Keraterm camp

Keraterm camp was a concentration camp (also referred to as prison and detention camp) near the town of Prijedor in northern Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Bosnian War from 1992 to 1995 [http://www.hrw.org/reports/1997/bosnia/Bosnia-02.htm#P209_40172] . The camp was founded by the authorities of Republika Srpska (RS) and was used to collect and confine civilians of Bosniak and Bosnian Croat nationality. According to ICTY indictment more than 3,000 detainees were held at Keraterm and some 300 of them were killed.

According to the indictment, the detainees were, among other things, subjected to physical violence, constant humiliation, degradation, inhumane conditions, and fear of death. Severe beatings were commonplace. All manner of weapons were used during these beatings, including wooden batons, metal rods, baseball bats, lengths of thick industrial cable that had metal balls affixed to the end, rifle butts, and knives. The killings, beatings, sexual assaults, and other cruel and humiliating actions were committed.

The Keraterm camp was located on the site of a ceramics factory, just outside the city of Prijedor. According to reports, prisoners were kept in four halls, formerly used as storehouses at the ceramics factory. The Keraterm camp's prisoner population was all male. Most of the men at the camp were reported to be between the ages of 15 and 60. However, in mid-July 1992, approximately 12 to 15 Bosniak women were brought to Keraterm, raped, and transported to the Omarska camp. About 85% of all prisoners were Bosniaks while about 15% were Bosnian Croats.

Recent developments

Some of the RS officials responsible for running the camp have since been indicted for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. Some have been convicted while others are still awaiting trials at the ICTY. One of these is Predrag Banović who pleaded guilty to twenty five charges and was sentenced to eight years in prison. Duško Sikirica, commander of the Keraterm camp, pleaded guilty to crimes against humanity and was sentenced to a jail term of fifteen years.

ee also

*Omarska camp
*Trnopolje camp
*Bosnian Genocide

External links

* [http://www.un.org/icty/pressreal/p407-e.htm Keraterm case]
* [http://www.ess.uwe.ac.uk/comexpert/ANX/VIII-06.htm#III.A.62.b Concentration camps in Bosnia]
* [http://www.rewardsforjustice.net/english/warcrimes/index.cfm?page=Karadzic Radovan Karadzic $5 million Reward] - The U.S. Government is offering $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Radovan Karadzic
* [http://www.rewardsforjustice.net/english/warcrimes/index.cfm?page=Mladic Ratko Mladic $5 million Reward] - The U.S. Government is offering $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Ratko Mladic