Perpetrators of the attack in Dobrovoljačka Street (2-3 May 1992): TO BiH, Green Berets, Juka Prazina - Never prosecuted, impunity

Who were the perpetrators? (TO BiH, Green Berets, Juka Prazina)

TO BiH (Territorial Defence of Bosnia and Herzegovina) - a Bosniak paramilitary organisation which later (May 1992) became the Army of BiH (ARBiH). TO BiH was responsible for the security of Sarajevo - and it signed the agreement with the JNA on a peaceful withdrawal (30 April 1992).

But TO BiH broke the agreement - it attacked the JNA column while it was withdrawing peacefully (2 May 1992). This was a war crime - an attack on unarmed soldiers who are withdrawing, a breach of the agreement.

Green Berets (Zelene beretke) - a Bosniak paramilitary unit, part of TO BiH. The Green Berets were known for brutal methods - attacks on Serb civilians, looting, killings. They took part in the attack on the JNA column in Dobrovoljačka Street - firing automatic rifles, rocket launchers (RPG) and snipers.

Juka Prazina (Jusuf Prazina, 1960-1993) - a criminal gang leader from Sarajevo who worked for TO BiH during the war. Prazina was known for his brutality - he killed Serb civilians, looted, kidnapped. He was present in Dobrovoljačka Street during the attack (witnesses saw him) - but it is not clear whether he ordered the attack or merely took part in it.

Prazina was killed in 1993 in Belgium (a conflict with another Bosniak commander, Ramiz Delalić "Ćelo"). Prazina fled to Belgium after being accused of crimes - but he was never prosecuted for the attack in Dobrovoljačka.

Who ordered the attack? (Alija Izetbegović?)

Who ordered the attack on the JNA column in Dobrovoljačka Street? That question was never definitively answered - because the perpetrators were never prosecuted. But there are indications:

Alija Izetbegović (1925-2003) - President of BiH (1990-1996). Izetbegović signed the agreement on the peaceful withdrawal of the JNA (30 April 1992) - but the Serbian side claims that Izetbegović deliberately "betrayed" the agreement (allowed the attack) in order to accuse the JNA of "aggression" and thereby justify the war.

Indications that Izetbegović knew about the attack (or ordered it):

• TO BiH was under Izetbegović's control - it probably could not have attacked the JNA column without his approval
• The day after the attack (3 May 1992) Izetbegović accused the JNA of "aggression" - even though the JNA was the one that was withdrawing (and was attacked)
• Izetbegović never punished the perpetrators of the attack - which suggests that he approved the attack

But there is no direct evidence that Izetbegović ordered the attack - because there was never an investigation. The Hague Tribunal (ICTY) never investigated who ordered the attack.

Why were the perpetrators never arrested?

During the war (1992-1995) - TO BiH/the Army of BiH controlled Sarajevo, so it was impossible to arrest the perpetrators (they were part of the ruling military structure).

After the war (1995-2024) - the Hague Tribunal (ICTY) was responsible for prosecuting war crimes in BiH. But the Hague Tribunal never prosecuted a single Bosniak commander for the attack in Dobrovoljačka Street.

Why not? Because the Hague Tribunal was focused on Serbian crimes - it prosecuted Mladić, Karadžić, Tolimir (Serbian commanders), but ignored Bosniak crimes (such as the attack in Dobrovoljačka).

The Hague Tribunal - Ignored Bosniak crimes

The Hague Tribunal (ICTY - the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia) was established in 1993 to prosecute war crimes in Yugoslavia (1991-1999). But the Hague Tribunal was biased - focused on Serbian crimes, ignoring Croatian and Bosniak ones.

Statistics of the Hague Tribunal:

• Serbs: 94 indicted (of 161 in total) - 58% of all those indicted
• Croats: 29 indicted - 18%
• Bosniaks (Muslims): 9 indicted - only 6% (the fewest of all the sides)

Not a single Bosniak commander was indicted for the attack in Dobrovoljačka Street (2-3 May 1992) - even though 42-200+ JNA soldiers were killed.

2001 - Serbia submitted a request to the Hague Tribunal to prosecute the perpetrators of the attack in Dobrovoljačka. The Hague Tribunal rejected the request - it said that it "does not indict for individual incidents, but for systematic crimes".

But that was a lie - because the Hague Tribunal indicted many Serbian soldiers/officers for "individual incidents" (e.g. Srebrenica, Vukovar). Double standards - Serbs prosecuted for incidents, Bosniaks not.

Impunity - Double standards

Impunity - a situation in which the perpetrators of a crime are not punished. The perpetrators of the attack in Dobrovoljačka Street (2-3 May 1992) were never arrested, prosecuted or convicted. This is impunity.

But the impunity was not accidental - it was the result of the double standards of the Hague Tribunal:

• Serbian criminals - prosecuted by the Hague Tribunal (94 indicted, many sentenced to decades in prison or to life imprisonment)
• Bosniak criminals - only 9 indicted (6% of the total) - most for "minor" crimes, not for large massacres such as Dobrovoljačka
• Reason: the Hague Tribunal was biased - focused on Serbian crimes (because the Serbs were the "aggressors"), ignoring Bosniak crimes

The families of the victims of the attack in Dobrovoljačka Street never received justice. 32 years later (2024), the perpetrators still have not been arrested. This is an injustice - but it is the reality of double standards.

Today - How is Dobrovoljačka Street remembered?

In Serbia, Dobrovoljačka Street is remembered as a "betrayal" - TO BiH signed an agreement on the peaceful withdrawal of the JNA, and then attacked unarmed soldiers. This shows that the Bosniak authorities do not respect agreements.

Every year, on 2-3 May - a commemoration in Belgrade (Serbia) for the victims of the attack in Dobrovoljačka. Families of the victims, JNA veterans and citizens (500-1,000 people) come to lay flowers at the monument (New Belgrade, near the JNA barracks).

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dobrovoljačka Street is rarely mentioned - the Bosniak media and authorities avoid talking about the attack (because it shows that TO BiH/the Army of BiH also committed war crimes). There is no monument to the victims in Sarajevo.

The Western media also avoid the story of Dobrovoljačka Street - because it does not fit the narrative of "Serbs = aggressors, Bosniaks = victims". But the truth is more complex - all sides committed crimes, including the Bosniaks.

The families of the victims continue to seek justice - for 32 years now (from 1992 to 2024). But it seems that justice will never come - because the perpetrators are protected by impunity.