Autor: Emir Ramić

BOSNIAN / BOSANSKI

This series is based on scientifically verified knowledge and the essential results of scientific research, of the many eminent researcher institutions of genocide and other crimes against humanity and international law in Europe and the world.

Emir RAMIĆ: Of the total number of 14,037 adult Bosniacs, with the right to vote, in Vlasenica in 1991, sex years later, that is, in 1997, only 7 Vlasenica adult Bosniacs remained. Thus, 14,030 adult Vlasenica residents of Muslim ethnicity were killed or forcibly expelled. Slobodan Milošević, Radovan Karadžić, Momčilo Krajišnik, Biljana Plavšić, Ratko Mladić, and Dragan Nikolić were indicted before ICTY in The Hague for the crime of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes against Bosniacs in Vlasenica.

Municipality Vlasenica is located in northeastern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the region of central part of Drina valley at the northeastern sides of Javor mountain. Geographically, it is surrounded by the parts of municipalities of Han Pijesak, Milići, Srebrenica, Bratunac, Zvornik, and Šekovići. Strategic position of Vlasenica is very important for the achievement of great Serbian plan due to the fact that it connects the territories with the Serb majority, from Sarajevo to Zvornik, that is, the Republic of Serbia.

According to 1991 census, Vlasenica population was 33,942 residents of which 18,727 (55.17%) were Muslims (Bosniacs); 14,359 (42.30%) Serbs; 39 (0.11%) Croats; 340 (1.00%) Yugoslavs, and 477 (1.42%) Others.

At the beginning of aggression of Serbia and Montenegro against internationally recognized and sovereign state of Bosnia and Herzegovina (April 1992), Yugoslav National Army (JNA) and other Serb armed formations from Serbia and Montenegro, including special police units from Serbia, along with the Serb collaborationist forces from Bosnia and Herzegovina committed an armed attack against this region. This geographic area is along the border with Serbia, which the ideologists of the Great Serbian project wanted to join to Serbia, ever since the period of Austro-Hungarian occupation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1878).

On 21 April 1992, JNA occupied the town of Vlasenica. Other villages of this municipality were occupied in the period between 1 May 1992 and 13 March 1993, when they committed genocide and other forms of crimes against humanity and international law. Bosniacs, being captured, were detained, incarcerated and tortured in the local police station, buildings of court, municipality, schools, and other facilities, and then in the concentration camp Sušica, in which a number of camp inmates were killed while some women were raped.

Numerous Bosniac civilians, members of national, ethnic, and religious group as such were killed. Military units from two Serbian Corps (Novi Sad and Valjevo) took part in the attack and occupation of the enclave Cerska, and crime of genocide, which took part in the period between August 1992 and 13 March 1993, in addition to the Serb units from Bosnia and Herzegovina military units from two Serbian Corps (Novi Sad and Valjevo).

- Serb forces killed about 2,600 Bosniacs in Vlasenica and the settlements of this municipality, including UN safe area, in which the surviving Vlasenica residents sought refuge. Of this number, about 1,000 Bosniacs were killed in the UN safe area Srebrenica;
- Of the total number of Bosniacs in Vlasenica (18,727), Serb forces expelled by force around 16,000 Bosniacs;
- All 25 religious facilities of Muslims/Bosniacs were destroyed, as they represented the key symbol of religious and cultural history of this national group;
- Around 700 women from Vlasenica were exposed to the worst kind of torture, and many of them were raped;
- More than 8,000 Bosniacs were in the camp Sušica;
- Of the total number of 14,037 adult Bosniacs, with the right to vote, in Vlasenica in 1991, sex years later, that is, in 1997, only 7 Vlasenica adult Bosniacs remained. Thus, 14,030 adult Vlasenica residents of Muslim ethnicity were killed or forcibly expelled.

Slobodan Milošević, Radovan Karadžić, Momčilo Krajišnik, Biljana Plavšić, Ratko Mladić, and Dragan Nikolić were indicted before ICTY in The Hague for the crime of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes against Bosniacs in Vlasenica.

Predrag Bastah and Goran Višković were convicted to 22 and 18 years in prison respectively before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to the witnesses, there are still many other perpetrators who have not been prosecuted. These are the exact data, facts and evidence which clearly prove that numerous crimes were committed against Vlasenica Bosniacs, even the crime of genocide, and that the genuine intention of Serbia under the leadership of Slobodan Milošević and Republika Srpska leadership under the leadership of Radovan Karadžić, was to destroy (kill) and forcibly expel Bosniacs so as to steal their property and establish Great Serbia populated only by Serbs.

Sources of scientific knowledge:
1.Institute for Research of Crimes against Humanity and International Law, University of Sarajevo
2.Institute for Research of Genocide, Canada
3.The International Criminal Tribunal for areas of the former Yugoslavia
4. The International Court of Justice