Amir Talic, a Bosnian poet, was arrested on 22 February 1995 by Bosnian Serb forces. He is now said to be held in an unknown place of detention and there are fears for his well-being. He is among eight people still thought to be detained following a wave of arrests of members of a Muslim […]
Amir Talic, a Bosnian poet, was arrested on 22 February 1995 by
Bosnian Serb forces. He is now said to be held in an unknown
place of detention and there are fears for his well-being. He is
among eight people still thought to be detained following a wave
of arrests of members of a Muslim humanitarian organization,
Merhamet. Talic was arrested in Sanki Most. Others were arrested
in Banja Luka, Prijedor and Bosanski Novi, following raids on
Merhamet offices and seizures of material by Bosnian Serb
security officers. Talic was first taken to military barracks in
Banja Luka and then transferred to an unknown destination. The
International Committee of the Red Cross was able to visit the
other detainees but were not allowed access to Talic. His family
has not been told of his whereabouts, although there are rumours
that he is held in a prison in Prijedor.
All of those arrested were senior officials of Merhamet, which
collected humanitarian assistance from Zagreb in Croatia and
delivered it to the dwindling Muslim community in Northern
Bosnia. They had travelled frequently between Croatia and Bosnia
for Merhamet. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’
office in Zagreb has expressed concern about the fate of the
detainees. It adds that this crackdown on Merhamet, which serves
as a focal point for the Muslim community in Northern Bosnia,
could result in further flights of Muslims from the region.
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:
Please write to the Bosnian Serb authorities:
– expressing concern for the well-being of Amir Talic, reportedly
arrested for his humanitarian work in Northern Bosnia
– calling on the Bosnian Serb authorities, as a matter of
urgency, to inform Talic’s family of his whereabouts and to grant
them immediate access to him
– further calling for details of the reasons for his arrest, and
pointing out that should he be held solely for his peaceful
activities as a writer or aid worker, he be immediately and
unconditionally released
Appeals To
President Radovan Karadic
Republika Srpska
Pale, Bosnia-Herzegovina
Fax: +387 71 783 566/324
