A Summons for a Mother Who Never Returned: Amir Topčić and the Family Lost in Vlasenica in 1992

A Childhood Interrupted in 1992

Amir Topčić was born in Vlasenica, in eastern Bosnia. According to his statements to Radio Free Europe (RFE) in 2010, he was twelve years old when he lost his entire family in 1992: his mother Aiša, his father Abdurahman and his brothers Seid and Sulja.

Amir spoke about the circumstances of their deaths in two different ways. According to one of his testimonies for RFE, all four members of the family perished in the Sušica camp. According to the other, one brother was taken "to the other side" during the war, and the other at the time when the mosque was being demolished; the Sušica camp is not mentioned in that account. Where and when exactly each of them perished has not been established.

Amir left Vlasenica by bus together with his sister and later arrived in Tuzla, where, still a child, he had to fend for himself.

The Sušica Camp

The Sušica camp near Vlasenica was established by Serb forces on 31 May 1992. From the end of May until October 1992, several thousand Bosniaks and other non-Serbs passed through it. Sušica served as a regional camp: Bosniaks from Kalesija, Bratunac, Srebrenica, Rogatica, Višegrad, Zvornik and other municipalities were detained there.

The Search for Remains

Amir Topčić found the remains of both of his brothers. According to his words from 2010, he was still searching for his parents so that he could bury them with dignity. Aiša and Abdurahman Topčić were at that time still listed as missing.

The Summons to Testify

The Prosecutor's Office of BiH conducted proceedings against Predrag Bastah, Goran Višković and Veljko Bašić for crimes committed in Vlasenica. Prosecutor Sanja Jukić summoned Amir Topčić to testify in that case. The summons stated that he should bring his mother with him, even though she had been missing since 1992.

For Amir, this was proof that those who are supposed to try the crimes in Vlasenica do not even know their victims. "So, they have no idea at all who the victims of Vlasenica are," said Amir Topčić.

The Verdicts

On 5 February 2010, the Court of BiH sentenced Predrag Bastah to 22 years and Goran Višković to 18 years in prison for crimes in Vlasenica. No source links them directly to the deaths of members of the Topčić family. Veljko Bašić, according to RFE the commander of the Sušica camp, was charged in the same case; according to RFE, he was released in 2008 due to his age.