physicians 1* for human forensic assistance...

PHYSICIANS for

HUMAN RIGHTS 1*

FORENSIC ASSISTANCE PROJECT

Consultant Report 1999-059

Prijedor I

Federation Commission on Missing Persons - Bosniak Side 2 0 - 2 4 September 1999

Debra Komar, Ph.D. Forensic Consultant

Forensic Assistance Project Sarajevo, Bosna i Hercegovina

November 1999

Physicians for Human Rights 100 Boylston Street, Suite 702 Boston, MA 02116 USA Tel. (617)695-0041 Fax. (617) 695-0307 Email: [email protected] http ://www.phrusa.org

Physicians for Human Rights Hasana Kaimije br. 11

71000 Sarajevo Bosna i Hercegovina Tel: 387-71-232-941

Fax: 387-71-233-767

Financed with support of International Commission on Missing Persons

ICMP International Commission

on Missing Persons

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.phrusa.org

PRIJEDOR I CONSULTANT REPORT

Summary of Events

From September 20 through September 24, 1999, the Federation Commission on Missing Persons - Bosniak Side investigated a total of 26 sites in the area surrounding the town of Prijedor and exhumed a minimum of 69 bodies. The remains were recovered from numerous unmarked single and mass graves, as well as collections of surface remains.

A Forensic Consultant from Physicians for Human Rights was present for all five days and attended the recovery at all 26 locations.

No information regarding postmortem examinations of these remains was available at the time of this report.

(Editor's note: In 1999, it was agreed that the "State Commission on Missing Persons (Bosniak Side)" and the "Federal Commission on Missing Persons - Croat Side" would eventually be referred to as the "Federation Commission on Missing Persons - Bosniak Side" and "Federation Commission on Missing Persons - Croat Side," respectively. For purposes of simplicity and clarity, any reference to either of these commissions in 1999 reports will use the "Federation" names.)

PHYSICIANS for HUMAN RIGHTS, November 1999 1


Participants and Observers (not inclusive)

Federation Commission on Missing Persons - Bosniak Side ODOBASIC Jasmin Member BAJRAMOVIC Esad Member, Bihac DRAGANOVIC Kemal Member KLONOWSKI Dr. Eva Forensic Anthropologist, Iceland MUSIC Abdul Medzid Judge SKALIC Mejo MUP, Bihac DERVISEVIC Besim Crime inspector, Bihac KLONOWSKI Alex Field Assistant Laborers

Republika Srpska Commission on Tracing Prisoners and Missing Persons TOPIC Dusko CSB Police Inspector, Prijedor RESAMOVIC Dragomir Crime Technician, Prijedor Local Police

Physicians for Human Rights KOMAR Dr. Debra Forensic Consultant

Office of the High Representative r v

GACESA Vladimir Assistant Exhumations Coordinator

Stabilization Force (SFOR) Czech Republic SFOR troops

Site Description

A total of 26 sites were investigated during the five days of exhumation. A summary of the sites, identified by number in chronological order, is provided in Table 1. The date of exhumation, site name, grid co-ordinates and reference map information are also included in Table 1.

Sites 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11 and 18 represent unmarked, mechanically constructed mass graves located in farmed fields adjacent to rural roads. All ranged in depth from 1.1 to 1.8 meters. Site 23 was an unmarked, mechanically constructed mass grave at the eastern boundary of a Muslim cemetery, near a destroyed mosque.

Site 21 consisted of an unmarked, manually dug grave containing two adult females and one child. This grave was 0.6 meters in depth, below the water table, at the edge of a farmed field.

Sites 2, 8, 12, 15, 16, 17, 19 and 26 represent single, unmarked, manually dug graves, all less than 1 meter in depth. All graves were located adjacent to rural houses or at the edges of farmed fields.

PHYSICIANS/or HUMAN RIGHTS, November 1999


Sites 14, 24 and 25 represent surface collections of single individuals. At site 25, the remains were recovered from inside a dwelling; at sites 14 and 24, the remains were recovered from the grounds immediately adjacent to a dwelling.

Sites 9 and 13 were surface collections of multiple individuals. Both were located in drainage ditches adjacent to farmed fields.

Site History

According to the Bosniak Commission, all individuals recovered during this exhumation process were killed in 1992 by Bosnian Serb soldiers and the paramilitary. All were reported to be civilians by the Bosniak Commission.

Information regarding the location of graves was provided by witnesses on hand during the exhumation process. The majority of sites had been previsited by the Bosniak Commissioners and the Forensic Consultant on August 5 and 6, 1999.

Exhumation Process and Condition of Remains

The exhumation of mass graves at sites 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 18 and 23 were conducted with the use of a backhoe. Exhumation of the multiple grave at location 21 was carried out with shovel and pickaxe, as were all single graves. Vegetation and overlaying soil was removed from the area surrounding all surface collections. Exhumations followed standard archaeological methods, and considerable care was taken by the investigating team in the recovery of the remains. Additional searches and excavation were conducted at each site following the removal of the remains to ensure no further individuals were present.

With the exception of site 23, all mass graves containing four to nine bodies could be considered commingled remains. Although all individuals were fully clothed, the layering of bodies one upon another made differentiating individuals difficult. The responsibility of numbering, differentiating and removing all individuals from mass graves was assumed by Dr. Klonowski. Reasonable efforts were made to separate individuals; however, in all cases, additional skeletal elements were recovered from the graves which were not assigned to any individual, with the understanding that every effort would be made to match the elements to individuals during the postmortem examination process. The "numbers of bodies recovered" listed in Table 1 should be considered the minimum number of individuals represented at all sites until completion of the postmortem examinations.

Site 23, a mass grave located in a Muslim cemetery, contained the remains of six individuals. The bodies were arranged side-by-side in a single line, with the heads of the individuals oriented southwest (see Photo 9). Differentiating individuals in this location was not difficult and no isolated skeletal elements were recovered.

Site 18, a mass grave containing a minimum of seven individuals, showed evidence of burning and fire damage to several sets of remains. Forensic Anthropologist Eva Klonowski reported that the bodies appear to have been burned after being deposited in the grave but prior to the grave being refilled.. The bodies were deposited in two layers and those remains



comprising the upper layer were extensively charred, skeletonized and fragmentary. Remains comprising the lower layer were still predominantly fleshed and saponified.

All individuals recovered from single or multiple graves were dressed in civilian clothing, although isolated pieces of military apparel (such as camouflage) were found. Some clothing was also recovered from all sites involving surface remains. Remains recovered at sites 12 and 26 were contained in rudimentary wooden coffins. Three of the six individuals contained in the mass grave at site 23 were covered by a blanket (see Photo 9). The three individuals recovered at site 21 were wrapped in a single blanket and covered with plastic. Wire was recovered in association with the hands of body #4 from site 4 (Patrija), which the Commission believes was used to bind the hands of this individual (see Photo 3).

The Forensic Consultant was not present during the preliminary search and recovery of either scene involving the surface collection of multiple individuals (sites 9 and 13). The Forensic Consultant was present during the collection of the remains and the process of differentiating individuals. Considerable effort was taken by Dr. Klonowski to separate all remains recovered and to determine the minimum number of individuals represented.

The Forensic Consultant assisted in the recovery of all remains from sites 1, 3 through 6, 11, 18 and 23 and participated in the recovery of remains from sites 8, 12, 16, 19 and 21.

Postmortem Examination Findings

At the writing of this report, no information was available from the Bosniak Commission regarding the postmortem examination of the remains from these sites.



TABLE 1 SUMMARY OF SITE LOCATIONS SITE #

DATE SITE NAME: TOPOMAP GRID CO-ORDINATE

# BODIES EXPECTED

MNI RECOVERED

1 09.20.99 Patrija Bos. Dub. 2585 III

33T XK 444 845 Unknown 5

2 09.20.99 Patrija I Bos. Dub. 2585 III

33T XK 441 845 1 1

3 09.20.99 Patrija II Bos. Dub. 2585 III


4 09.20.99 Patrija IIA Bos. Dub. 2585 III


5 09.20.99 Patrija IV Bos. Dub. 2585 III


6 09.21.99 Cirkini Ivanjska 2584 IV 33T XK 439 835 Unknown 7

7 09.21.99 Kotlovaca Ivanjska 2584 IV 33T XK 475 844 1 0

8 09.21.99 Causevici Ivanjska 2584 IV 33TXK430 812 1 1

9 09.21.99 Blazevici Ivanjska 2584 IV 33T XK 424 820 4 4

10 09.21.99 Mutnik Ivanjska 2584 IV 33T XK 456 822 3 0

11 09.22.99 Grevici Prijedor 2484 I 33T XK 406 793 Unknown 9

12 09.22.99 Suhi Brod Ivanjska 2584 IV 33TXK441 812 1 1

13 09.22.99 Balici Ivanjska 2584 IV 33T XK 428 800 3 2

14 09.22.99 Omladinska Ivanjska 2584 IV 33TXK449 818 1 1

15 09.22.99 Softici Ivanjska 2584IV 33T XK 463 806 1 1

16 09.22.99 Softici III Ivanjska 2584 IV 33T XK 460 808 1 1

17 09.22.99 Softici IV Ivanjska 2584 IV 33T XK 467 808 1 1

18 09.23.99 Susici Ivanjska 2584 IV 33TXK439 819 Unknown 7

19 09.23.99 Mujkanovici Ivanjska 2584 IV 33T XK 443 790 3 2

20 09.23.99 Crkvena Ivanjska 2584 IV 33T XK 482 800 1 0

21 09.23.99 Donlagici Ivanjska 2584IV 33TXK471 784 3 3

22 09.23.99 Mahaci Ivanjska 2584 IV 33T XK 467 781 1 0

23 09.24.99 Brdani Ivanjska 2584 IV 33TXK462 821 6 6

24 09.24.99 Dera-Besici Ivanjska 2584 IV 33T XK 459 836 1 1

25 09.24.99 Kamicani Ivanjska 2584 IV 33T XK 466 792 1 1

26 09.24.99 Kenjari Ivanjska 2584 IV 33T XK 463 794 1 1



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Photo 1 - Location 1 (Patrija), 20.09.99. Remains are removed by Dr. Klonowski and her assistant. Photo taken facing north east, (roll 6724, exp. 15)

Photo 2 - Location 3 (Patrija), 20.09.99. Remains of 4 individuals in situ. Photo taken facing south, (roll 6724, ex. 19)

PHYSICIANS/or HUMAN RIGHTS, November 1999


Photo 3 - Location 4 (Patrija), 20.09.99. Close up view of wire believed to have bound the hands of individual #4 from this site, (roll 6724, exp. 27)

Photo 4 - Location 6 (Cirkini), 21.09.99. First five individuals exposed. A total of seven were recovered. Flags indicate locations of skulls, (roll 6724, exp. 33)



Photo 5 - Location 11 (Grevici), 22.09.99. Close up view of surgical intervention on radius of individual #6, which will probably aid in positive identification of the decedent, (roll 7027, exp. 3)

Photo 6 - Location 13 (Balici), 22.09.99. Dr. Klonowski and Jasmin OdabaSic examine remains of two individuals following a surface collection, (roll 7027, exp. 9)

PHYSlCIANS/or HUMAN RIGHTS, November 1999 11


Photo 7 - Location 15 (Softici), 22.09.99. Remains of body #1, exposed at a depth of 10 to 15 cm. (roll 7027, exp. 15)

Photo 8 - Location 18 (SuSici), 23.09.99. Initial exposure of five individuals. A minimum of seven individuals were ultimately recovered. Evidence of burning to bodies # 2 and #3. (roll 7027, exp. 24)

PHYSICIANS/or HUMAN RIGHTS, November 1999 12


Photo 9 - Location 23 (Brdani), 24.09.99. Six individuals exposed in a line, heads oriented south west. Note blanket covering bodies 3, 4 and 5. (roll 7027, exp. 27)

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Photo 10 - Location 26 (Kenjari), 24.09.99. Body #1, exposed in situ at a depth of 1 meter, (roll 7027, exp. 3

PHYSICIANS for HUMAN RIGHTS, November 1999

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