Hanefija Prijić-Paraga Arrested: Did Handanović Reveal the Killer of Three Italians?

Near Gornji Vakuf, on May 29, 1993, three Italian humanitarian workers were killed. They were shot in a forest, while two of their colleagues survived this crime, which was carried out by a unit of the Army of BiH, reports the Patria news agency.

For this brutal triple murder, Hanefija Prijić, known as Paraga, was sentenced to 15 years in prison as the commander of this local unit. Prijić maintained throughout the trial that he did not order the liquidation of the humanitarian workers, but stated that he accepted the verdict. And he was arrested at Dortmund airport on an international warrant from Italy.

Prijić served his entire sentence. Those suspected of directly murdering the three Italian humanitarian workers were not mentioned in the verdict.

This crime has become relevant again today. Namely, German media reported that on October 27, a 52-year-old man was arrested at Dortmund airport based on a warrant from the Italian judiciary precisely for the murder of three humanitarian workers.

The recent trial of Rasema Handanović, known as Zolja, also reopened this old crime against the three Italians. Namely, along with Sabahudin Prijić, Rasema Handanović was then a companion of Hanefija Prijić Paraga and is presumed to have known the details of this crime. Did she finally reveal the truth during the interrogation about who was the direct perpetrator of the liquidation of the three humanitarian workers from Italy?

This case cost BiH its reputation in international relations. At one time, even Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi demanded an investigation into these liquidations from the authorities in BiH.

Three men were killed who were heading towards Zavidovići to pick up 76 mothers and children from that town and take them to Italy for recovery. Killed were Fabio Moreno, Sergio Lana, and Guido Puletti. The fate of Guido Puletti is particularly tragic, as he was a journalist in Argentina and suffered severe torture there before returning to Italy.