Jury finds ex-Bosnian prison camp guard guilty for lying about refugee status
A former guard at a notoriously harsh and violent Bosnian prison camp, now living in Massachusetts, was found guilty of concealing his persecution of ethnic Serbs during the 1990s Bosnian War, then lying to get refugee status, and ultimately, his U.S. citizenship.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said 52-year-old Kemal Mrndzic was convicted of engaging in a scheme to conceal his involvement at the notorious Čelebići prison camp in Bosnia in 1992; making a false statement to Homeland Security agents about his role at the camp; possessing a fraudulently obtained naturalization certificate and Social Security card; and using a fraudulently obtained passport and certificate of naturalization. The jury acquitted him of two counts of making false statements to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents.
Mrndzic was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2023.
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"The heartbreaking testimony of the Čelebići survivors reminded us that the physical pain and mental anguish inflicted by Kemal Mrndzic and his fellow guards at that notorious camp still haunts them 30 years later," acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy said. "Mrndzic concealed his crimes for decades, but gravely underestimated the bravery of these victims and law enforcement’s dedication to finding and prosecuting those who engage in wartime persecution."
Mrndzic was a guard supervisor at the Čelebići prison camp during the Bosnian War which spanned from 1992 to 1995.
Five camp survivors testified during the two-week trial about the horrific conditions at the camp.
The survivors spoke about being detained in an unlit and airless tunnel for months, and nearly being suffocated after being sealed in manholes for hours at a time. They also testified about daily and nightly beatings administered by camp guards, who used a bat, wooden poles and other objects to assault the prisoners.
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The DOJ also said survivors testified about murders, the burning of a detainee’s tongue getting burned with a heated knife blade, the wrapping of a prisoner with a long fuse cord before it was lit on fire, and sexual abuse, among other harrowing acts.
One of the survivors recounted how a 70-year-old prisoner was beaten to death by prison guards who pinned a military badge on his forehead as he was dying.
An investigation conducted by a United Nations tribunal into the crimes committed at the prison camp led to the conviction of two top commanders at the camp and a guard for numerous crimes, including murder and torture.
Mrndzic was questioned by investigators about the case in 1996, though he was not charged.
Afterward, he fled Bosnia by crossing into Croatia, and applied as a refugee to the U.S., using a fabricated story, the DOJ said. In his application and interview, Mrndzic lied about fleeing his home after being captured, interrogated and abused by Serb forces, fearing future persecution if he returned home.
He was ultimately admitted to the U.S. as a refugee in 1999, and became a U.S. citizen in 2009, and was living north of Boston in the town of Swampscott.
"A jury found Mrndzic guilty of lying about his past to come to the U.S. under false pretenses, concealing his work as a guard at the notorious Čelebići prison camp, a prison with well-documented cases of violence, abuse and even murder of prisoners during the Bosnian War," Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England said.
Although he has been convicted, Mrndzic has not yet been sentenced. He faces up to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release, plus a fine of $250,000, for fraudulently obtaining a passport and naturalization certificate.
For each of the three remaining charges, he faces up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine up to $250,000.