UDIK recalls anniversary of the closure of the Sušica camp: Justice remains elusive for Vlasenica victims

(Patria) - The Association for Social Research and Communication (UDIK) reminded the public of the anniversary of the closure of the Sušica camp near Vlasenica, which was established by Serb forces at the end of May or beginning of June 1992, and was managed by the army and local militia.

According to the Humanitarian Law Fund's files, the order to establish the camp was issued by former Army of Republika Srpska general Svetozar Andrić, while the first manager was Veljko Bašić, a member of the Vlasenica Public Security Station. From mid-June 1992, the camp was commanded by Dragan Nikolić, nicknamed Jenki, who admitted his involvement in the killings, rapes, and torture of Bosniak civilians before the Hague Tribunal and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Through the Sušica camp, located in two buildings and a smaller facility used for interrogations, approximately 8,000 people, including men, women, and children, passed through from May to October 1992. Detainees were subjected to beatings, forced transfers, property confiscation, and many women survived sexual violence.

The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has so far issued several verdicts for crimes committed in the pre-war municipality of Vlasenica, including against Predrag Bastah, Goran Višković, and Dragan Marinković. However, numerous proceedings are still ongoing, while victims' families await truth and justice. According to data from the Institute for Missing Persons of Bosnia and Herzegovina, 232 remains were exhumed from the largest mass grave Ogradice, while 37 victims were exhumed from the Sušica mass grave.

"Although 33 years have passed since the closure of the Sušica camp, justice has not been served. Proceedings are being delayed, witnesses are dying, and families are still waiting for the remains of their loved ones. We call on the competent institutions to speed up the proceedings and to work on prosecuting the masterminds and perpetrators of the crimes, in order to prevent policies of forgetting and denial," UDIK stated.