BIRN: Croat prisoners were held in Niš

Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA) kept more than 400 Croatian civilians and soldiers in a prison camp in Nis, Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) released. BIRN claims that at least one person died in the prison camp in Nis. BIRN: Croat prisoners were held in Nis According to Croatia’s Commission for the Missing and Imprisoned Persons, at least 447 Croats were held for exchange purposes in Nis’s military investigative prison or correction facilities. Witnesses claim that the camp was active from mid-November 1991 until late February 1992. They also say that the Nis camp was the worst one that they passed through. Head of Serbia’s Commission for Missing and Imprisoned Persons Veljko Odalovic said that ten bodies were exhumed in July 2010 from the city cemetery. “It was determined beyond doubt that one body was directly linked to people from Croatia held in 1991 in collection centers in Serbia, some of whom were temporarily held in Nis,” he pointed out. According to Odalovic, Petar Mesic from the Croatian missing persons list was identified and autopsy is being performed on other nine bodies that were buried without IDs so it is not clear whether they came from Croatia as well. Head of Croatia’s Commission for the Missing and Imprisoned Persons Ivan Grujic said that at least 447 Croats had passed through Nis, either the military investigation prison or the correctional facility. He explained that a network of camps and prisons had functioned in former Yugoslavia in 1991 and 1992 under JNA command, located in Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serb-held regions of Croatia. The Croatian Commission for the Missing and Imprisoned Persons says a total of 7,666 people were exchanged from all of the Yugoslav army-run camps from December 1991 until August 1992. Head of the former detainees’ association, “Vukovar 1991” Zoran Sangut, who was 21 when he was captured, spent 130 days in camps in Stajicevo, Sremska Mitrovica and Nis in 1991 and 1992. “In the Nis camp they beat us with fists, boots, batons, especially on the day when the first countries recognized Croatia’s independence,” he said. In May 2008, “Vukovar 1991” handed Serbia’s War Crimes Prosecution criminal charges against unknown persons, accusing them of war crimes against prisoners of war in several prison camps, including Nis. Serbian Deputy War Crimes Prosecutor Bruno Vekaric has confirmed that a pre-trial process is underway and that “there are new information largely relating to concealment of this crime, and the most data we collected so far is for the centers at Stajicevo and Begejci.” B92 reporter Danica Vucinic made a documentary about the Begejci prison camp which includes statements of the former prisoners.

BIRN: Croat prisoners were held in Niš

According to Croatia’s Commission for the Missing and Imprisoned Persons, at least 447 Croats were held for exchange purposes in Niš’s military investigative prison or correction facilities. Witnesses claim that the camp was active from mid-November 1991 until late February 1992.

They also say that the Niš camp was the worst one that they passed through.

Head of Serbia’s Commission for Missing and Imprisoned Persons Veljko Odalović said that ten bodies were exhumed in July 2010 from the city cemetery.

“It was determined beyond doubt that one body was directly linked to people from Croatia held in 1991 in collection centers in Serbia, some of whom were temporarily held in Niš,” he pointed out.

According to Odalović, Petar Mesić from the Croatian missing persons list was identified and autopsy is being performed on other nine bodies that were buried without IDs so it is not clear whether they came from Croatia as well.

Head of Croatia’s Commission for the Missing and Imprisoned Persons Ivan Grujić said that at least 447 Croats had passed through Niš, either the military investigation prison or the correctional facility.

He explained that a network of camps and prisons had functioned in former Yugoslavia in 1991 and 1992 under JNA command, located in Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serb-held regions of Croatia.

The Croatian Commission for the Missing and Imprisoned Persons says a total of 7,666 people were exchanged from all of the Yugoslav army-run camps from December 1991 until August 1992.

Head of the former detainees’ association, “Vukovar 1991” Zoran Šangut, who was 21 when he was captured, spent 130 days in camps in Stajićevo, Sremska Mitrovica and Niš in 1991 and 1992.

“In the Nis camp they beat us with fists, boots, batons, especially on the day when the first countries recognized Croatia’s independence,” he said.

In May 2008, “Vukovar 1991” handed Serbia’s War Crimes Prosecution criminal charges against unknown persons, accusing them of war crimes against prisoners of war in several prison camps, including Niš.

Serbian Deputy War Crimes Prosecutor Bruno Vekarić has confirmed that a pre-trial process is underway and that “there are new information largely relating to concealment of this crime, and the most data we collected so far is for the centers at Stajićevo and Begejci.”

B92 reporter Danica Vučinić made a documentary about the Begejci prison camp which includes statements of the former prisoners.