|
According to
the official results of the 1991 census, the Prozor district had
19,601 residents:
12,213 Croats
(62,3%)
7,173 Moslems (36,6%)
49 Serbs (0,2%)
166 others (0,9%)
During the Serbian aggression against Bosnia-Herzegovina (1992),
Serbian forces and soldiers of the former YPA attacked the western
sections of the district (mid-April 1992). During the Serbian attacks
the civilian residents abandoned the following villages in the western
section of the district: Zvirnjaca, Ravasnica and Zahum. The Serbian
artillery shelled Rama in May 1992. A small and poorly armed HVO
unit prevented the Serbian forces from occupying the district area.
In August, September
and October 1992, the occupying forces fired on residential areas
and villages of the district from the long range artillery arms
during which time five Croats were killed in the town of Prozor.
Prior to the
escalation of the Moslem-Croat conflicts in the district area, the
civilian authority had been organised according to the results of
the elections. Only a few Moslems actively joined the district defence
unit and fought against the Serb aggressor. In summer 1992, the
leadership of the Party of Democratic Action was forcibly replaced
and since that time all attempts towards a co-operation and agreements
have been on decrease.
The military
clashes between B-H Army and HVO soldiers started on October 23rd
1992. They were triggered off by the murder of a HVO soldier outside
the village of Dobros. The defeated B-H Army soldiers retreated
to the villages of Here, Scite and Kute in the northeast section
of the district.
June 18th 1993,
B-H Army soldiers killed three Croats in the village of Jurici.
September 14th
1993, B-H Army soldiers attacked the Croat villagers of Uzdol. Upon
their arrival in the village the infantry killed everybody in sight,
and only 100 women, children and elderly people remained in the
village. On the following day, the HVO soldiers entered the village
and found 29 mutilated bodies of murdered Croat civilians.
Majority of
residential and farm buildings in the district area were destroyed
during the shelling of Serbian artillery, and in the clashes between
B-H Army and HVO soldiers.
001 B-H - PROZOR
- September 14, 1993
DESCRIPTION
OF REPORTED CRIME: Mass killing and massacre.
TIME AND LOCATION: September 14, 1993; around 6:00 a.m.; the village
of Uzdol, Kriz hamlet (cca 12 kilometres east of Prozor).
SUMMARY OF REPORTED CRIME: According to the 1991 census, the village
had a population of 570. However, prior to this incident, some 100
civilians remained in the village who refused to leave their property,
regardless of the fact that the village was located in the immediate
vicinity of the front-line. On September 14, 1993, around 6:00 a.m.,
armed Muslim soldiers, members of the B-H Army, attacked the villagers
of Uzdol. The villagers were still asleep so that many bodies were
found burnt in their homes as well as around houses and on the village
road while trying to escape. Entire families were murdered.
In Ivan Zelenika's
house, the bodies of Ruza Zelenika and her grandchild Jadranka were
found on a bed. Both were first shot, and then mutilated.
Some one hundred
metres from a house, the body of a boy was found lying on the village
road, dressed only in his underwear. The boy's name was Stjepan
Zelic. His sister Marija's body lied several meters away. Stjepan
was shot with a gun in the head.
Mijo Rajic was
killed on the staircase of his house. In his house, his wife Ivka's
body (a bed-ridden invalid for nine years) was found mutilated.
To date, 29
bodies of civilians were found and identified. It is suspected that
more victims are buried under the ruins of burnt down houses.
PERPETRATORS: Members of the B-H Army.
EVIDENCE: The HBNA (Herzeg-Bosnia) news agency report no. 0013
from September
15, 1993. Document currently kept in the archives
of the Department.
NOTE: The following
is the list of killed civilians (with dates
of their birth)
from the village of Uzdol:
1. Domin Raic (September 21, 1936);
2. Ivka Raic (April 16, 1934);
3. Zorka Glibo (October 10, 1938);
4. Mato Ljubic (October 6, 1923);
5. Kata Ljubic (September 10, 1948);
6. Kata Perkovic (September 24, 1922);
7. Luca Zelenika (April 25, 1906);
8. Janja Zelenika (August 28, 1931);
9. Dragica Zelenika (April 25, 1934);
10. Ivan Zelenika (June 1, 1930);
11. Ruza Zelenika (April 14, 1931);
12. Jadranka Zelenika (January 8, 1981);
13. Ruza Zelic (December 25, 1943);
14. Marija Zelic (September 12, 1980);
15. Stjepan Zelic (January 2, 1983);
16. Ante Stojanovic (March 5, 1920);
17. Anica Stojanovic (November 4, 1949);
18. Franjo Stojanovic (January 6, 1916);
19. Stanko Raic (May 20, 1927);
20. Lucija Raic (September 26, 1933);
21. Sima Raic (July 6, 1914);
22. Mara Raic (November 26, 1938);
23. Mijo Raic (September 12, 1924);
24. Ivka Raic (April 29, 1921);
25. Serafina Stojanovic (February 12, 1922);
26. Mara Grubesa (elderly, birth date unknown);
27. Martin Ratkic (elderly, birth date unknown);
28. Kata Ratkic (elderly, birth date unknown);
29. Jela Dzalto (elderly, birth date unknown).
|
