News
EXHUMATION AT THE LOCATION OF TOMAŠICA, NEAR PRIJEDOR CONTINUES. PRECISE DIMENSION OF THE MASS GRAVE SITE IS BEING DETERMINED PRIOR TO EXHUMATION OF INDIVIDUAL MORTAL REMAINS
11.09.2013. 15:10Complex efforts to extend the access road to the mass grave site are being carried out in order to enable access to anthropologists and proceed with unearthing of the remains. Traces of machines being used on this location have been found indicating that victims were moved from this location to some other site most probably mass grave Jakarina kosa.
According to the evidence gathered so far the mass grave contains the bodies of Bosniak and Croat victims from Prijedor area who were killed in the summer of 1992. This is a primary mass grave and is certainly one of the largest found in the area of Bosanska Krajina.
The mass grave site was found on September 3 and was hidden with artificial mounds of soil. Careful excavation at the site detected a several meters deep layer of piled mortal remains.
Investigator of the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH is out in the field coordinating the efforts of all persons involved in the exhumation process.
The first visual estimates indicate that the number of victims buried in the mass grave exceeds several dozens. The exact number and identity of the victims shall be established through further excavations and their identity shall be established through forensic processing.
The Prosecutor’s Office of BiH and other institutions involved in the exhumation process are undertaking intensive activities in order to secure the location and organize the process of exhumation, as well as the subsequent forensic processing and identification.
The exhumation process continues.
This announcement does not prejudice the outcome of the criminal proceedings and does not violate the principle of the presumption of innocence. A person shall be considered innocent of a crime until guilt has been established by a final verdict (Article 3, paragraph 1 of the CPC BiH).