Briševo massacre anniversary highlights ongoing war‑crime trials

On 24‑25 July 1992, Serbian forces of the 5th Kozara and 6th Krajiška brigades attacked the village of Briševo near Prijedor, killing 61‑67 Croat civilians, including women, children and the elderly. Survivors recount extreme brutality, with reports of rape, mutilation and the burning of the village.

Thirty‑four years later families of the victims gathered to commemorate the tragedy. They laid wreaths, held prayers and demanded that all perpetrators be held accountable. The Bosnian‑Herzegovinian Prosecutor’s Office has charged five former Bosnian‑Serb commanders—Veljko Brajić, Slobodan Taranjac, Ranko Kaurin, Branko Dženopoljac and Draško Topić—with crimes against humanity. In March 2024 the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina confirmed the indictment, and several of the defendants have already received prison sentences for related atrocities in Zecovi and other nearby villages, where Bosniak civilians were also killed.

Despite some convictions, many of the Briševo victims’ remains are still missing, and families continue to seek truth and justice. The commemorations underscore the enduring impact of the war crimes and the slow progress of judicial proceedings.