BiH : Tihovici massacre before the Human Rights Committee

The Advocacy Center – TRIAL (ACT) submitted this week a communication to the Human Rights Committee concerning the enforced disappearance and alleged arbitrary execution and the subsequent concealment of the mortal remains of Mr. Sejad Hero and Mr. Ramiz Kožljak occurred in July 1992.

Since its creation, ACT has submitted nine cases to the European Court of Human Rights and six cases to the UN Human Rights Committee, in relation to the disappearances of 19 people.

The Hero and Kožljak case

On 4 July 1992 members of the Yugoslav National Army (Jugoslovenska Narodna Armija – JNA) surrounded the village of Tihovići and arbitrarily apprehended about 13 civilians, including Mr. Sejad Hero. Accordingly to eyewitnesses, the men were taken to a meadow in Tihovići where they were tortured and mutilated. Allegedly, they were afterwards arbitrarily executed by members of the JNA, who then set fire to the dead bodies and finally transferred the mortal remains to a nearby stream in Tihovići. The fate and whereabouts of Mr. Sejad Hero remain unknown since he was apprehended by members of the JNA and his mortal remains have not been located, identified and returned to the family for mourning and burial. After having learned about the massacre of the 13 mean, in order to save his life Mr. Ramiz Kožljak decided to escape towards the nearby village of Vrapče, which was under the control of the Bosnian army.  The whole area surrounding Vrapče was under the control of the JNA. Allegedly, Mr. Ramiz Kožljak was also captured and allegedly arbitrarily executed by members of the JNA. However, his mortal remains have not been located, exhumed, identified and returned to his family and his fate and whereabouts remain unknown since then.

• More on the case here.