DCI Inccrageocy Balkan6
Possible Tampering With Mass Graves
been exhumed since the graves were first excavated. fj| |ft
^^'cpar-.'. suggest thai the Bosnian Serbs have deliberately damaged attempted to disguise some mass grave sites, either at the time of burial or some time cflerward. Such tampering with grave sites win complicate the already difficult task faced by international in vesa'gators cf gathering physical evidence to prosecute war crimes cases and to identify remains and account for thousands of missing persons, fl H
from some mass graveprimarily with atrocities committed bybeen exhumed
In addition, access to many known or suspected grave sites has long been denied to international observers and peacekeeping forces, precluding any possibility of getting on-site eyewitness reports, either at the time the grave was dug or when tampering occurred. JJntO very recently, officials from the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and intemarioaal human rights organizations have had difficulty locating and gaining access to sites, primarily due to the lack of Bosnian Serb crocK^radoc^ot aiso to poor weather aad vague reports on some mass grave locations. I B
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ICTY officials sr= aware of tiieEtialmpfmi have ir-que.iced IFOR assistance ia guarding the sites.HI^BILIHHHH^HBHiaB However, given the large number of known or suspected grave sites, IFOR has raised concerns that it does not have enough manpower to provide constantmission that is not specifically spelled out in its mandate. |
Probable Exhumations
precis intern;oovn
from some mass grave sites has been identified ';
size and to
These sites, which arc judgeda large number of bodies, may have been destroyed arge enough to draw tbe attention of local citizens and. Ithough the sites below are the only ones to oatc wherehas been seen or reported, otheralso may have been subjected to tampering.'
pilica .
The Branjevo collective farm reportedly is tbe-site where morefrom Srebrenica were delivered from the Dutch UNotocariinbe site, which isiles north of Srrfcrenica. nearof Donje Pilica, was locaierfBpMMpesult of informadon frominterviewrrr,erisoTajejwho claimed to havekillings1
schanici
6 indicate that signs of tampering were seenass grave site at Sahanici, which reportedly contained tbe remains of Muslims from Srebrenica killed in
3 k
Other Sites Reportedly Show Signs of Tampering
nio{^cs being exhumed from mass graves, somethe Bosnian Serbs may havesome sites in order to disguise them or destroy evidence. *"
Lusci Paianka
A mass grave siteave at Lusci Paianka in western Bosnia was found by Bosnian Government investigatorsarch.g^ HRHHlB Investigators believe the site contains the bodies ofTJMusunisand Croats killed whenBosoian Serb authorities cooi-.con::o; of the areaoreover.MBp^indicate that mass graves may be located in as many asther cava area.
Thesir^tUsci Paianka reportedly is badlyncbunuaTcrnaicsreportedly wereanmuuToocs and an apparent explosive was thrown into tbe cave to further damage or disguise the sitt^jrnilar actions may have beca taken at other alleged burial sires in the
area.
Ljubija
Non-Serb ininers in the town of Ljubija in northwestern Bosnia told Western and Balkan reporters early last January that the Bosnian Serbs were dumping tbe remains of Muslims killed during the war in mine pits around Ljubija. This information also was reported by refugees from the area.
The bodies allegedly were being moved from mass grave locations in the region to mining sites where they were sometimes mangled by nuning equipment or drenched in chemicals to prevent identification before being tossed into mine pits. Others reportedly were thrownhallow man-made lake in the mining area.
The Bosnian Serbs effectively kept outsiders away from the area until January of this year, when British IFOR troops in the sector investigated some areas around the nana-including sending divers into thecame up with no evidence.
Some Atrocities Appear to be Deliberately Concealed
also may have made some attempts to crudely dispose of bodies throughmutilation at the outset rather than bury them. Similarly, attempts apparendyto conceal the existence of grave sites at the time of burial rather thanthe sites
manyenuslim resistance group were captured and executed by the Bosnian Serbs in the village of Grabovac in Bosnia. The men reportedly were buriedass grave near the viUagc of Vecici and trees planted on top of the grave to disguise it.
Anotheren from the same Muslim resistance group were encircled and killed in the town of Vrbanjci and buriedass grave there. The bodies reportedly
. jycre exhumed,later and takenactory io Kolor Varos where they were
incinerated in the factory's furnace.
A grave in the village of Krljevci, near Sanski Most in northwestern Bosnia, was found ia5 containing the bodies ofosnians who probably were killed ia bodies appeared to have been charred beyond rccogniuca prior to burial.
)mBrcko ia northeastern Bosair^B ^fc
Muslim civilians from the area were rounded up by tbe BosoianScrbsacd killed, their bodies were taken to the Scocni Hrani meat processing plant to be run through meat grinding equipment. /
The bodies ofivilian Bosnian Croats were found near the village of Kupres las: Tali. Most of the bodies had been mutilated before burial.P
Numerous
bodies have been dumped in caves, abandoned mines, garbage dumps, sinkholes, and lakes, suggesting that those responsible did not want the bodies to be found.
Finally, some victims of atrocities reportedly were buried in legitimate graveyards in places such as Prijcdor, Sarajevo, Zvornik, Brcko, and Brisevo, where fjesh graves would not be noticed and where international investigators would be less likely to examine or exhume graves. I
Original document.
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