massacre massacre involved killing civilians paramilitary groups april war majority killed muslims members killed serbs deemed local authorities killing committed local paramilitary group known known tigers serbia based paramilitary group led aka command controlled serbian president september serbs proclaimed capital march referendum independence passed overwhelming support serbs prevented voting authorities poorly organized local paramilitary group established response proclamation march provoked fighting local serbs april took little resistance murders house searches followed actions described historian professor professor university_of_chicago concluded carried cultural history people april forces removed bodies anticipation arrival government delegation tasked investigating number sources figure civilians killed hundreds possibly thousand yugoslavia able verify deaths post war investigations documented deaths little civilian municipality course war massacre campaign mass ethnic non serbs carried demolished detention camps established deaths officially listed civilian war victims death certificates claim died natural causes december local courts prosecuted killings members prosecuted crimes unit carried croatia indicted charged carrying campaign included locations died trial leaders convicted transfers ethnic followed massacre president currently trial massacre crimes humanity committed end war fewer lived municipality pre war population serbs celebrate april city defense day street city named background according census municipality approximately inhabitants demographic proportions approximately serbs belonged town inhabitants town population serbs second largest ethnic group town group yugoslav people army officers experts developed ram plan intent organizing serbs outside serbia consolidating control preparing arms ammunition serbs croatia proclaimed number intent later territory early september october began serbs organizing militias year disarmed march distributed estimated firearms firearms early heavily police force order increase political control september established serbs capital serbian autonomous northern bosnia later renamed november renamed december serbian autonomous response local established paramilitary shortened january assembly proclaimed republic serbian people bosnia soon president announced unified longer exists march referendum independence passed overwhelming support having serbs claiming independence result serbs national minority islamic state armed irregular units block delivery ballot boxes dropped encouraging boycott despite thousands serbs larger cities participate referendum voted independence violent incidents triggered according historian steps taken party declaring autonomous regions population minor local incidents non stop propaganda request federal army protection matched exactly croatia observers doubt single plan operation strategically significant location enabled easy movement military personnel weaponry goods forces gathered takeover massacre leader spent month battle plans prior attack march chief staff announced army ready protect serbs open aggression fighting broke april local serbs personnel threw grenades shops including owned cafe provoking poorly organized armed conflict thousand members paramilitary formation commanded involved captured important structures town according journalist political analyst defended policemen according yugoslavia municipality taken serbs despite pro activities croatian war independence chairman presidency apparently believed act differently asked defend april town surrounded forces ostensibly peace according human rights watch wearing took positions city including sniper positions windows floor buildings meeting little resistance command reporting directly serbian president swiftly captured artillery units shelled town coordination street fighting according forces struck soldiers arriving city seizing radio station forcing local serbs reveal identities city non residents paramilitary group led founder participated assault arrived shortly began campaign violence local population committing murders searching residents houses property subsequently president tasked occupying stopping violence trial mayor testified real fighting took place town april happened city hospital fatalities occurred fighting progressed serbs created independent police force according pattern violence fueled create greater serbia developed later repeated municipalities north eastern similar paramilitary groups serbia pattern described following terms paramilitary forces assistance seize control area cases serbian residents told leave area violence begins homes non residents targeted destruction cultural religious monuments especially churches destroyed second area falls control paramilitary forces non residents random killings looting seized area administered local authorities conjunction paramilitary groups phase non residents detained beaten transferred prison camps abuse including mass killings occurred residents fired jobs property confiscated forced sign documents rights homes deported areas country exact number killed takeover unknown sources figure dozen thousand according civilians killed non serbs april local policeman ordered guard picking bodies streets houses town killings aim cultural history included political leaders businessmen prominent included women children number serbs attempted stop massacre killed investigation later stated victims shot chest mouth temple head close range wearing military uniforms according historian professor killing act acts civilians carried special forces followed attempt government general public pursuing independence invited photographs witnessed killings pictures depicted member kicking dying woman later published international media prompting death warrant serbian state owned network reported liberated help members cooperation serbian volunteers men serbian delegation investigation response forces ordered removal bodies killed anticipation delegation high ranking officials arrive april delegation included representative presidency representative minister defense chief staff 2nd military district general sent purpose investigating alleged atrocities day moved violence continued april established local headquarters local police engaged arresting town presidency joined days members paramilitary group local territorial defense members flags mounted established preventing journalists european monitors entering delegation visited crisis staff military barracks aware situation visit requested transfer control refused citing unfinished business said target consequently withdrew request commended protecting serbs called hero prepared life people adding need people thanked kissed public local members responded shouts approval conversation representative described liberated town initially turned gunpoint later able enter kept custody arrived release practically recalled met local authorities told happened wasn single muslim couldn discuss problem muslims didn answer appeal scared come specially scared talk general commander reported big influence propaganda felt 38th partisan division 17th mixed artillery regiment left units arms situation territory extremely complex town controlled men allow anti tank unit reach certain positions town refugees barracks cooperative hall area team presidency led chief staff 2nd military district commander 17th corps barracks hours following days predicted deterioration entire security political situation expected threat conflicts spread parts zone responsibility direct armed paramilitary units commands units possible attacks military warehouses isolated facilities day defense minister members coalition government urged inability stop violence described images coming unbelievable thought explained couldn believe eyes couldn believe possible described takeover criminal said considered responsible fall stood watched happening mobilized territorial defense later day enable people defend future members denounced illegal resigned april announced state imminent war danger rejected requests presidency return weapons confiscated leadership order pretext independence mobilized municipal crisis headquarters reserve police units forces ethnic mosque destruction stayed general chief staff commented activities april return voluntary units characterized long formations consisting personnel carriers tanks great number trucks clear sign looting concluded forces killed minimum people april september municipality april organized campaign begun remove population forth plan proposed family killed town create atmosphere fear september handed control plan carried special police unit september village people including seven children removed homes taken village killed thrown river suspected killed members supervision local police direct command minister mass ethnic committed detention camps established following massacre seven destroyed systematically destroyed explosives supervision police experts collapse remains removed military construction equipment trees planted stood free transfer civilian population commission exchange population created headed major included purpose completely expel non serbs claimed left voluntarily said sacred serbian land according time people deputies expanded commission later commission approved explained travel expulsion undertaken following manner free transfer civilian population duty inform travel pass ministry jurisdiction transit hungary occur broad daylight noon continued july systematic program implemented goal remaining property money promoted lieutenant colonel later special unit killed war crimes prosecution courts filed war crimes massacre president criticized unacceptable behavior judiciary prosecution war crimes jurisdiction named individuals potentially war crimes alleged led took attack ethnic served head lawyer suspected forcing civilians hand money documents sign away property reported worked groups expulsion civilian population arrested november released police custody month later alleged played major role initiative remove shortly prior signing agreement november reportedly continued houses peace time later member police secretly indicted war crimes carried january killed belgrade hotel lobby masked gunmen face trial indicted carrying campaign included locations charges died mid trial march february speaker indicted campaign charges october pleaded guilty non populations municipalities including plea entered agreement involved prosecution moving dismiss remaining charges subsequently sentenced years imprisonment september found guilty counts crimes humanity including count persecution non populations municipalities including found guilty genocide handed year prison sentence serving thirds sentence released october released august having served thirds sentence including time spent custody investigated member member investigation ultimately dropped lack evidence member arrested belgrade request charged indictment listing names victims lead prosecutor said members identified faces covered masks october closing arguments concluded trial president massacre crimes humanity committed areas genocide expected deliver judgment case quarter december member prosecuted murders looting committed crimes allegedly committed unit croatia aftermath recorded total fatalities municipality war including approximately civilians deaths officially listed civilian war victims death certificates claim died natural causes fought alongside serbs war war ended people pre war population lived municipality town inhabitants faced difficulties returning homes including discrimination police unable receive identification card phone lines local authorities prevented islamic community mosque allow local meeting place participation politics administration municipality blocked returned truth commission created year mandate held public hearings march formally disbanded commission effectively dissolved majority members resigned number factors cited contributing failure inclusion commander concentration camp delegation limited legal standing disputes commission scope poor funding local serbs celebrate april city defense day street town presently named serbian volunteer guard municipal veterans organization municipal officials city leaders marked occasion stating day serbian people organized defend prevent new notorious 13th division
Bijeljina massacre