US embassy cable - 95ZAGREB1090

UNCLASSIFIED LIMITED OFFICIAL USE SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 01090 
 
SIPDIS 


 
 
VIENNA ALSO FOR BOSNIA 
USVIENNA ALSO FOR USDEL OSCE 
BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU 
 
E.O. 12356:  N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, PREF, BK, PREF, BK, HR, War Crimes 
SUBJECT:  BANJA LUKA MUSLIM LEADERS ARRESTED FOR 
          "ESPIONAGE" FACE POSSIBLE DEATH SENTENCE 
 
1.  THIS IS AN ACTION REQUEST.  SEE PARA 7. 
 
2.  (U) IN THE PAST TWO WEEKS, OVER TEN OF THE MOST 
PROMINENT MUSLIM COMMUNITY LEADERS IN THE BANJA LUKA 
REGION HAVE BEEN ARRESTED AT THEIR MERHAMET OFFICES AND IN 
THEIR HOMES BY SERB MILITARY AUTHORITIES.  THE DETAINED 
INCLUDED NIJAZ KARASELIMOVIC, THE 73-YEAR-OLD PRESIDENT OF 
MERHAMET BANJA LUKA.  POLICE ALSO CARRIED AWAY COMPUTERS 
AND DISKS CONTAINING THE ORGANIZATION'S RECORDS.  THERE 
ARE UNCONFIRMED REPORTS OF SIMILAR ARRESTS IN NOVI GRAD 
(FORMERLY BOSANSKI NOVI) AND PRNJAVOR.  AFTER THESE 
ARRESTS AND THOSE OF THE SDA LEADERSHIP FIVE MONTHS AGO, 
THE ONLY REMAINING MUSLIM COMMUNITY LEADER IN BANJA LUKA 
IS THE RELIGIOUS MUFTI, IBRAHIM HALILOVIC. 
 
3.  (LOU) ACCORDING TO AP/HINA, MERHAMET ZAGREB SOURCES, 
AND KARASELIMOVIC'S SON EMIR (PROTECT), THESE PRISONERS 
ARE CURRENTLY UNDER DETENTION IN A MILITARY PRISON, HAVE 
BEEN INDICTED BY THE MILITARY PROSECUTOR IN BANJA LUKA FOR 
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ESPIONAGE, AND MAY BE SUMMARILY EXECUTED IF CONVICTED. 
EFFORTS BY INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES TO VISIT THE PRISONERS 
HAVE BEEN REBUFFED SO FAR.  LOCAL SOURCES IN CONTACT WITH 
THEIR FAMILIES TOLD US THAT, IN PRISON, THE MUSLIMS WERE 
BEATEN AND TORTURED BY THE MILITARY AUTHORITIES.  THE 
INDICTMENT ALLEGES THAT THESE INDIVIDUALS CARRIED OUT 
ESPIONAGE ACTIVITIES IN THE FORM OF CONTACTS WITH FOREIGN 
EMBASSIES IN ZAGREB, AND REPORTEDLY NAMED THE BOSNIAN 
EMBASSY.  PREVIOUS TO HIS ARREST, EMBOFF HAD MET WITH 
KARASELIMOVIC IN ZAGREB ON FEBRUARY 21 TO DISCUSS THE 
WORSENING HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION FOR MINORITIES IN THE 
BANJA LUKA REGION.  AN ACCOUNT FROM BANJA LUKA'S "GLAS 
SRPSKI" LINKED THESE ALLEGED ESPIONAGE ACTIVITIES WITH 
THOSE OF THE SDA LEADERSHIP "VALTER GROUP," SIMILARLY 
CHARGED, AND CURRENTLY ON TRIAL BY THE MILITARY 
PROSECUTOR. 
 
4.  (U) THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS ARE REPORTED TO BE 
IMPRISONED AT THE MALI LOGOR BARRACKS IN BANJA LUKA AT 
THIS TIME: 
 
MERHAMET BANJA LUKA: 
  NIJAZ KARASELIMOVIC, PRESIDENT 
  BECO FILIPOVIC, VICE-PRESIDENT 
  ISMET PELAK, ATTORNEY 
  ADIL MEDIC, EXCHANGE COMMISSION MEMBER AND 
     CONVOY MANAGER 
  MEHMED BAJRIC, EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBER AND 
     CONVOY LEADER 
  ENVER IBRAHIM-BEGOVIC, (NO FURTHER INFORMATION) 
  (BAKIR IBRAHIM-BEGOVIC, FATHER OF ENVER, WAS RELEASED) 
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MERHAMET PRIJEDOR 
  NIJAZ KAPETANOVIC, PRESIDENT 
  ADIL SOLO, VICE PRESIDENT 
  SEDIKA CERIC, SECRETARY 
 
MERHAMET SANSKI MOST 
  AMIR TALIC, FORMER PRESIDENT 
  (TWO OTHERS FROM SANSKI MOST HAVE BEEN RELEASED) 
5.  (LOU) OUR CONTACTS STATED THAT AS A RESULT OF THESE 
DETENTIONS, PANIC HAS SPREAD AMONG THE MUSLIM AND OTHER 
MINORITY COMMUNITIES IN BANJA LUKA.  FIVE THOUSAND PEOPLE 
ARE REPORTEDLY PREPARED TO LEAVE IMMEDIATELY IN FEAR FOR 
THEIR LIVES. 
 
6.  (LOU) UNHCR CONTACTS TOLD US THIS INCIDENT HAS 
SIGNIFICANTLY IMPAIRED THEIR EFFORTS AND THOSE OF OTHER 
INTERNATIONAL GROUPS TO MAINTAIN CONTACT WITH THE MINORITY 
COMMUNITIES AND DELIVER AID TO THE REGION.  THEY BELIEVE 
THAT THE SERB AUTHORITIES HAVE "DECAPITATED" THE MUSLIM 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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ACTION EUR-01 
 
INFO  LOG-00   AID-01   AMAD-01  CIAE-00  SMEC-00  OASY-00  EB-01 
      OIGO-01  H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-10    L-01     ADS-00 
      NEA-01   NSAE-00  NSCE-00  OIC-02   PA-01    PRS-01   P-01 
      SP-00    SR-00    SSO-00   SS-00    STR-01   TRSE-00  PRM-10 
      PRME-01  DRL-09   G-00       /044W 
                  ------------------AF2D0F  101653Z /38 
O 101644Z MAR 95 
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5127 
INFO CINCUSAFE RAMSTEIN AB GE//DO/LG/XP/IN// 
HQ JTF PP NAPLES IT//CA/POLAD// 
USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ3/ECJ4/ECJ5// 
CINCUSNAVEUR LONDON UK//N2/N22// 
USLO SKOPJE 
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 
AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA 
AMEMBASSY BELGRADE 
NATO EU COLLECTIVE 
AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST 
USMISSION GENEVA 
AMCONSUL MUNICH 
COM SIXTHFLT//N2// 
HQUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE//J3/J4/J5// 
SECDEF WASHDC//ISA/ISP// 
USIA WASHDC 5130 
JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J5-PMA/J21// 
 
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PAGE 02        ZAGREB  01090  02 OF 02  101653Z 
 
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE SECTION 02 OF 02 ZAGREB 001090 
 
 
VIENNA ALSO FOR BOSNIA 
USVIENNA ALSO FOR USDEL OSCE 
BRUSSELS ALSO FOR USEU 
 
E.O. 12356:  N/A 
TAGS:  PHUM, PREF, BK, HR 
SUBJECT:  BANJA LUKA MUSLIM LEADERS ARRESTED FOR 
          "ESPIONAGE" FACE POSSIBLE DEATH SENTENCE 
 
COMMUNITY TO DESTABILIZE IT AND ENCOURAGE THE FURTHER 
EXODUS OF MUSLIMS.  THE NEWLY NAMED LEADERSHIP FOR 
MERHAMET IN THE AREA (NO FURTHER INFORMATION) IS NOW WARY 
OF FURTHER INTERNATIONAL CONTACTS AND NO LONGER OPPOSES 
THE MASS DEPARTURE OF MUSLIMS, A SIGNIFICANT SHIFT FROM 
ITS TRADITIONAL POSITION ON ETHNIC CLEANSING.  ONE 
MERHAMET SOURCE CLAIMED THAT THESE NEW LEADERS ARE NO 
LONGER INDEPENDENT, ARE SUBJECT TO SERB CIVIL POLICE 
THREATS AND MAY EVEN TAKE DIRECTION FROM THEM.  UNHCR SAID 
THE PEOPLE NOW FEEL MUCH MORE EXPOSED AND THEIR LEADERSHIP 
IS NO LONGER ABLE TO "TAKE THE HEAT" FOR THEM. 
 
7.  (LOU) ACTION REQUEST:  WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT THE 
DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON ISSUE A STATEMENT WHICH CONDEMNS 
THE ARRESTS OF THESE SPECIFIC MUSLIM HUMANITARIAN 
ASSISTANCE COMMUNITY LEADERS; CALLS ON THE SERBS TO ALLOW 
INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES TO VISIT THE PRISONERS IMMEDIATELY 
AND ASCERTAIN THE CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH THEY ARE BEING 
HELD; POINTEDLY NOTES THE EXISTENCE OF THE WAR CRIMES 
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TRIBUNAL; AND WARNS ALL OF THOSE INVOLVED IN THESE ARRESTS 
AND PROSECUTIONS AND IN THE CONTINUED "ETHNIC CLEANSING" 
OF NON-SERBS FROM THE BANJA LUKA REGION AND ELSEWHERE THAT 
WE ARE WATCHING CLOSELY AND TAKING NAMES AND INTEND TO 
HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE. 
 
NEITZKE 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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