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Batković prison camp
Concentration camp
Batković campLocation of Batković prison camp within Republika SrpskaShow map of Republika SrpskaBatković campBatković camp (Bosnia and Herzegovina)Show map of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Coordinates	44°51′13″N 19°11′47″E / 44.85361°N 19.19639°E / 44.85361; 19.19639
Location	Batković, Bijeljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Operated by	Army of Republika Srpska Bosnian Serb police
Operational	1 April 1992 – late January 1996
Inmates	predominately Bosniaks, but also Croats
Number of inmates	up to 4,000
Killed	at least 6 (ICTY) c. 80 (Bosniak claim)
Notable inmates	Sulejman Tihić, Fikret Malovčić

The Batković camp (Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian Latin: Logor Batković) was a prison camp operated between 1992 and 1996 by Republika Srpska authorities in Batković, a village in the municipality of Bijeljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Bosnian War. It is believed to have been the first concentration camp of the Bosnian war, set up for Bosniak (Muslim) and Croat men, women and children, in an effort to ethnically cleanse the areas under Bosnian Serb control. Detainees were held in two large barns and tortured, deprived of food and water, forced to dig trenches, carry ammunition to the front lines, work in fields and factories and bury the dead. Prisoners were subject to daily beatings, sexual assault and forced to beat one another.

Although the camp is believed to have been established between 1 April and June 1992, its existence was only confirmed by foreign press in August 1992. The Human Rights Watch Group Helsinki Watch visited the camp twice in August 1992 and were allowed to interview detainees, most of whom were too scared to share any information about goings-on.

Trials

In the indictment against former Bosnian Serb general Ratko Mladić, International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) prosecutors claimed that at least 6 prisoners were murdered during the camp's operation, and that many others were raped or otherwise physically and psychologically abused. Bosniak sources maintain that as many as 80 inmates perished in the camp between 1992 and early 1996.

On 2 March 2012, the trial for four former Serb camp guards (Đoko Pajić, Petar Dmitrović, Đorđe Krstić, Ljubomir Mišić) began in a Bijeljina court. The four defendants were accused of abusing and beating Bosniak prisoners. Dmitrović was identified by witnesses as the camp commander, Pajić was identified as his successor, Krstić was identified as Pajić's replacement and Mišić was identified as commander of the guard. The trial was still ongoing two years later.

Another Serb, Gligor Begović, was arrested in Rogatica for war crimes on 28 April 2014. His trial began 26 November 2014. Begović was indicted for crimes committed against Bosniaks in Batković concentration camp in 1992. Begović is further accused of participating in beatings, together with other guards, which caused the deaths of several detainees. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison on 9 December 2015.

Notable inmates

• Fikret Malovčić, singer
• Sulejman Tihić, politician

References

1. "Preživjeli logoraš iz Batkovića: I danas sanjam da mi neko ulazi u kuću i stavlja pušku na čelo". Oslobođenje. 1 April 2015. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
2. Batković agricultural estate
3. "FRIENDSHIPS FLOURISHED IN BATKOVIC PRISON CAMP". Sense Agency. 3 April 2013. Archived from the original on 28 April 2019. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
4. Gow, James (2003). The Serbian Project and Its Adversaries: A Strategy of War Crimes. ISBN 9780773523852. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
5. War Crimes in Bosnia-Hercegovina, Volume 2. Helsinki Watch (Organization). Apr 1993. ISBN 9781564320971. Retrieved 17 April 2015.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link) CS1 maint: year (link)
6. "ICTY: Ratko Mladić Indictment" (PDF). International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. 27 October 2011. p. 33.
7. "Torture logora Batković prošlo 4.000 osoba" [4,000 People Were Detained in the Batković Camp]. Oslobođenje. Archived from the original on 2015-04-18.
8. "Svjedok izjavio da je u logoru Sabirni centar konstantno bio tučen i maltretiran". Nezavisne. 9 October 2013. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
9. "Bosniak Prisoner 'Assaulted' at Bijeljina's Batkovic Camp". Balkan Insight. 6 March 2014. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
10. "Počelo suđenje za zločine u logoru Batković". DW.DE. 2 March 2012. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
11. "Šamaran bez razloga". Balkan Insight. 6 March 2014. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
12. "U Rogatici uhapšen Gligor Begović osumnjičen za ratne zločine u Bijeljini". Oslobođenje. 28 April 2014. Archived from the original on 17 April 2015. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
13. "Gligor Begović uhapšen zbog zločina u Batkoviću". Klix. 28 April 2014. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
14. "Gligor Begovic". Trial. Archived from the original on 9 April 2016. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
15. "Bosnia Opens Batkovic Prisoner Abuse Trial". Balkan Insight. 26 November 2014. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
16. "Witness Describes Assault at the Batkovic Detention Camp at Begovic Trial". Justice Report. 11 March 2015. Retrieved 17 April 2015.

v t e Bosnian War
Part of the Yugoslav Wars
Belligerents	Bosniak side Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina 1st Corps 2nd Corps 3rd Corps 4th Corps 5th Corps 6th Corps 7th Corps Paramilitary Patriotic League Green Berets Croatian Defence Forces Bosnian mujahideen Croat side Croatian Defence Council 1OZ 2OZ 3OZ 4OZ Paramilitary Croatian Defence Forces Knights Serb side Army of Republika Srpska 1st Krajina Corps 2nd Krajina Corps 3rd Corps East Bosnia Corps Herzegovina Corps Sarajevo-Romanija Corps Drina Corps Paramilitary Wolves of Vučjak White Eagles Serb Volunteer Guard Scorpions Yellow Wasps Western Bosnian side National Defence of the Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia
Prelude	Milošević–Tuđman Karađorđevo meeting Zulfikarpašić–Karadžić agreement RAM Plan Serb Autonomous Regions Bosanska Krajina Herzegovina North-East Bosnia Romanija Establishment of the Croatian Community of Herzeg Bosnia Establishment of Republika Srpska Bosnia and Herzegovina independence referendum Sarajevo wedding attack Declaration of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Battle of Bosanski Brod Sijekovac killings Bijeljina massacre 1992 anti-war protests in Sarajevo
1992	Battle of Kupres Siege of Sarajevo Kazani pit killings Foča ethnic cleansing Bosanski Šamac ethnic cleansing Siege of Srebrenica Zvornik massacre Doboj Snagovo massacre Prijedor ethnic cleansing Sarajevo column incident Siege of Goražde Graz agreement Glogova massacre Lašva Valley ethnic cleansing Tuzla column incident Zaklopača massacre Siege of Doboj Bradina massacre Sarajevo bread line massacre Bijeli Potok massacre Pionirska Street fire Operation Jackal Višegrad massacres Bosanska Jagodina Paklenik Barimo Sjeverin Čemerno massacre Siege of Bihać Ahatovići massacre Croat–Bosniak War Operation Vrbas '92 Operation Corridor 92 Bikavac fire Killings in Bratunac and Srebrenica Agreement on Friendship and Cooperation between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia Korićani Cliffs massacre Mičivode massacre Novoseoci massacre Gornja Jošanica massacre
1993	Kravica attack Duša killings Skelani massacre Štrpci Siege of Mostar Srebrenica shelling Ahmići massacre Trusina massacre Sovići and Doljani killings Zenica massacre Vranica case Dobrinja mortar attack Battle of Žepče Battle of Travnik (1993) Battle of Bugojno Operation Irma Operation Neretva '93 Grabovica massacre Mokronoge massacre Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia Inter-Bosniak conflict in Bosanska Krajina Stupni Do massacre Operation Deny Flight Križančevo Selo killings
1994	Operation Tvigi 94 First Markale massacre Banja Luka incident Washington Agreement Establishment of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Operation Bøllebank Attack on Spin magazine journalists Operation Tiger Operation "Breza '94" Battle of Kupres Operation Amanda Scandinavian Airlines System Flight 347 Operation Spider Operation Winter '94
1995	Operation Vlašić Operation Leap 1 Battle of Orašje Operation Leap 2 Split Agreement Operation Summer '95 Pale air strikes Tuzla shelling Battle of Vrbanja Bridge Srebrenica massacre Kravica Battle of Vozuća Operation Miracle Operation Storm Second Markale massacre NATO bombing campaign Operation Mistral 2 Operation Sana Operation Una Operation Southern Move Exodus of Sarajevo Serbs Dayton Agreement Establishment of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Internment camps	Silos Manjača Liplje Luka Vilina Vlas Omarska Keraterm Trnopolje Sušica Čelebići Musala Batković Dretelj Uzamnica Heliodrom Gabela Vojno Kamenica camp
Aspects	Ethnic cleansing and massacres Bosnian genocide Bosnian genocide denial Internment camps Rape Peace plans NATO intervention Foreign support Foreign fighters
Timeline of the Bosnian War (Timeline of the Croat–Bosniak War) Category Commons

• 1992 establishments in Bosnia and Herzegovina
• 1996 disestablishments in Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Bosnian genocide
• Serbian concentration camps in the Yugoslav Wars
• Serbian war crimes in the Bosnian War
• Bosnian War internment camps