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Reconstruction Koricanske stijene: The Last Cries

By Denis Džidić

Korićanske stijene

20 August 2010  Despite hopes that leaving Prijedor would ensure their safety, about 200 residents were killed on Mount Vlasic in August 1992 after being separated from the convoy in which they were travelling.

On the basis of sentences handed down by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, ICTY, and the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as statements from survivors and defendants who pleaded guilty, BIRN - Justice Report has reconstructed the events that led to their deaths at Koricanske stijene.

In April 1992 when the Democratic Party (SDS) assumed power in Prijedor, the harassment and detention of non-Serb citizens began. Many civilians were detained in the Omarska, Trnopolje and Keraterm camps while others were placed under pressure to leave their homes.

The authorities began transporting the non-Serb population from the city in a series of convoys.

On the morning of August 21, 1992 members of the Public Security Station (SJB) Prijedor and SJB’s Intervention Platoon received the order from platoon leader Miroslav Paras to accompany the latest convoy to ensure its safety.

“Large numbers of Serbs, Croats and Muslims were in Tukovi. All were greeting each other. I saw lots of buses, the old town buses and trucks, 14 or 15 vehicles, and it was certainly about 1,500 people there.  It all happened quickly. It was inconvenient, moaning and crying,” said Damir Ivankovic, a former member of the Intervention Platoon who was sentenced to 14 years in prison before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

A convoy consisting of at least 12 buses, trucks and trucks with trailers with over 1,200 people inside was formed in Tukovi. It stopped for the first time near Kozarac where it was joined by four buses filled with men detained in the Trnopolje camp.

The convoy continued towards Banja Luka and Skender Vakuf/Knezevo, and members of the Intervention Platoon began looting and threatening the passengers.

“Commander Paras came across and said to take valuables from the passengers. I gave the bag to a middle-aged guy and told him to pick up valuables from passengers”, said Gordan Djuric, a former member of the Intervention Platoon sentenced by the state court to eight years.

After passing Skender Vakuf, in the vicinity of the Ugar River on Mount Vlasic, the convoy was again stopped. Members of the Intervention Platoon, including Ivankovic, Djuric and Ljubisa Cetic and Darko Mrdja – both sentenced to 13 and 17 years respectively – separated 200 military-aged men from the group.

The men were ordered to leave the buses and trucks and forced to join two buses which went on to Koricanske stijene.

“I felt that something was wrong. The separation of man had never happened before. They did not say anything about it, even on the road. Mrdja told me to stay and sent away the driver. They started to load these poor people onto the buses. They told them that they were going to exchange, but it was clear to me that this was not the case. They confiscated their belongings and my instinct told me that these people would not survive,” said Ivankovic.

Paras, who died after the war, ordered Djuric to enter into one of the buses “to carry out the task”. “I felt and became aware that these men would not end well,” said Djuric.

Paras then ordered him not to let anyone in the area near the bus.

Members of the Intervention Platoon told the men from the first bus to stop at the edge of the road, above the abyss, and kneel at the edge.

“The first line had to kneel down. It is indescribable. They started to push each other. The shooting started ... and then they jump. It's indescribable. The shooting lasted 10 or 15 minutes, because the people themselves were jumping, and the terrain was sharp, full of rocks, so the first ones who had fallen down could hardly survive. I fired one burst but did not finish it,” said Ivankovic.

Cetic, who fired from small bore rifle, said that Paras ran over and gave him an automatic rifle and shouted at him, because his weapon had only five rounds. Cetic said he fired a few more rounds.

Bodies of those who had died were falling into the abyss while some threw themselves over. Police officers at the top of the cliff tossed hand grenades and fired at the wounded when they saw people moving or moaning. Those who survived said that the cries of the dying could be heard for long time.

Midhet Mujkanovic survived because he jumped into the abyss.

“When I came to my senses I realised that luckily I was not hurt. I took the body of a dead man, covered myself and tried to crawl away. Then I heard from above, ‘somebody is moving down there’ and shooting started. So the dead man, whom even today I do not know the name of, saved my life. They kept shooting at anyone who was looking for help. They had no mercy,” he said.

Witness A, who testified before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina under protective measures, also survived. He said that the members of the Intervention Platoon ordered him to sit down as if he was “praying to God”.

Korićanske stijene

“I managed to kneel down, and when I went to put my hands behind the neck, the shooting started. As I turned my head, I managed to see that a police officer was shooting towards me with an automatic rifle. Then I jumped down to the abyss and descended for a dozen meters to the bottom,” said Witness A.

He said the shooting lasted for about 15 minutes during which time he saw several bodies that fell next to him and heard the moans.

“Mrdja ordered me to go down to see if anyone survived. The moans could be heard. I've seen broken people. I recognised one of them, little Susic. He was maybe 20 or 21 years old. He begged me to kill him, but I could not. I just gave him the gun to kill himself and left,” said Ivankovic.

The Intervention Platoon continued to kill people from second bus in the same place or in the immediate vicinity. The men were carried out in small groups of two to three and shot.

About 200 men were killed on Mount Vlasic that day while 12 men survived the shooting.
Four indictees men pleaded guilty to the killings and apologised.

“I participated in separating and killing these innocent men. I sincerely regret [what I did]. I apologise to all victims and their families,” said Darko Mrdja.

Ivankovic, Djuric and Cetic also admitted their guilt before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, while two trials for 10 people accused of the same crimes are still ongoing.

Denis Džidić is BIRN Justice Report journalist. denis@birn.eu.com. Justice Report is BIRN’s online weekly publication.