Location: Foča, Partizan

The "Partizan" sports hall in Foča was one of the most notorious places of detention where women and girls were raped during the war in BiH. From April 1992 to March 1993, this sports facility was under the control of the Army of the Republika Srpska (hereinafter: VRS).

The crimes committed in "Partizan" were not isolated cases, but part of a wider systematic undertaking of ethnic cleansing in and around Foča. Various forms of war crimes, including mass rapes, deportations, kidnappings, murders, detention in camps and other forms of inhumane treatment of civilians of non-Serb nationality, have been judicially established in connection with the area of Foča municipality. The victims were from the area of Foča, a city that before the war had a population of 40,513 inhabitants, of which 51.6 percent were Bosniaks. According to the 2013 census, 18,288 inhabitants live in Foča, and Bosniaks make up approximately 7 percent of the population. This difference is caused by the systematic persecution of the population and carrying out of terror against the citizens of Foča during the war.

The exact number of victims is unknown, but it is estimated that hundreds of women and girls were raped and sexually abused. The youngest victim was 11 and the oldest 70. 

Five persons were sentenced to a total of 76 years in prison before the ICTY and the Court of BiH for crimes related to the "Partizan" facility. Among those convicted are: Dragoljub Kunarac, Radomir Kovač, Zoran Vuković, Gojko Janković and Jasko Gazdić. The judgments of the ICTY, as well as of domestic courts, also determined a number of other locations in the area of Foča municipality where crimes of rape and other forms of sexual violence were committed.

Today, the "Partizan" sports hall is a facility renovated by donations from the international community, and its premises are used for sports activities in the local community. Although almost thirty years have passed since the end of the war, the local authorities ignore initiatives and any dialogue regarding the erection of a memorial plaque on this object or near it in order to commemorate officially and adequately the suffering of the victims.

The Association of the War Victims of Foča 92-95, in memory of the victims' suffering, organizes a commemorative walk and commemoration once a year on June 19th, the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict. The commemoration is attended by the surviving victims and their families, with the support of civil society representatives, the international community and mostly representatives of the authorities from among the Bosniak people, with the evident absence of the authorities of Foča.

Location: Foča, Miljevina: Karaman’s House

Karaman's house is a facility in the village of Miljevina near Foča where women and girls from the "Partizan" sports hall and from the Kalinovik secondary school were taken. According to the facts established by the court, Karaman's house served as a camp for rape and sexual slavery and was used for these purposes in the period from August to October 1992. 

It was established that at least nine women and girls were detained in this facility and under the constant surveillance of guards. The youngest victim was only 12 years old. The VRS soldiers had complete control over the lives and bodies of the victims in Karaman's house, and often those in higher positions, primarily Radovan Stanković and Dragoljub Kunarac, chose women "for themselves" and assigned them to other persons. During their detention, the women were subjected to daily rapes and were forced to do manual labor. Neđo Samardžić and Radovan Stanković were sentenced to 24 years in prison and Radovan Stanković to 20 years in prison for the crimes committed in Karaman's house, while Radomir Kovač and Dragoljub Kunarac were convicted before the ICTY also for crimes related to this location.

Karaman's house is a privately owned building and its owner refused to sell it to the local authorities after the war. He emphasized the desire for a museum of women's suffering to be built in that place. There was no construction of a museum or other forms of memorialization. The non-governmental organization Centre for Nonviolent Action (CNA) - within the framework of the initiative "Unmarked Places of Suffering" - informally placed a memorial board, thus marking this place of suffering.

Location Višegrad: Vilina vlas

"Vilina Vlas", a rehabilitation spa, was used as an organized camp for the rape of women and girls during the war. It is located in the village of Višegradska Banja in the vicinity of Višegrad. The facility also served as the headquarters of convicted war criminal Milan Lukić, who coordinated the commission of war crimes in this municipality from "Vilina Vlas".

Numerous crimes were committed in Višegrad, which included mass deportations, rapes, murders, burning of civilians in places of detention and other forms of inhumane treatment of non-Serb nationality civilians. 

According to the 1991 census, out of approximately 21,000 inhabitants, 63 percent were Bosniaks, while Serbs made up 33 percent of the population. According to the 2013 census, approximately 11,000 inhabitants live in Višegrad, of which Bosniaks make up approximately 10 percent. As already said, in the overall goal of persecuting the population, the demographic structure was significantly changed during the war.

During the trial of Željko Lelek, the Court of BiH confirmed that "Vilina Vlas" was used as a systematic camp for capture and rape. Women who were imprisoned in "Vilina Vlas" testified about multiple rapes and beatings. All rooms in "Vilina Vlas" were locked, while women and girls, who were imprisoned in them, were tied and unable to move.

Although the exact number has not been identified, it is estimated that around 200 women and girls were raped in this facility. 

One of the victims, J.A., was abducted from the street in Višegrad and taken to "Vilina vlas". After being raped, she committed suicide by jumping out of the building's window. Her body was found in the process of exhumation in Perućac artificial lake. Protected witness M.H. testified that women were taken and kept in this facility on daily basis.

The Court of BiH sentenced Željko Lelek to 16 years in prison, Nenad Tanasković to 8 years in prison, and Oliver Krsmanović to 18 years in prison.

"Vilina vlas" continued to operate as a hotel-spa complex after the war. When browsing for this facility online, the results show that it is a tourist destination for staying and having treatments in a spa. The reviews and impressions about "Vilina vlas" on Google services and Trust Pilot do not mention the wartime purpose of this facility or the crimes associated with this location. The Association of Women Victims of War has repeatedly requested for a monument to the victims of crimes from the 1990s to be built at this location, but the RS authorities have not decided to take this step. On the contrary, in 2021, they included the facility "Vilina vlas" in the list of locations where citizens can use vouchers to stimulate the tourism industry.

After the promotion of "Vilina vlas" as part of tourist incentives and an article published by the British newspaper “The Guardian”, the general public has become aware of the fact that the complex continues to operate without any formal mentioning of the crimes committed in this facility. An online petition was launched to remove "Vilina vlas" from the list of tourist sites on Google services, which was signed by more than 25,000 people. However, it failed to remove "Vilina vlas" from the official browsers.

Location: Čelebići, Konjic

The Čelebići detention camp had been a facility of the Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA) in the Čelebići settlement near Konjic, established, according to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (hereinafter: ICTY), by Bosniak and Croat forces in mid-1992. Before the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina (hereinafter: BiH), this facility was used by the JNA to store fuel and machinery. The complex covers about 50,000 square meters. As was established by the Court of BiH, numerous crimes against humanity were committed against Serb civilians in the territory of Konjic from April to December 1992, including persecution, murder, rape, imprisonment and torture. In the 1991 census, the population of Konjic municipality was 43,878, of which 54.7 percent were Bosniaks, 26.2 percent Croats and 15 percent Serbs. In the 2013 census, the number of Bosniaks increased to 89.4 percent, and now there are 6.2 percent Croats and 1.4 percent Serbs, which results from the systematic wartime persecution.

According to the judgments, 240 people were detained in the camp, of which six were tortured and 48 were killed. Most of the crimes were committed by camp guards, who, according to the ICTY judgment, were in command of the camp as members of the Territorial Defence Municipal Headquarters in Konjic, the sabotage-reconnaissance detachment Akrepi, as well as of the police force.

Three people were convicted by the ICTY of crimes committed in the Čelebići camp: Hazim Delić, Esad Landžo and Zdravko Mucić, while Zejnil Delalić was acquitted. Delić, Landžo and Mucić were sentenced to a total of 42 years in prison. Esad Ramić, Omer Borić, Šefik Nikšić, Adnan Alikadić, Mitko Pirkić, Redžo Balić, Hamed Lukomirak, Safaudin Ćosić, Muhamed Cakić, Ismet Hebibović, Enes Jahić, Senadin Ćibo and Željko Šimunović are currently being tried before the Court of BiH for crimes committed against Serb civilian population in the territory of Konjic.

It is noteworthy that the case Mucić et al. (IT-96-21) at the ICTY was the first to define rape as a form of torture, ultimately enabling the development of case law of prosecuting the crime of rape committed during the war in BiH. Furthermore, this case was the first to establish command responsibility, specifically of camp commander Zdravko Mucić, who failed to prevent torture, rape, murder and other crimes against humanity.

The facility is currently under the competence of BiH Armed Forces.

Lokacija: Omarska, Prijedor

The Omarska camp was established in the territory of the Omarska settlement, near the city of Prijedor, and it operated from the end of May until mid-August 1992. According to the judgments of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (hereinafter: ICTY), the camp, formerly an iron ore mine, was established by Simo Drljača, the then chief of police in Prijedor, on 30 May 1992.

According to ICTY judgments, more than 3,334 non-Serb detainees passed through the Omarska camp, including about thirty women, of whom about 900 people were killed.

During that period, other infamous camps were established in the territory of Prijedor, such as the Trnopolje and Keraterm camps. In the 1991 census, the population of Prijedor municipality was 112,543, of whom 43.9 percent Bosniaks, 42.3 percent Serbs, and 5.6 percent Croats; however, in the 2013 census, there were 32.5 percent Bosniaks, 2 percent Croats, and 62.5 percent Serbs, indicating a changed ethnic structure of the population after the war.

As established by the ICTY judgments, a systematic and massive attack was carried out against the Bosniak and Croat civilians of the Prijedor municipality by the Yugoslav People’s Army and the Army of the Republika Srpska.

Murders, torture, rape and unlawful imprisonment of Bosniaks and Croats were committed in the Omarska camp in 1992. The detainees were subjected to physical and psychological abuse, sexual violence, deprivation of necessities and arbitrary deprivation of liberty. According to the ICTY, the male and female detainees were, among other things, forced to sit on the hot ground for hours, sing Serbian songs and were beaten with fists, boots, rifle butts and other objects, and several female detainees were raped. All detainees, both male and female, were interrogated, and almost all were beaten. The judgment details the conditions in the camp: “Due to the lack of basic hygiene conditions, there was a terrible stench in all the premises, in all parts of the camp. Many people did not want to leave the runway precisely because of the stench and conditions. We all had lice, were unshaven, starving, skeletons.” 

Nusreta Sivac, a camp detainee, testified that “the nights were the worst for the women” as the guards came to their rooms, took them away and raped them. Nusreta further stated that “this happened regularly.” It was Nusreta Sivac who later greatly contributed to the development of international criminal law. She actively participated in the work of the ICTY and helped define rape as a crime against humanity for the first time in history. The definition of rape as a crime against humanity was first applied in the ICTY case Kunarac at al. (IT-96-23 & 23/1). Miroslav Kvočka, Dragoljub Prcać, Milojica Kos, Mlađo Radić, Zoran Žigić and Milomir Stakić were sentenced by the ICTY to a total of 106 years in prison for the crimes committed in the Omarska camp.

Four more people are on trial before the Court of BiH, after the case was transferred from the Hague Tribunal.

Today, there are two memorial plaques in front of the former camp Omarska, one placed by the camp detainees, and the other by the people of Prijedor who now live in Serbia. The plaques placed by the survivors’ association cannot be considered an official form of memorialisation. It is particularly noteworthy that the crimes committed in Omarska were documented by international courts and the Court of BiH, as well as by journalists who came and reported to the world about the conditions and events in this camp. Photographs of Fikret Alić from this camp appeared in the Time magazine in 1992, alerting the general public to the existence of the camp and the crimes against humanity committed there. After reports about Omarska reached all parts of the world, the camp was dissolved, and its detainees were transferred to other camps.

Furthermore, Omarska is a less populated place next to the city of Prijedor – in which survivors have been waiting for more than 25 years for the approval and construction of a monument to the children of Prijedor murdered in the period 1992-1995.

Location: Vlasenica

The Sušica camp in the territory of Vlasenica municipality was established at the end of May and was in operation until the end of September 1992, managed by the military and the local police in Sušica. From the creation of the camp until October of that year, 8,000 Bosniak and other non-Serb civilians were imprisoned in the hangar of the camp, with an average of 200 to 500 detainees placed in this small space.

According to the judgments of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (hereinafter: ICTY), the following persons were convicted: Dragan Nikolić, Momčilo Krajišnik, Radovan Karadžić, Ratko Mladić, Mićo Stanišić and Stojan Župljanin. The accused Slobodan Milošević died before the judgment was pronounced. The war crimes for which they were convicted are genocide, persecution, extermination, murder, deportation, sexual violence, torture and other war crimes. They were sentenced to a total of 127 years in prison for the crimes committed, including one life sentence.

Women, children and men were detained in the camp. After some time, the women were forcibly moved to nearby “Muslim areas.” Unlike them, the men were detained until the camp was closed, when they were transferred to the larger Batković detention camp near the city of Bijeljina.

According to international organizations' reports, it is estimated that at least 20,000 women and men were raped or sexually abused in Bosnia and Herzegovina (hereinafter: BiH) during the war from 1992 to 1995. In addition to the above, it is important to point out that women make up a total of 25 percent of all civilian victims of the war in BiH. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (hereinafter: ICTY) was established in May 1993 as a reaction of the international community, and primarily the United Nations Security Council, to the mass crimes that took place in BiH and the region. From the moment of its foundation, as part of its mandate, the ICTY conducted investigations and based on them brought indictments, inter alia, for wartime sexual violence. The first in a series of indictments concerning wartime sexual violence was filed in 1995 in the case of Duško Tadić. This trial is also the first court case related to war crimes in the world that included wartime sexual violence. The case against Duško Tadić marked the beginning of a new judicial practice in international criminal law, according to which rape was qualified as a crime against humanity for the first time.

War crimes, including sexual violence, were committed systematically and categorically throughout the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Some of the locations, including wider municipal areas, where the most cases of sexual violence were recorded are: Višegrad, Foča, Rogatica, Prijedor, Zvornik, Vlasenica, Mostar, Konjic, Bijeljina and Brčko. The victims of rape and other forms of sexual violence were from all parts of BiH, both women and men from all ethnic groups, but according to the facts established by the courts and reports of the international community, they were mostly women of Bosniak nationality, of different ages, where the majority of women was of reproductive age. Despite the severity of the crime and the extremely high estimated number of victims, as well as the extensive judicial practice, there is no adequate institutional response in BiH to the memorialization of the suffering of victims of wartime sexual violence. Crime scenes confirmed by court facts do not have official and formal markings, while the efforts of victims' associations and civil society organizations to mark such places are often met with resistance from local authorities. 

The victims of severe human rights violations cannot be forgotten, and states have a duty to preserve the historical memory of periods of wartime violence. In this sense, monuments, museums and commemorative activities are irreplaceable educational initiatives that establish public records and registers and serve in the fight against denial as well as deterring the repetition of crimes. In BiH, the process of transitional justice has never been fully implemented, and one of the proofs is precisely the lack of adequate memorialization of the place of suffering, as one of the basic principles of transitional justice, which leads to creating an adequate environment for reconciliation. Restoring the dignity of the victims and acknowledging their suffering through memorialization is one of the key steps in building peace and a stable society.