PHYSICIANS for

HUMAN R I G H T S I*

FORENSIC MONITORING PROJECT REPORT

Gradacac Exhumation and Surface Collections Republika Srpska Commission on Missing Persons

(17 July 1998)

FINDINGS

Report by: Heather P. York, M.A.

Forensic Monitor Forensic Monitoring Project Tuzla, Bosna i Hercegovina

October 1999

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

Physicians for Human Rights Pere Cuskica br.24

75000 Tuzla Bosna i Hercegovina

Tel/fax: 387-75-250-639

Financed with support of International Commission on Missing Persons

ICMP International Commission

on Missing Persons

GRADACAC EXHUMATIONS AND SURFACE COLLECTIONS

Summary of Events

On 17 July 1998, the Republika Srpska Commission on Missing and Tracing investigated a site near the town of Gradacac. The Commission hoped to find the bodies of six soldiers, but no human remains were encountered at this site. A Forensic Monitor from Physicians for Human Rights was present for the duration of this investigation.

During the investigation in Gradacac, two surface-lying bodies were recovered from two locations approximately 3.5 kilometers to the southwest, near the village of Hasanbsici. No Forensic Monitor was present for the surface collections.

No information regarding the postmortem examination of the two surface-lying bodies collected on 17 July was available at the time of this report.

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GRADACAC EXHUMATIONS AND SURFACE COLLECTIONS

Participants and Observers

Republika Srpska Commission on Missing and Tracing BOGDANIC Milan Member DRINIC Mladen Morgue Assistant KARAN Dr. Zeljko Forensic Pathologist, Banja Luka KRC1N4AR Goran Member MARIC Milko Crime Technician VESELINOVIC Slavisa Morgue Assistant

State Commission on Missing Persons (Bosniak) HURTIC Murat Member

Office of the High Representative ESCOBAR Gabriel

Physicians for Human Rights SPAHIC Lejla YORK Heather

Exhumations Officer, Banja Luka

Translator Forensic Monitor

International Police Task Force KISSEL Mark Local Police Advisor, Srebrenik Station

Others Local Police Witnesses

Site Description

The primary investigation took place at grid coordinates 34T BQ 964E 73 8N on the Gradacac topographic map (Sheet 2784-1, Series M709, Edition 8-DMA, and Scale 1:50,000; Figure 1). The site can be accessed by turning east at the smokestack (Photo 1) from the main north-south thoroughfare through Gradacac. The vehicles were left in a parking area to the northwest of the smokestack. Mine tape marked a pathway leading southwest from the gravel road adjacent to the parking area (Photo 2). The mine tape on either side of the pathway then expanded out to surround a rectangular area of about 15 x 7 m. The square was bordered by trees to the southeast, a chain link fence to the southwest, and the parking area and buildings to the northeast. Upon the arrival of the Commission team, the vegetation in the demarcated area had already been cleared away. There was a good deal of garbage on the surface and mixed in with the very disturbed soil.

The surface collections were from grid coordinates 34T BQ 93 8E 719N and 93 8E 709N on the Gradacac map. The two sites are approximately 3.5 km to the southwest of the Gradacac location.

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GRADACAC EXHUMATIONS AND SURFACE COLLECTIONS

Site History

Based on witness information, the Commission team hoped to find six bodies buried in wooden coffins. These men were allegedly soldiers from Prijedor who had died in 1992 on the frontline.

Exhumation Process and Condition of Remains

Under the direction of Commission members, a backhoe dug trenches approximately 0.5 m wide and 5 m long. The backhoe brought up a broken piece of a wooden grave marker from one of the trenches. Most of the letters and numbers had fallen off the marker. In another trench, the backhoe revealed a dark, rectangular stain that initially suggested the presence of a coffin (Photo 3). However, no human remains or other artifacts were associated with the stain. A third trench revealed bones and a mass of hair that turned out to be the remains of a dog.

The entire demarcated area was trenched, but no human remains were found at this site.

In the late morning, several of the Commission members left the Gradacac site to recover the two surface-lying bodies some 3.5 km away. Gabriel Escobar, the Exhumations Officer from the Office of the High Representative, accompanied the breakaway group. The Forensic Monitor remained with the primary investigation at Gradacac. At the end of the day, this group returned with two bodies in body bags, which were placed in the Commission's vehicle for transport to the morgue facility in Banja Luka.

Postmortem Examination Findings

No information regarding the postmortem examination of the two surface-lying bodies was available at the time of this report.

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GRADACAC EXHUMATIONS AND SURFACE COLLECTIONS

FIGURE 1: Gradacac Site Locations

MAP NAME: GRADACAC SHEET NO: 27841 EDITION: 8-DMA SERIES: M709 SCALE: 1:50,000 GRID COORDINATES

Exhumation: 34T BQ 964E 738N Surface 1: 34T BQ 938E 719N Surface 2: 34T BQ 938E 709N

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GRADACAC EXHUMATIONS AND SURFACE COLLECTIONS

Photo 1. Landmark smokestack east of the trenching area. (Roll HY-013, Exp.5)

Photo 2. Site overview; view to the northwest of the backhoe driving up the de-mined path toward a chain-link fence. The trenching area is to the left. (Roll HY-012, Exp.37)

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GRADACAC EXHUMATIONS AND SURFACE COLLECTIONS

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Photo 3. View to south of the backhoe revealing a dark, rectangular stain. No human remains or other artifacts were associated with the stain. (Roll HY-013, Exp.2)

PHYSICIANS for HUMAN RIGHTS, October 1999 6

PHYSICIANS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) mobilizes the health professions and enlists public support to protect and promote the human rights of all people.

PHR believes that human rights are essential preconditions for the health and well-being of all members of the human family.

We use medical and scientific methods to investigate and expose violations of human rights worldwide.

We work to stop violations of human rights.

We demand the perpetrators of human rights violations be held accountable for their actions under international law.

Since its founding in 1986, PHR has carried out forensic investigations, including exhumations and autopsies, of alleged torture and extrajudicial executions in Afghanistan, Brazil, Israel, the former Czechoslovakia, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Iraqi Kurdistan, Kuwait,, Mexico, Panama, Somalia, and Thailand. PHR has also devoted considerable energy and resources, under the auspices of its Chicago-based International Forensic Program, to assist the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (and its predecessor the U.N. War Crimes Commission) and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, to collect evidence of genocide in those nations.

The President is Charles Clements, M.D., M.P.H., the Vice President is Carola Eisenberg, M.D., the Executive Director is Leonard Rubenstein, J.D., the Deputy Director is Susannah Sirkin, the Advocacy Director is Holly Burkhalter, the Senior Program Associate is Richard Sollom, the Director of Communications is Barbara Ayotte, the Campaign and Education Coordinator is Gina Cummings, the Membership Development Coordinator is Steve Brown. William H. Haglund, Ph.D., is Director of PHR's International Forensic Program. Vince lacopino, M.D., Ph.D., is Senior Medical Consultant. The director of Bosnia Projects is Laurie Vollen, M.D., M.P.H.

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