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PHYSICIANS for
HUMAN RIGHTS
^NS
FORENSIC ASSISTANCE PROJECT
Consultant Report 1999-040
Kladanj I
Republika Srpska Commission on Tracing Prisoners and Missing Persons 4 August 1999
Noel Boaz, Ph.D. Forensic Consultant
Forensic Assistance Project Sarajevo, Bosna i Hercegovina
December 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
KLADANJ I CONSULTANT REPORT
Summary of Events
On 4 August 1999, the Republika Srpska (RS) Commission on Tracing Prisoners and Missing Persons exhumed gravesites at three locations in the vicinity of Kladanj. The nine individuals being sought were all believed to be civilians who died in the area during the war years. The RS Commission had name associations for all individuals.
A Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) Forensic Consultant was present for the recovery operations. The remains of two adult males, one adult female, and one other adult were recovered from the first site (Vranovici); two adult males were recovered from the second site (Vucinic), although a total of four sets of remains had been expected; and no remains were recovered from the suspected burial location at the third site (Kladanj), where one body was expected to be found.
Remains were transported to autopsy facilities in the RS. Postmortem examination results had not been forwarded to PHR at the time of writing.
(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.)
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KLADANJ I CONSULTANT REPORT
Participants and Observers
Republika Srpska (RS) Commission on Tracing Prisoners and Missing Persons KRCMAR Goran Member
Federation Commission on Missing Persons - Bosniak Side HURTIC Murat Member
Physicians for Human Right (PHR) BOAZ Dr. Noel Forensic Consultant HRNJICEVIC Dr. Mustafa PHR Educational Consultant DEFANCIC Slobodanka PHR Intern Candidate
Office of the High Representative (OHR) CHILVERS Peter Exhumations Officer
Laborers and witnesses were also present.
Narrative
The three sites are in or near Kladanj (see Figure 1: Topographic Map Kladanj; Sheet 2883 III; Edition 7-DMA; Series M709; Scale 1:50,000; note: the Vranovici Site can be found on the Zivinice (Sheet 2883 IV) map (not included)—it's position is depicted just off the edge of the Kladanj map). Grid coordkmtes for all sites were determined using a Global Positioining System (GPS) unit (see Table 1).
Site 1: Vranovici
This site consisted of the ruins of houses which are still unoccupied and in various states of advanced disrepair. Body 1 was a single grave (not observed). RS Commission grave diggers went ahead at speed and left the track at an unknown point. In front of another house three bodies were exhumed. Bodies 2, 3, and 4 were buried together at a depth of 30 cm with a covering of blankets. Body 2 was a female as determined by civilian dress and was identified by witnesses present as Raica Jeric (born 1922). Her body was lacking a skull. Body 3 was an eldery male (civilian clothes) identified by witnesses as that of Jovan Jeric (born 1915), her husband. The Body 3 skull had apparently been fragmented by blunt trauma, with the mandible broken at the symphysis. There was no evidence of a gunshot wound to the head. The third body was a male, in civilian clothes, identified by witnesses as Budomir Jeric (born 1949), their son. Ethnicity was Serb. The family was reputedly killed as they emerged from their house by a group of Bosniaks from the neighboring village wielding clubs.
Site 2: Vucinic
The site was a mountaintop farm in a wooded area behind a destroyed house. Two bodies were exhumed at a depth of 80 cm from a single grave. These were termed Body 3 and Body 4 (expected bodies 1 and 2 were not recovered by the RS Commission). Both bodies were male. Body 4 was a large individual and lay in the grave above Body 3. Body 3 had a hoe attached to it by a chain wrapped around its feet, probably used to drag the bod(ies) to the
PHYSICIANS/or HUMAN RIGHTS, December 1999 2
KLADANJ I CONSULTANT REPORT
grave site. Both bodies were skeletonized and covered by a sticky clay which made excavation difficult. Body 3 was observed to have a comminuted fracture to the left tibia, located mid-shaft. The bodies were clothed (civilian) but had no other covering. Body 3 was identified by witnesses at the site as Nikola Todorovic (born 1947) and Body 4 as Nebojska Zoranovic (born 1968). Ethnicity was Serb.
Site 3: Kladanj
The site was in a temporary cemetery in the town of Kladanj. It was reputedly the burial site of Mladen Jovicic (born 1940), whose daughter and son were present. The victim was reputedly a civilian of Serb ethnicity and reputedly died while in police custody in Kladanj. The son and daughter were not present at the burial, but a witness confirmed the location of the grave. However, several attempts to locate the grave by digging down to a level of ca. 1 m were unsuccessful.
Table 1. Summary
Site Grid Coordinate Number of Sex Age Individuals
Vranovici 34T CQ 137 027 4 2M, IF, 1? Adult Vucinic 34TCP186 977 2 M/M Adult Kladanj 34TCQ162 004 0
Postmortem Examination Findings
Postmortem examination results had not been forwarded to PHR at the time of report writing.
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KLADANJ I CONSULTANT REPORT
1.50.000 WGS84 -lCf2 5k
One second of longitude tenth 2? 19m PRuANOVltl 7 5 km BRLOSCl « 5 k«n
Figure 1. Site Locations: (1) Vranovici (2) Vucinic (3) Kladanj
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KLADANJ I CONSULTANT REPORT
Photo 1. Vranovici Bodies 3 and 4 in situ.
Photo 2. Vucinic exhumation in progress.
PHYSICIANS/or HUMAN RIGHTS, December 1999
KLADANJ I CONSULTANT REPORT
Photo 3. Vucinic Body 4 in body bag.
Photo 4. Expected gravesite of Kladanj Body 5 (empty).
PHYSICIANS/or HUMAN RIGHTS, December 1999
