omerspahic Nurija, Omerspahic Hamdija and Zigic Nijaz. In later
struggles the following got killed: Lilic Semsudin, Lilic Sefik, Zvejzovic
Samija, Lilic Ramiz, Avdic Salko alias Div, Curic Zejmil and Muratovic
Hamed.
Some time later in Stoborani, two Serbian soldiers were killed from an
ambush and I later heard that they were Mitrovic Radenko and Rubez Simo. I
don't know who killed them, but I suppose that Ridzal Ramiz was in that
ambush and that he killed Mitrovic. I heard him saying: "I had a good action
last night". I am 100% sure that Ridzal Ramiz participated in the attack on
Borovine.
On several occasions, Hakic Hasan, Kamenica Hamza and Kamenica Ahmed brought
cows stolen from Serbs in Brestovaca. I know that then they stole cows from
Dobrilovic Pero.
In the end of August 1992, I was in Srebrenica buying some corn in exchange
for necklaces and rings of my children. Then I heard that our people
attacked Serbs and that some of them got killed. I have been with my wife
and children in Radava till February 1993. When humanitarian aid was
delivered in Zepa, I went there to take it for my family. The list
was with Jusupovic Jusuf and he told me that I was not in the list and that
I should go to Commander Palic Avdo. He also turned me down, because I was
not in the army. I went back to Radava to my wife, and told her everything.
We agreed to go to Han Pijesak and surrender for there was nothing else we
could do. I started from Radava with my wife, children and father and we
spent the night in Cavcici with my brother-in-law, Hamdo Smajic. On the next
day, we started towards Jelovci to surrender but we were stopped when
entering Godenje by Zimic Osmo and Hrulja Ibro and sent back. I told my wife
that I was going to surrender myself and that she should take the kids to
Srebrenica somehow, so I went to Podzeplje where I surrendered to Serbian
army.
I know that Sahic Hurem went to Gorazde on several occasions for black
marketing, from where he was bringing tobacco and changed it for flour."
ON JUNE 4, 1992
Organized and long prepared attacks on garrisons and military convoys of
regular JNA at the beginning and in the middle of 1992 committed by Islamic
fundamentalists, members of Green Berets and so-called Patriotic League,
have been continued with the same intensity on regular RS Army when there
was no military need for those attacks and when there were verified
agreements on letting these convoys pass to their military destination in
Zepa area.
Preparations and organization of perfidious attacks, after the set
agreements, was done according to the same procedure as in previously
mentioned attacks on JNA military convoys in Tuzla and Sarajevo, in order to
destroy BH defense system and create conditions for the attack on Serbian
people with the aim of their elimination and persecution - ethnical
cleansing from BH area. The attack on military convoy in Zepa area showed
all hypocrisy, cruelty and seriousness of crimes without precedent in the
war, when the wounded and the captured were murdered in the most atrocious
ways, vehicles burnt and property destroyed.
The military organizing of Muslims in Zepa region
In spite of the previous agreement with the Moslem leadership in Zepa on
free passing for military convoy to the military facility and TV relay
Zlovrh, Moslems, organized in Patriotic League and Green Berets,
perfidiously attacked the convoy in one gorge in Zepa. On that occasion, 45
members of VRS whose names are enclosed in this information got killed, many
wounded and 30 captured. Many vehicles and other equipment were burnt up and
destroyed, and wounded soldiers from the convoy were, contrary to the
regulations of international law, atrociously killed on the spot (KP No.
15-1/02-KU56/94-DC-1/30).
This attack was committed by special terrorist groups formed by SDA HQ in
Sarajevo and Srebrenica sub-region, for the area of GODENJE, BRLOZNIK and
STOBORAN and other villages surrounding Zepa.
All decisions in Muslim part of the leadership were brought in meetings of
the highest SDA leadership whose members were the following: Alija
Izetbegovic, Ejup Ganic, Haris Silajdzic, Rusmir Mahmutcehajic, Omer Behmen
and sometimes Irfan Ajanovic. This leadership founded "Patriotic League" as
its military wing. The founding of "Patriotic League", as illegal military
organization, started in April 1991, when BH Deputy Minister of Defense,
together with Sulejman Vranj and some more Muslims created Instructions on
organization and acting in the field. In May 1991 the organization was named
"Patriotic League". Sefer Halilovic and Rusmir Mahmutcehajic participated in
its organizing and foundation. "Patriotic league" achieved the high level of
military organization and it had 9 regional and 103 municipal HQs with
98.000 soldiers at the beginning of the war (BH had 109 municipalities in
total). Municipalities from Eastern Bosnia were also included, especially
those from Srebrenica sub-region. For Zepa and Han Pijesak municipalities
everything was organized through the commander of "Patriotic League"
regional HQ Cardakovic Ramo, and his commander of the squad that attacked
VRS military convoy was Pavlic Avdo, and for Zepa area it was Beho Kulovac.
Kustura Zeljko supplied these terrorist formations with weapons in April
1992, and he performed that task through the authorised person of SDA -
Demonjic Hazem, born in Olovo village, Gorazde municipality, who lived in
Sarajevo (testimony of Cavcic Mehmedalija, son of Mehmed, born in 1957 -
DC-1/30). A big amount of infantry weapons was brought, among which the most
numerous were AP "Kalasnjikov". All weapons were brought to the house of
Kustura Zajko. Other part of weapons came through Osmanlic Ismet, the Chief
of PSS Rogatica and the President of SDA Rogatica
Municipal Board. The following persons helped them distribute weapons:
Imamovic Musan, Imamovic Amir, Cesko Salem, Podzic Ago and others. After
Muslim terrorist units were armed, the organization of the attack on
military convoy was done by Brigade Commander Osmanovic Hasib with Sehic
Muharem, Hasib Mulic, Mujkic Hamed and Cardakovic Ibro.
The first group of diversionists was led by Omerovic Hasib, and the
following participated in the attack: Stitkovac Enver, Zimic Abid, Divovic
Hamed alias Div, Cavic Meho, Cavcic Bohodil, Zimic Ago, Mehmedovic Alija,
Zimic Ramiz, Omanovic Ibro, Zimic Osmo, Podzic Dzevad, Cavcic Hamza, Podzic
Ago, Rucic Himzo, Kacevic Omer, Rucic Omer, Hraljo Hamid, Hraljo Ceman,
Imamovic Esad, Cavcic Sinan, Imamovic Amir, Cavcic Hamdija, Imamovic Musan,
Kacevic Sejdalija, Rucic Ahmo, Kacevic Ohran, Kacevic Galib, Kacevic Hamed,
Kacevic Edhem, Kacevic Kemal, Cavic Bego, Kacevic Adil, Cavic Smajo, Hodzic
Ragib, Hrulja Osman, Brdanin Ago, Zimic Ibro, Brdanin Avdo, Zimic Hasan,
Gluhic Himzo, Zimic Mustafa, Gluhic Camil, Zimic Mehmed, Gluhic Zulfo, Zimic
Hamdija, Cesko Sinan, Mesanovic Resid, Kulovac Sabid, Mesanovic Camil,
Kulovac Nezir, Hodzic Resid, Kulovac Nedzib, Hodzic Halil, Cesko Salim,
Zimic Samedin, Dizdarevic Ago, Cavcic Zejnil, Dizdarevic Hasan, Ramic
Hajrudin, Dizdarevic Mujo, Bicic Numo, Ramic Sakib, Mujcinovic Mujo, Vatres
Mustafa, Bogilovic Avdo, Omanovic Nusret, Lisic Halid, Kustura Himzo,
Kacevic Hamza, Cavcic Himzo, Hajric Mehmed, Cavcic Omer, Cesko Nedzad,
Udovcic Jasmin, Kulovac Sead, Otajagic Ferid, Cavkusic Fuad, Holjic Fadil,
Cavkusic Sefko, Brankovic Munib, Kulovac Benjamin, Salic Dzemal, Zigic Asim,
Karahodzic Iso and Covcic Mehmedalija.
The second group, from the direction of Godenje, was led by Sehic Kurem and
Nesib Mulic, and the following participated in the attack: Curic Zejnil,
Lilic Bajuzin, Lilic Zajko alias Zuti, Lilic Sejdalija, Lilic Selim, Dzebo
Hajrudin, Lilic Safet, Omerspahic Abid, Lilic Socan, Kulic Hasib, Lilic
Sejo, Hodzic Ibro, Lilic Sefik, Dzabo Ismet, Lilic Remzo, Podzic Edhem,
Podzic Ramiz, Dzebo Suad, Lilic Ibrahim, Dzebo Nedzad, Muratovic Nedzad,
Omerspahic Agonja, Muratovic Safet, Smajic Zahid, Kamenica Hamza, Avdic
Suad, Kamenica Mujo, Omerspahic Mehmed, Kamenica Ahmet, Lilic Zajko, Avdic
Besim, Avdic Zenadil, Sahic Elsadet, Lilic Nasko, Muratovic Hamed, Dzebo
Rahman, Muratovic Emin, Nakic Hasan and his brother Avdic Meho alias Pero,
Zigic Nijaz, Dzebo Musan, Zigic Rasim, Lilic Himzo, Zigic Zajim, Lilic Abid,
Omerspahic Hurija, Dzebo Meho, Omerspahic Nusret, Curic Mehmedalija, Lilic
Ahmet and Muratovic Dzevad alias Ciro.
The third group, from the direction of Brloznik village, was organized and
commanded by Mujkic Hamed alias Hajva, and the folloeing participated in the
attack: Mujkic Hasib, Mujkic Muhamed, Mujkic Ahmo, Mujkic Mehmed, Mujkic
Himzo, Nuhanovic Sahman, Mujkic Kadija, Nuhanovic Hamzo, Mujkic Ibrahim
alias Alkan, Ferlak Hajrudin, Nuhanovic Sabrija, Nuhanovic Mustafa,
Nuhanovic Neil, Nuhanovic Mevludin, Nuhanovic Jusuf, Nuhanovic Meho,
Nuhanovic Sarija and Mujkic Selman.
The fourth group, from the direction of Stoborane and helped with people
from Podzepolje was led and commanded by Ibro Cardakovic, and the following
participated in the attack: Cardakovic Ramiz alias Zoran, Cardakovic Alsad,
Cardakovic Safet, Jusufovic Rasid, Bitic Mujo, Ridzal Ramiz, Sejfic Sead,
Gusic Ramiz alias Cajner, Hodzic Hasan, Hodzic Zejnil, Hodzic Alija, son of
Zaim, Hasanovic Ekrem, Dzebo Himzo, Ivojevic Jusuf, Cardakovic Emin alias
Braco, Jusufovic Hajrudin, Hodzic Hamdija, Hodzic Zejnil, Hasanovic Salko
and Krestalica Mehmed.
Ambush in Zepa gorge
On June 4, 1992 in the early morning on that day, one armed RS Army
battalion with several military vehicles, under the command of Major Suka
Dragan, started from Pale through Han Pijesak towards Zepa. Their task was
to deliver food, water, medical and other
necessary equipment to VRS members who secured military facility and a TV
relay on the Zlovrh hill, in Zepa area.
Many soldiers were murdered after being wounded or captured, when they put
away their weapons as a sing of their surrender. Two members of Green Berets
shot Serbian soldier Tomic Milenko, son of Diko, born on 01/11/1935 in Novi
Karlovci, Indija Municipality, Republic of Serbia, although he had thrown
away his weapon and raised his hands as a sign of surrender, but due to
circumstances he stayed alive. Why he was lying down severely wounded, Tomic
was listening to cries of other captured Serbian soldiers who begged Moslem
to kill them instead of torture the. According to the statement of witnesses
of this event, one unidentified helpless severely wounded member of VRS was
killed by Lilic Nasko, and the other also unidentified severely wounded VRS
member was killed by Kacevic Edhem (other data on the mentioned executors of
these crimes are in explanation of criminal charge under items 3 and 4). It
was impossible to identify murdered soldiers for their bodies were burnt up
after the murder and their corpses were carbonized.
According to obtained evidence and insinuations, the main organizers of the
attack on VRS military convoy, of killing the wounded and the captured, and
finally of massacring and burning down of corpses were: Cardakovic Ramo,
Sahic Hurem, Lilic Nasko, Kacevic Edhem, Palic Avdo, Mujkic Hamed, Jusufovic
Rasid, Ridzal Ramiz, Dzebo Rahman, Muratovic Hamed, Cardakovic Emin, Hulovac
Benjamin, Omanovic Hasib and Dizdarevic Ago (other data on these persons are
stated in the explanation of the charge). They have, contrary to regulations
of the Geneva Convention on Treatment of War Prisoners from 12/08/1949,
ordered murdering and murdered helpless wounded and captured soldiers,
committed sacrileges and burnt their corpses, for what there is photo
documentation under Nos. 1-13 and reports of pathologist. In most of the
cases it was impossible for experts to determine the cause of death and even
to identify 9 bodies, which were greatly damaged by burning.
During the operational research on this crime against wounded and captured
VRS soldiers, military medical facility and on the breach of the agreement
of the cooperation and maintenance of Zlovrh relay near Zepa, a number of
witnesses were heard, photo documents of burnt and exhumed bodies of young
soldiers and other medical documentation obtained and all that is included
in the charge. Among all testimonies, it is important to look into the
testimony given by Lilic Smail, son of Idriz, born in 1949 in Godenje, Han
Pijesak Municipality, who was a active member of Moslem military formation
that attacked the convoy as well as the testimony of Todorovic Milorad, son
of Borisa, born in 1954 in Praca, Pale Municipality, who experienced
golgotha of this VRS battalion.
In his testimony, Lilic Smail stated: "In the beginning of May 1992, I
started to Han Pijesak together with the workers from Godenje, Podzeplje and
Zepa, to get the salary and we were sent back. Upon my arrival to Godenje,
meetings of SDA higher leadership were held. A TO unit for the area of
Godenje, Podzeplje and other Moslem villages from Han Pijesak Municipality
was formed at the beginning. The main person in that HQ was Cardakovic Ramo
and Sahic Hurem and Hasanovic Salih were also members of the HQ. Weapons for
that unit were obtained earlier through Mujkic Himza, President of SDA for
Han Pijesak. Each person who received weapons had to pay for it, some of
them even 800 DM. At that time there were no actions, but only guards were
held. Some time during May 1992, Palic Avdo was appointed as a TO unit
Commander and Cardakovic Ramo as TO Regional HQ Commander, covering the area
of Zepa and Han Pijesak. Squad Commander for Godenje and Podzeplje area was
Palic Avdo, and for Zepa area it was Beno Kulovac. The HQ was moved to Zepa.
At the same time, a unit of militia commanded by Sahic Hurem was formed.
Osmanovic Hasib from Zepa was also active in leadership.
Then the oath was signed and all conscripts were obliged to do it, so I did
it too. Then I was sent to work, and I had to do physical labor. At that
time the unit in our area had two snipers carried by Kamenica Hamza and
Cardakovic Emin. Ridzail Ramiz, Dzebo Rahman, Muratovic Hamed and Lilic
Nasko were distinguished for their extremism.
Sometime in the beginning of June, Zepa Squad blocked Zlovrh where JNA was
placed. In the morning, a courier from Srebrenica came to the HQ in Godenje
where Cardakovic Ramo was, and he said that an army convoy of vehicles and
tanks was going down the road towards Zepa. I know that Ramo has said
several times to let the convoy through and not prevent their free passing.
Ramo ordered everybody to evacuate their respective families into shelters
and that was done. Army convoy came from Stoborani towards Godenja, some
time before noon. There were around 30 vehicles, several tanks, trucks, cars
and busses. The Army passed through villages peacefully - they laughed and
told us not to run away and threw us some cigarettes. From Godenje, the
convoy went towards Brloznik. After the convoy left, Cardakovic Ramo came
and ordered me to cut down three trees, with a power saw, over the road in
order to block the road, down which the convoy went. In Secerov Lager I
found Lilic Sejo on the road. He was cutting down the trees but he did not
know how to put them over the road, so I took the power saw from him and cut
down three trees over the road. In my opinion, the aim of that roadblock was
to prevent the convoy from turning back as well as to prevent any possible
help to them. After I finished with that, I went back to my wife and my
children. A heavy shooting could be heard at that time. Standing next to the
stable, I was watching the fight between the army and people from ambush.
The ambush was set up in Luke, on the crossroads for Godenje, Purtici and
Han Pijesak and the convoy were attacked when some vehicles were already
across the wooden bridge. Commander of the ambush was Mujkic Hamed with his
soldiers from Brleznik. Later on, a unit from Podzeplje, commanded by
Jusupovic Resid, came to help. The fight did not last for a long time and
the convoy went on towards Luke, without any major stopping. The convoy was
shot at while passing through. The convoy was moving down the road in front
of the house of Mujkic Himzo, when I saw Cardakovic Ramo and Sahic Hurem
together with soldiers from Godenje, Tobarani and other villages, at least
150 of them getting involved in the fight attacking the convoy from
direction of Grobici and along the river. The hardest fight was in Kulevkina
Ograda where the convoy was stopped and the road blocked on both sides. That
is the place where quarry is, at the border of Han Pijesak and Rogatica
municipalities, before Berak village. The attack was done from all sides,
because that spot is very convenient for ambushing, being placed in a gorge.
Zepa Squad commanded by Kunovac Beno, was attacking from direction of Berak,
and our Squad, commanded by Palic Avdo, from the opposite direction. From
direction of Radava, the attack was done by the Squad commanded by Mujkic
Hamed and from direction of Godenje by the Squad commanded by Cardakovic
Ramo and Sahic Hurem. People from Podzeplje, Plana and Krivaca attacked
together with people from Brloznik. The struggle lasted till 20,30 hrs when
it was finished with the total defeat of the army in convoy. I have heard
that during this struggle Sarija Nuhanovic, from Brloznik, set a car tire on
fire and threw it among army vehicles, what caused vehicles in convoy to
burn. I do not know exactly what was happening during the fight, because at
that time I was in the cave, bellow the house of Hamed Smajic. I have heard
later that especially active in that fight were Hakic Hasan, who was
carrying a machine gun M-53, Muratovic Hamid, Curic Zejmil and Dizdarevic
Ago. In the evening I was in Godenje village and saw 31 prisoners brought to
a school. They were brought by the unit commanded by Sahic Hurem and
Cardakovic Ramo. Several prisoners were wounded, one of them severely, who
was brought in a tent fly and died the next morning. The prisoners were
placed in a small room in school, into which even 10 of them would be hardly
placed, so I don't know how 30 of them were managed inside. The wounded were
taken care of by a male nurse Dzibo Himza. After that I went home. Bodies of
dead soldiers and burnt down vehicles remained on the spot. A great amount
of weapons and ammunition was seized on that occasion. I know that two
vehicles were also seized- ambulance was driven by Curic Zejmil and a truck
by Kamenica Hamza. Next morning, about 20 of us who were there taken to
work, under command of Dzebo Musan were sent to the spot. Every one, who had
a gun, took it with him. I did not have any weapons, so I tool nothing. I
was together with Lilic Himzo, Lilic Ahmed and Lilic Abid. When we came to
the spot, we met Lilic Nasko and around 50 people from Brloznik. It was a
complete chaos - many corpses and many burnt and carbonized bodies. We
searched the terrain looking for weapons, ammunition and other equipment. I
saw one wounded soldier who was standing with his arm against the stable
wall. I walked beside him and 10-15 minutes later I heard a shot and saw
that the wounded soldier was killed. Later, I heard that Kacevic, whose
first name I don't know, killed him. That Kacevic person is young, around 20
years old, blond, from Purtici. His brother is Kacevic Hamed who worked in
SIP "Planinsko".
I found the other wounded soldier on the road, who was all covered in blood.
While I was passing by him, he asked me to get his cigarettes out of his
pocket what I did. I took already open package of cigarettes from his pocket
together with the lighter, and then took out one cigarette, lit it up, and
gave it to him. He told me to take one cigarette as well, and later he gave
me remaining cigarettes and told me "Take it, I won't need it anymore". Then
I was called by Curic Zejmil and as I was going towards him, I heard a gun
shot and it was obvious who did it - Lilic Nasko, who shot him in the chest
from semi-automatic rifle. I immediately approached the soldier and I saw
him dead with the half of the cigarette still between his fingers. After the
weapons and equipment were collected, we returned to the village.
On the same day, as my wife, father and sister-in-law told me, five soldiers
with weapons running away from the spot passed by the cave they were in. The
soldiers asked them for the shortest way to the nearest Serbian village and
they gave one chocolate to each of the children (7 of them). My
sister-in-law showed them the way to Mislove. Later, I heard that they took
the road to Berovac and one of them got killed there, but the others made
it. Two our soldiers - Nurko Brgulja and Jusuf Dumenjic got killed in
Berovac on that occasion.
None of our soldiers got killed during the attack on the convoy but some of
them were wounded. After the action, blocked soldiers in Zlovrh surrendered
to the Zepa unit and I know that they were released later and they came
through Godenje and Stobran to Jelovce.
After 2-3 days, the attack of Serbian army followed and they managed to
reach the spot of ambush where the soldiers from convoy got killed. There
was no stronger resistance of our soldiers. During that attack, a shop was
shelled and the prisoners from the school escaped. Serbian army took all the
bodies from the spot. Later, Cardakovic Ramo used to say that it had been a
mistake to attack the convoy and that they shouldn't have done it.
Afterwards, the Squad was named "4th June", after the event."
The statement of Lilic who was the attacker corresponds pretty much to the
statement of Todorovic who was the defender, who stated:
"In the early morning on 04/06/1992, my company, to which I belonged as a
soldier of Republic of Srpska, started to Zlovrh in Zepa area, in order to
deliver food, medical and other equipment to VRS soldiers who were securing
the transmitter. Before we started, Battalion Commander Major Suka informed
us that he had been in that area during previous days and that he agreed
with the villagers passing of our convoy, so he expected no problems. The
convoy was escorted by one tank, two transporters and one anti-aircraft
canon, in any case. Arriving to Jelovci, Han Pijesak Municipality, we found
first roadblocks made of tree logs and it wasn't clear to me if they were
put by our army or Moslems from this area. After we passed those first
roadblocks, we went through first Moslem village before the canyon and as we
saw no villagers, we proceeded towards Zlovrh. On stiff cliffs on both sides
of the canyon, I noticed bunkers and parapets but I saw no people in them.
Somewhere in that direction I saw two young man and one woman who greeted us
while we passed along and soon we came
to a village with a Mosque, where we took the turn for Zlovrh. After we
passed the village in which we saw a number of men and women hurrying
towards the wood, we reached up to a bridge that was destroyed. We got off,
intending to mend the bridge and while doing so, Moslems from that area
attacked us from infantry weapons without any warning. We got sheltered and
responded to their fire, and after the bridge was mended and the fire
ceased, we got into the vehicles and moved on. There we got first wounding
of our men. After we crossed the river, we came to a ravine between two
hills where the Moslems heavily attacked us from all sides. And we had to
get off, find shelters around vehicles and respond to the fire. There was
panic and mess because many of my comrades were wounded and some of them got
killed. Moslems shot the drivers first, so new drivers had to replace them
and move on, and some vehicles had to be moved off the road because they
were heavily damaged. After we passed through the ravine, we found ourselves
in a plain where majority of my comrades got killed and we fought Moslem
from that area for a long time. The convoy was cut off because some vehicles
remained damaged. I was at the end of the first half of the convoy so we
managed to go through the plain and as we moved forward, we kept finding
barricades that we removed. In front of us we heard Moslems cutting down
trees with power saws making barricades for us. They planned and prepared
that earlier, by cutting into them, and as we were approaching, those trees
were pulled down. It was not long before we came to a huge barricade, made
of tree logs that was not possible to remove even with a power saw, so we
tried to remove it with a tank and we failed. The tank got off the road and
got stuck, so we couldn't move on. Commander Major Suka took around 20
people and went towards Zlovrh that was allegedly not far away, trying to
get through and get in touch with the Command in Pale, since our radio as
damaged, in order to ask for help and consult for further actions. After
some time, Suka and his people came, carrying one dead soldier and told us
that one soldier remained there, for they could not take him out. He also
told us that he did not manage to get through to Zlovrh because he ran into
their bunkers, where Moslems attacked them with infantry weapons. There were
no armed conflicts in that area at that time and regarding the agreement
with Major Suka, we were surprised by perfidious attack. If we were to
expect it, we would go in different formation and not as many of us would
get killed. We spent the night between Thursday and Friday there and it was
heavily raining all night long. We put the wounded under the vehicles and
into transporters and the dead on trucks while we took the position around
the vehicles and kept guarding as much as possible.
And they kept attacking us on that spot. Taking into account the terrain and
stiff cliffs on both sides, Moslems kept throwing tree logs and big rocks on
us and our vehicles, so many vehicles got damaged and some people injured.
During the next day, Moslems kept attacking us from infantry weapons and we
managed to establish a connection with our Command in Pale and they told us
that the help was on the way. During that first night, Mico Tomic managed to
come to us from last cut-off part of the convoy and he told us that all
people from that part of the convoy were killed and burnt up, and that he
managed to escape. However, not all the people from that part were killed,
some of them were captured and later released by our unit that came to
rescue. On 06/06/1992 (Saturday morning) our rescue team came from the
direction of Han Pijesak. They managed to get through only to place where
the convoy was cut off and where the other part of the convoy remained, so
Major Suka told us that we had to get through to them with the rest of the
vehicles. We put the wounded into transporters and the dead on the vehicles
and we did as we were told. While going back we found barricades again that
were by Moslems in the meantime. As we reached the river, we found the
bridge destroyed again, so we had to mend it again. Moslems kept shooting on
us from the nearby cliffs. During that attack, three young men who came to
help us got killed and I don't know if anybody was wounded. After we crossed
the river, we managed to reach free area around Han Pijesak and in the
afternoon of that day a small group of us who survived arrived at Pale.
I wish to emphasize that upon our arrival to the place where we met the
rescue team, we saw a horrible scene - our comrades lying dead on and about
the road, many corpses carbonized for they were wet with fuel and burnt up.
We collected those bodies, so that none either dead or wounded who was not
far from the road, remained, except for one part of those who got lost and
remained."
Victims of the crime
A. Killed VRS soldiers
1. Babic Risto, son of Dusan, born on 09/06/1939, last residency in Hresa,
(other data unknown)
2. Borovcanin Radenko, son of Risto, born on 25/05/1937, last residency in
Sarajevo, (other data unknown.
3. Caic Slobodan, son of Milanko, born on 20/02/1952 in Nepravdici, Sokolac
municipality, resided in Pale at the address 3. April bb
4. Cerovina Mladen, son of Ranko and Kovilja, maiden name Skipina, born on
29/11/1958 in Praca, Pale Municipality, Serb, resided in Pale, at the
address Magistralni put 29
5. Cicovic Mico, son of Grujo, born on 11/12/1953 in Sjetlina, Pale
Municipality, Serb, driver, resided in Pale, at the address 3. Aprila 49
6. Gaco Novo, son of Milos, born on 14/01/1951, (other data unknown)
7. Jokic Novica, son of Nedo and Anda, maiden name Petricevic, born on
07/01/1959 in Kosare, Pale Municipality, Serb, resided in Bjelogorci, Pale
Municipality
8. Jugovic Drago, son of Pavle, born on 22/04/1947, last residency in
Sarajevo, (other data unknown)
9. Klacar Dragan, son of Maksim, born on 05/05/1960, last residency in
Sarajevo, (other data unknown)
10. Klacar Mile, son of Maksim, born on 07/12/1957, last residency in
Ilijas, (other data unknown)
11. Klacar Nedeljko, son of Tadija and Persa, maiden name Lazic, born on
01/01/1951 in Ljubovosta, Pale Municipality, Serb, resided in Donja
Ljubovosta
12. Komadan Vaso, son of Krsto, born on 28/05/1960, last residency in
Ljubovosta, Pale, (other data unknown)
13. Kostovic Niko, son of Ljubo, born on 14/09/1948 in Vranjevici, Foca
Municipality, Serb, resided in Pale, at the address M. Simovica 7
14. Lazarevic Dragoslav, son of Jovan, born on 22/01/1951, last residency in
Ljubovosta, Pale, (other data unknown)
15. Lazarevic Drago, son of Mirko and Stana, maiden name Ciric, born on
29/10/1948 in Pale, Serb, driver, resided in Pale, at the address Romanijska
41
16. Lazarevic Radomir, son of Tomo and Mitra, maiden name Tomic, born on
03/12/1965 in Ljubogosta, Pale Municipality, where he resided, Serb
17. Lazarevic Nedo, son of Vlado and Rada, maiden name Lizdek, born on
01/04/1951 in Donji Pribanj, Pale Municipality, Serb, metal-turner, resided
in Pale, at the address 3. Aprila 12/2
18. Lopatic Petar, son of Sreto and Danica, maiden name Vukovic, born on
21/04/1954 in Donja Ljubovosta, Pale Municipality, resided in the place of
birth, Serb
19. Lucic Vuk, son of Savo and Tomka, maiden name Bukera, born on 20/02/1951
in Bare, Pale Municipality, Serb, Traffic Engineer, resided in Pale, at the
address 3. Aprila 35
20. Mastilo Tomo, son of Jovo and Jovana, maiden name Golijanin, born on
09/09/1943 in Uksici, Foca Municipality, Serb, resided in Kremenita brda,
Pale Municipality
21. Mihaljovic Novica, son of Momir, born on 24/01/1965, last residency in
Pale, (other data unknown)
22. Milutinovic Branko, son of Vojislav and Jovanka, born on 31/05/1968 in
Sarajevo, Mechanical Technician, Serb, resided in Pale, at the address S. V.
Cice 3
23. Muharemovic Novak, son of Spasoje, born on 20/02/1956 in Kalauzovici,
Sokolac Municipality, Serb, driver, resided in Pale, S. V. Cice 8
24. Okuka Milovan, son of Momcilo, born on 16/07/1957, driver of ambulance,
last residency in Sarajevo
25. Pandurevic Srdan, son of Spaso and Mila, maiden name Knezevic, born on
11/01/1960 in Jasik, Pale Municipality, Serb, resided in Jasik
26. Pavlovic Zdravko, son of Bojo and Zora, maiden name Zeljaja, born on
02/10/1959 in Gornje Pale, Pale Municipality, Serb, Mechanical Technician,
working in Pale
27. Pavlovic Nenad, son of Bojo and Zorka, maiden name Zeljaja, born on
17/08/1959 in Gornje Pale, Pale Municipality, Serb, resided in Pale, at the
address 3. Aprila 41,
28. Petronic Branislav, son of Milan and Milena, born on 04/07/1955 in
Sarajevo, Serb, metal-turner, resided in Pale, at the address 3. Aprila 11,
missing.
29. Ljepic Drazen, son of Marko, born on 26/07/1967, last residency in
Sarajevo, (other data unknown)
30. Radovic Miroslav, son of Momcilo and Milka, maiden name Andric, born on
30/04/1970 in Sarajevo, Serb, resided in Pale, at the address Magistralni
put 31
31. Radovic Obren, son of Slobodan, born in 1950 with last residency in
Sarajevo (other data unknown)
32. Radonja Mirko, son of Dragomir, born in 1965, (other data unknown)
33. Samardzija Delivoje, son of Malisa and Mitra, maiden name Bajagic, born
on 17/08/1959 in Rogatica, Rogatica Municipality, Serb, resided in Pale, at
the address 3. Aprila 109
34. Simanic Komljen, son of Gavro, born on 02/07/1938 in Hotocina, Pale
Municipality, Serb, driver, resided in Pale, at the address Jahorinska bb
35. Srdanovic Radomir, son of Sretko and Radinka, maiden name Kovacevic,
born on 15/10/1969 in Sarajevo, resided in Pale, at the address 3. Aprila
75, Serb
36. Stanisic Bosko, born on 06/02/1945 in Donja Ljobovosta, Pale
Municipality, Serb, resided in the place of birth
37. Stanisic Radislav, son of Petar and Sava, maiden name Jankovic, born on
23/03/1952 in Ljubovosta, Pale Municipality, resided in Donja Ljubovosta,
Serb
38. Stanisic Radenko, son of Svetozar, born on 14/07/1953, last residency in
Kozja cuprija - Stari grad, Sarajevo, (other data unknown)
39. Tadic Predrag, son of Vaso, born in 1965, (other data unknown)
40. Tomic Stana, daughter of Novo, born on 22/04/1955, a nurse, last
residency in Pale, (other data unknown)
41. Veljovic Milomir, son of Stjepan, born on 21/07/1956 in Podloznik, Pale
Municipality, Serb, driver, resided in place of birth
42. Veselinovic Lazar, son of Mladan, born on 15/03/1941, last residency in
Sarajevo, (other data unknown)
43. Veselinovic Miroslav, son of Savo and Dragica, maiden name Andric, born
on 22/11/1965 in Sarajevo, resided in Ljubogosta, Pale, graduated from
Economy High School
44. Vukadin Branislav, son of Kosta and Vukosava, maiden name Samardzic,
born on 10/06/1956 in Grabovica, Pale Municipality, Serb, resided in Pale,
at the address S. V. Cice 11
45. Vukovic Momcilo, son of Ilija and Milena, maiden name Andric, born on
02/03/0943 in Ljubogosta, Pale Municipality, Serb, resided in Ljubogosta
Wounded VRS soldiers
1. Babic Dragan, son of Petar, born in 1950
2. Blagojevic Radomir, son of Gajo and Rajka, maiden name Kusmuk, born on
01/02/1960 in Gornji Pribanj, Pale Municipality, residing in Pale, Trifka
Grabeza bb
3. Bozovic Mile, son of Zdravko and Stoja, maiden name Babic, born on
13/02/1962 in Rogatica, residing in Pale, Milana Simovica bb.
4. Brezo Nikola, son of Gojko and Radojka, maiden name Samardzic, born on
11/11/1949 in Bud, Pale Municipality, residing in Pale, Pere Kosorica 4.
5. Cerovina Branislav, son of Veljko, born on 05/02/1966 in Donja
Ljubogosta, Pale Municipality, where he resides
6. Cosovic Drago, son of Sekula and Milena, maiden name Bojkovic, born on
01/08/1969 in Gluhovici, Pale Municipality, residing in Pale, Omladinska 24
7.Dragas Boro, son of Dusan, born in 1946
8. Drobnjak Vitomir, son of Radenko and Jelisaveta, born on 04/09/1962 in
Resici, Rudo Municipality, residing in Pale, Pere Kosorica 16
9. Goreta Jovica, son of Miroslav and Milanka, maiden name Kablar, born on
13/08/1971 in Sarajevo, residing in Pale, S. V. Cice 9
10. Grcic Veljko, son of Rajko and Milka, maiden name Caic, born on
06/03/1961 in Nepravdici, Sokolac Municipality, residing in Pale, S. V. Cice
161
11. Jokic Mirko, son of Petko, born in 1967
12. Kosmajac Goran, son of Panto, born in 1965
13. Kusmuk Milkan, son of Borisa and Milka, born on 09/12/1957 in Pale,
residing in Pale, Vrelo Miljacke bb
14. Lazarevic Spaso, son of Milan and Zora, maiden name Santrac, born on
20/10/1955 in Ljubogosta, Pale Municipality, residing in Pale, Ljubogosta.
15. Lazarevic Milinko, son of Milorad and Milena, maiden name Bunjevac, born
on 07/09/1952 in Ljubogosta, Pale Municipality, residing in Ljubogosta,
Pale.
16. Lopatic Arso, son of Nikola and Cvijeta, maiden name Lazarevic, born on
24/05/1954 in Ljubogosta, Pale Municipality, where he resides.
17. Lopatic Slobodan, son of Sekula, born in 1969
18. Lucic Tomislav, son of Risto, born in 1963
19. Milinkovic Darko, son of Milan and Marija, maiden name Badnjak, born on
19/02/1970 in Osijek, Croatia, residing in Pale, Mihajla Cvore 105.
20. Mojovic Desimir, son of Novak and Milica, maiden name Todorovic, born on
25/03/1969 in Vrbica, Foca Municipality, residing in Pale, Kremenita brda bb
21. Obradovic Aleksandar, son of Nedo, born in 1969.
22. Pavlovic Slavisa, son of Nebojsa, born in 1963
23. Poljakovic Zoran, son of Mlado and Pejka, maiden name Sarac, born on
15/11/1963 in Ljubogosta, Pale Municipality, where he resides
24. Samardzic Zdravko, son of Ranko, born in 1957.
25. Samardzic Miodrag, son of Veljko and Plema, maiden name Klacar, born on
02/11/1959 in Sarajevo, residing in Pale, Koran bb
26. Savic Nenad, son of Krsto, born in 1948.
27. Simovic Milos, son of Ostoja and Stana, maiden name Todorovic, born on
20/07/1957 in Jabuka, Foca Municipality, residing in Pale, Vrelo Miljacke bb
28. Sarac Ivo, son of Drago and Milena, maiden name Radovic, born on
28/02/1954 in Bogovici, Pale Municipality, residing in Gornje Pale bb
29. Timotic Radoslav, son of Manojlo, born on 25/06/1958 in Vucija Luka,
Stari grad - Sarajevo Municipality, residing in Pale, Drvarska bb
30. Tomic Bosko, son of Dorde and Zora, maiden name Pandurevic, born on
20/01/1949 in Zabojska, Trnovo Municipality, residing in Pale, 3. Aprila 41
31. Veselinovic Slobodan, son of Ljubo and Milojka, born on 27/07/1961 in
Ljubogosta, Pale Municipality, residing in Pale, Omladinska 11.
NOTE: Beside victims' names are names of villages they got killed in. In
most cases these are places of their birth or their pre-war residences.
The source of the data: Milivoje Ivanisevic: "The chronicle of Our
Graveyard"
Perpetrators
During the research of the attack on military convoy committed on June 4,5
and 6, 1992, it is determined that there is reasonable doubt that the crime
against wounded and captured soldiers of VRS was committed by:
1. Cardakovic Emin alias Braco, son of Beg, born on 11/02/1964 in Han
Pijesak.
Kulovac Benjamin alias Beno, son of Saban and Osmana, born on 01/11/1963 in
Rogatica, a doctor
2. Cardakovic Ramo, son of Osman and Temina, born on 18/04/1957 in Stoborani
village, Han Pijesak Municipality.
3. Dizdarevic Ago, son of Musan and Haska, born on 01/12/1954 in Borovac,
Rogatica Municipality, a forester
4. Dzebo Rahman, son of Himzo, born on 10/05/1941 in Godenje, Han Pijesak
Municipality.
Muratovic Hamed, son of Hasib and Sahija, born on 14/11/1931 in Godenje, Han
Pijesak Municipality.
5. Jusupovic Resid, son of Mujo, born on 10/05/1940 in Podzeplje, Han
Pijesak Municipality.
Ridzald Ramiz, son of Sacir, born on 12/02/1951 in Godenje, Han Pijesak
Municipality
Omanovic Hasib, son of Asim and Tima, born on 08/08/1941 in Zepa, Rogatica
Municipality
6. Kacevic Edhem, son of Sejdalija and Havka, born on 20/11/1970 in Prutici,
Rogatica Municipality
7. Kulovac Benjamin, son of Saban, called Beno, born on 01/11/1963 in
Rogatica, a doctor
8. Lilic Nasko, son of Nezir, born on 16/01/1952 in Godenje village, Han
Pijesak Municipality, former employee of SIP "Planinsko", residing in the
place of birth
9. Mujkic Hamed, son of Avdo and Hajrija, born on 25/07/1937 in Brloznik,
Han Pijesak Municipality
10. Muratovic Hamed, son of Hasib, born on 14/11/1931 in Godenje, Han
Pijesak municipality
11. Omanovic Hasib, son of Asim, born on 08/08/1941 in Zepa, Rogatica
municipality
12. Palic Avdo, son of Murat and Muska, born on 04/04/1958 in Krivaca, Han
Pijesak Municipality, Mechanical Engineer, former employee of High School
Center in Vlasenica
13. Ridzal Ramiz, son of Sacir, born on 12/02/1951 in Godenje, Han Pijesak
municipality
14. Sahic Hurem, son of Murat and Dulka, born on 10/07/1960 in Godenje
village, Han Pijesak Municipality, a militiaman, former employee of PSS Han
Pijesak.
Above listed persons are suspected for committing criminal acts of the war
crime against the wounded and the sick, and the war crime against war
prisoners (articles 143 and 144 of RS Criminal Law).
Armed activities of Muslim formations after the ambush
Except his description of ambush in Zepa canyon, Lilic Smail described in
his statement several other actions of armed Muslim formations conducted in
Zepa area in the second half of 1992:
"On 20/06/1992 Kamenica Hamza, Hakic Hasan, Curic Zejnil and Ridzal Ramiz
went out on reconnaissance towards Serbs" lines in the direction of
Brestovace. I heard from them
that on that occasion they killed Simic Debar and not his brother Borisav.
They told that Simic tried to make an ambush for them but Hakic Haso saw him
first, shot him and most probably killed him.
On 07/07/1992 I heard that one of our groups that was going towards Crna
Rijeka killed one officer from an ambush. The officer was alone in a car and
heard that they took one radio-station and one pistol from him. They also
said that they let a van full of people pass. I know that people from
Krivaca did, it but I don't know precisely who did it.
In August I went with my family to Radava. I knew that the action to attack
Zep hill, where the Serbian army was placed, was being prepared. That action
was planned by Palic Avdo. 20-30 of the most extreme people from Srebrenica
came to help our Squad out. I heard when the attack started - it was early
morning when villages of Borovine and Jelovci were attacked. Palic Avdo led
the attack on Zep and our soldiers together with people from Srebrenica and
Zepa attacked Bolovci and Borovina. That happened on 07/08/1993. I know that
they captured Zep and detained 10-12 soldiers and seized the weapons. I
heard that in Borovina they slaughtered Borovina Slavko who was ill and
unable to move as well as his father Marko and his mother All out soldiers
used to claim that people from Srebrenica did it. I know that on Borovine
one group was led by Muratovic Dzevad alias Ciro, who took with him mostly
people from Godenje: Dzebo, Lilic Nasko, Lilic Bajruzin, Cardakovic Ibro,
Cardakovic Mehmedalija, Halimanovic Ismet, Omerspahic Agonja, Avdic Salko
alias Div, Lilic Ramiz, Lilic Tufe, Jusufovic Enes and Sajfic Ismet alias
Crta who was wounded then together with Lilic Teufik alias Tufe.
I know that Brdanin Hrustem participated in that action; Sahic Hurem who led
Militia Squad certainly participated in it as well. To his unit belonged:
Avdic Meho, Dzebo Hajrudin, Omerspahic Hamdija, Podzic Edhem, Hakic Hasan,
Zigic Nijaz, Lilic Semsudin, Cardakovic and Sejfic Ismet alias Crta. Crta
was wounded by the shell, just bellow the place of Jelovci, while they were
retreating, as was Lilic Teufik.
After that event, the captured soldiers from Zep were exchanged for flour
and fuel. Then, the Serbian army attacked our lines.
In the action of Serbian soldiers for taking the corpses of Serbian soldiers
killed on 04/06/1992, the following people got killed: Avdic Meho, Dzebo
Hajrudin, Omerspahic Nurija, Omerspahic Hamdija and Zigic Nijaz. In later
struggles the following got killed: Lilic Semsudin, Lilic Sefik, Zvejzovic
Samija, Lilic Ramiz, Avdic Salko alias Div, Curic Zejmil and Muratovic
Hamed.
Some time later in Stoborani, two Serbian soldiers were killed from an
ambush and I later heard that they were Mitrovic Radenko and Rubez Simo. I
don't know who killed them, but I suppose that Ridzal Ramiz was in that
ambush and that he killed Mitrovic. I heard him saying: "I had a good action
last night". I am 100% sure that Ridzal Ramiz participated in the attack on
Borovine.
On several occasions, Hakic Hasan, Kamenica Hamza and Kamenica Ahmed brought
cows stolen from Serbs in Brestovaca. I know that then they stole cows from
Dobrilovic Pero.
In the end of August 1992, I was in Srebrenica buying some corn in exchange
for necklaces and rings of my children. Then I heard that our people
attacked Serbs and that some of them got killed. I have been with my wife
and children in Radava till February 1993. When humanitarian aid was
delivered in Zepa, I went there to take it for my family. The list
was with Jusupovic Jusuf and he told me that I was not in the list and that
I should go to Commander Palic Avdo. He also turned me down, because I was
not in the army. I went back to Radava to my wife, and told her everything.
We agreed to go to Han Pijesak and surrender for there was nothing else we
could do. I started from Radava with my wife, children and father and we
spent the night in Cavcici with my brother-in-law, Hamdo Smajic. On the next
day, we started towards Jelovci to surrender but we were stopped when
entering Godenje by Zimic Osmo and Hrulja Ibro and sent back. I told my wife
that I was going to surrender myself and that she should take the kids to
Srebrenica somehow, so I went to Podzeplje where I surrendered to Serbian
army.
I know that Sahic Hurem went to Gorazde on several occasions for black
marketing, from where he was bringing tobacco and changed it for flour."