42. Throughout the afternoon of 12 July 1995, Serb soldiers mingled in the crowd. One witness
recalled hearing the soldiers cursing the Bosnian Muslims and telling them to leave; that they would
be slaughtered; that this was a Serb country.71 Another witness testified that a soldier cut him in
the face.72
43. Killings occurred.73 In the late morning of 12 July 1995, a witness saw a pile of 20 to 30
bodies heaped up behind the Transport Building in Potocari, alongside a tractor-like machine.
...
(iv) The Separation of the Bosnian Muslim Men in Potočari
53. From the morning of 12 July, Bosnian Serb forces began gathering men from the refugee
population in Potočari and holding them in separate locations.95 One Dutch Bat witness saw men
being taken to a location in front of the Zinc Factory and, subsequently, that evening, driven away
in a lorry.96 Further, as the Bosnian Muslim refugees began boarding the buses, Bosnian Serb
soldiers systematically separated out men of military age who were trying to clamour aboard.97
Occasionally, younger and older men were stopped as well. These men were taken to a building in
Potocari referred to as the “White House”.
54. The way in which the separations were conducted was traumatic for the Bosnian Muslim
families involved. Witness I, for example, testified:
I was carrying water to have for my children so that on the road they could have some
refreshment, because there were people who were passing out. A Serb soldier grabbed me by the
shoulder and said, “Here.” I said, “Let me see off my children, at least, to the trucks.” He says
“You can’t.” So I gave that canister to a grandchild. And the Serb soldier grabbed me by the
shoulder, and I had to go into the house there.99
55. Witness DD recalled seeing her young son for the last time as her family tried to board the
buses:
From the left column one of their soldiers jumped out, and he spoke to my child. He told us to
move to the right side, and he told my son, “Young man, you should go to the left side.” . . . I
grabbed him by his hand … And then I begged them, I pleaded with them. Why are you taking
him? He was born in 1981. But he repeated his order. And I held him so hard, but he grabbed
him . . . [ A]nd he took my son’s hand, and he dragged him to the left side. And he turned around,
and then he told me, “Mommy, please, can you get that bag for me? Could you please get it for
me? … That was the last time I heard his voice.”100
57. As early as the evening of 12 July 1995, Major Franken heard that no men were arriving
with the women and children at their destination in Kladanj.102
58. On 13 July 1995, the Dutch Bat troops witnessed definite signs that the Bosnian Serbs were
executing some of the Bosnian Muslim men who had been separated. For example, Corporal
Vaasen saw two soldiers take a man behind the White House. He then heard a shot and the two
soldiers reappeared alone.103 Another Dutch Bat officer, saw Serb soldiers execute an unarmed
man with a single gunshot to the head. He also heard gunshots 20-40 times an hour throughout the
afternoon.104 When the Dutch Bat soldiers told Colonel Joseph Kingori, a United Nations Military
Observer105 (“UNMO”) in the Srebrenica area, that men were being taken behind the White House
and not coming back, Colonel Kingori went to investigate. He heard gunshots as he approached,
but was stopped by Bosnian Serb soldiers before he could find out what was going on.106
59. Beginning on the afternoon of 12 July 1995 and continuing throughout 13 July 1995, men
detained in the White House were placed on separate buses to the women, children and elderly and
were taken out of the Potočari compound to detention sites in Bratunac.
Bookmarks