Destruction of mosques in Visegrad Municipality

During the aggression on Republic of B&H, all the mosques in the Visegrad Municipality were systematically destroyed by the Bosnian Serb Army(Vojska Republike Srpske).

1.Gazanfer-begova Dzamija (1590.)

Image: The Gazanfer-begova/Gazander Bey’s Mosque also known as  Atik dzamija/Old Mosque  before the war.

Image: The site where the  Gazanfer Bey’s mosque in the center of the town. Destroyed in 1992, today it is a park.

2.Careva/Bikavac Dzamija (1571)

Image: The Bikavac or Careva/Emperor’s mosque in Visegrad. Burn ablaze and bulldozed by Bosnian Serb Army in 1992.

Image: The Careva dzamija/Emperor’s Mosque also known as the Bikavac mosque, was originally built in the sixteenth century and was renovated in 1910 and 1947.

Image: The Emperor’s Mosque set ablaze by Bosnian Serb Army in Visegrad, June 1992.

Image: The site where the Emperor’s mosque stood. Picture taken a few years after the war’s end.

Image: The Careva mosque in the center of Visegrad. Destroyed in 1992 by the Bosnian Serb Army. Reconstructed by the Islamic Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina with funding by Visegrad’s Bosniak diaspora.

3. Drinsko Dzamija (1895.)

Image: Mosque in Drinsko, Visegrad. Built in 1885, burnt down in 1941 by Yugoslav Serb Royalists popularly known as  “Chetniks” led by Draza Mihailovic. After 26 years the Communist regime finally gave permission to restore and reopen the mosque (1967). The mosque was destroyed by Bosnian Serb Army in 1992, rebuilt and reopened a few years ago.

Image: The Drinsko Mosque in 2002.

Image: Mosque in Drinsko. Destroyed in 1992 by Bosnian Serb Army.Reconstructed by the Islamic Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina with funding by Visegrad’s Bosniak diaspora.

4. Barimo

Image: An Islamic school(mekteb) in Barimo. Destroyed by the Bosnian Serb Army in 1992.

5. Holijaci

Image: An Islamic school(mekteb) in Holijaci. Destroyed by the Bosnian Serb Army in 1992.

7. Orahovci (1566.)

Image: Mosque in Orahovci. Destroyed by the Bosnian Serb Army in 1992.

8. Žlijeb (1550.)

Image: A mosque in Zlijeb. Destroyed by the Bosnian Serb Army in 1992.See more on Žlijeb mosque here.

Image: An Imam‘s house in Zlijeb. Destroyed by the Bosnian Serb Army in 1992.

9.Dobrun (1445.)

Image: The Dobrun Mosque, totally destroyed in 1992 by the Bosnian Serb Army. Rebuilt and opened in 2006 by funds from Visegrad’s Bosniak diaspora.

All these buildings were destroyed in a systematic way, by Visegrad Serbs, most of whom were neighbors to their Bosniak victims. All of them, whether they were armed civilians,members of  “para-military” units, or members of the Visegrad Brigade, were members of the Republika Srpska Army or it’s Police force. This was organized and planned by the Visegrad Municipality, i.e. by the Serb Democratic Party Crisis Committee. No one has answered for the destruction of mosques in Visegrad.

Note: Pictures were taken from MIZ Visegrad.

Updated: 1.11.2009

Crisis Committee Visegrad(Krizni Stab)

Image: The Serb Democratic Party flag, which formed the Crisis Committees in municipalities as a mechanism in executing their genocidal plan.

Crisis Committees were formed by a SDS Glavni Odbor(General Committee) decision on 19.12.1991 (”Uputstvo o organiziranju i djelovanjuorgana srpskog naroda u BiH u vanrednim okolnostima ”, SDS Glavni Odbor, Sarajevo, 19.12.1991.Source: Rule 61, ICTY Archive)

According to the General Committee’s decision of 19 December, all SDS municipality committees were given an order to form a Crisis Committee. The functioning of the Crisis Committees was coordinated with the Assembly of the Bosnian Serb people and with the SDS General Committee. According to this document, the head of the Crisis Committee was the president of the SDS municipality committee. The Crisis Committees consisted of high-level SDS leaders: Secretariat of the SDS municipality committee(made up of the President, Vice-President and the Secretary of the SDS), municipality delegates in the Assembly of the Bosnian Serb people, members of the General Committee from that municipality. According to this document, the Crisis Commitees were ordered to cooperate with the command centers of the Yugoslav Peoples’ Army(JNA).

On 26.4.1992, the so-called Serb Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina brought a decision ”Uputstva  za rad krizni stabova srpskog naroda u opstinama” on how the Crisis Committees should function.

The Crisis Committees were considered the most effective mechanisms of control in the occupied territories of B&H, and through these Crisis Committees a conjoint control of civil and military organs of the para-state institutions of the Serb Republic of B&H was established. In this way they had an active role in planning and executing genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes against Bosniaks, Croats and other citizens of B&H.

Below is a list of high-ranking Bosnian Serb officials in Visegrad, some of whom were members of the Crisis Committee. They are suspected to have masterminded the genocide in Visegrad including: destruction of mosques, confiscation of Bosniak property, cooperating with the Visegrad Brigade and Police Force in ethnically cleansing Bosniak villages, organizing rape centers, making lists of educated Bosniaks and those possessing arms and providing them to Visegrad Brigade Special Units like the “Avengers”, “White Eagles” etc.

Note: This list was published by the Association of Raped Women.  Information on the Crisis Committees was obtained from Edina Becirevic’s book.

1. Savović Branimir, aka Brane, son of  Milorad, born 10.06.1953. in Sarajevo, economist,worked in the Visegrad Municipality before the war, from April 1992 president of SDS, Mayor of Višegrad, and head of the Crisis Committee. Offically registered in Višegrad,  Kralja Petra I  Street, number 13, according to intelligence sources he is staying in  Čačka, Srbija
2. Nešković Dušan, son of Dragomira, born in 23.02.1957. in Donje Vardište, member of the SDS delegates’ club inVisegrad , wroks in Upravi prihoda(Revenue Management) Višegrad Municpality, is registered in Višegrad,  Street Vojvode Stepe 10.
3. Miličević Miladin, son of  Milić, born in Granje,Višegrad. Member of the SDS Executive Committee Višegrad, secretary of the Višegrad Municipality Assembly during the war, and in one period commander of the  Dobrun Battalion within the Višegrad brigade VRS. Registered in Višegrad, Street Kralja Petra I br. 24.
4. Savić Aleksandar, aka Aco, son of Stanimir, born 02.06.1954. in  Višegrad, member of the the Executive Committee SDS Višegrad i Executive Committee  of the Municipality Assembly Višegrad. During the war he was deputy commander  for moral in the Visegrad Brigade.He now works as the director of the museum within the Dobrun Monestary. Registered in Višegrad, Street Vojvode Stepe 18.
5. Papić Krsto, son of  Milinko, born 27.10.1956. in Prelovu,  Višegrad. Member of the the Excecutive Commitee SDS Višegrad. Troop commander in  Prelovo village which was part of the Visegrad Brigade.
6. Petrović Jelisavka, daughter of Milan, born  09.05.1943. in  Stari Trg, Kosovska Mitrovica.Professor, Vice-President of the Municipality Assembly Višegrad. Member of the the Executive Committee SDS Višegrad. Registered in Višegrad,  Street Ive Andrića 8.
7. Tasić Ljubomir, aka Ljupko, son of Dragan, born 12.07.1956. in  Bosanska Jagodina, Višegrad. During the war he was a member of the SDS delegates club in Višegrad Municipality and member of the SDS Executive Committee in Visegrad.Member of the Crisis Committee and Dobrun troop commander within the Vsiegrad Brigade. Lives in his place of birth, owns a private construction and transport firm.
8. Kojić (Nešković) Snežana, daugther of  Radomir, born 10.01.1962. in Sase, Višegrad. During the war she was the president of the  SDS delegates club in Višegrad Municipality and member of the SDS Executive Committee in Visegrad.Works in the Visegrad Municipality, lives in Mezalin, Visegrad.
9. Perišić Risto, son of Milovan, born 14.11.1951. in Potpeć,  Foča. Pre-war professor, head of the Public Security Services(SJB-Služba Javne Bezbjednosti) Višegrad,member of the Crisis Committee and SDS Executive Committee in Visegrad.Officially registered in Visegrad, Street Zmaja Jove Jovanovića 21. According to intelligence sources, he is staying in Užice, Serbia. Is marked as ”A” category by ICTY and OZP.
10. Tomić Dobro, aka Boban, son of  Vitomir, 27.11.1949. in  Dugovječ, Rudo, head of the criminal department in SJB Višegrad. Today he is a pensioner, living in  Višegrad.
11. Ninković Srećko, son of Dragoljub, born 03.02.1963. in  Višegrad. Inspector in SJB Višegrad. Currently working in the indirect taxtation section in Visegrad. Registered in Okolište, Višegrad.
12. Pandurović Vinko, commander of the Visegrad Brigade.
13. Dragičević Luka, born 1956. in  Višegrad, army officer, replaced the seat of Vinko Pandurevic, living in Visegrad, Street Kralja Petra. Penzioner  and an activist of the Serb Radical Party.
14. Masal Dragiša, son of  Stavan, born 20.11.1951. in  Masali, commander of the tactical group within the Visegrad brigade. Registered in Višegrad, Donje Vardište.
15. Gavrilović Drago, son of  Milan, born 02.05.1956. in  Korivnik. Locksmith by profession. In the first 20 days of the war, he was head of the Territorial Defense in Visegrad, now he is working in the hydro power plant. Registered in, Street Stevana Sinđelića 107 Višegrad.
16. Knežević Dražen, son of  Dragoljub, 24.04.1964. in  Višegrad, lives in  Višegrad, Street Okolišta 40. Battalion commander in the Visegrad brigade. Director of the Electric-power plant in Vsiegrad. Died in a car accident near Visegrad in 2009.