Massachusetts man convicted of hiding persecution of ethnic Serbs at prison camp during Bosnian War

BOSTON — A Massachusetts man has been convicted in a 25-year scheme to hide his persecution of ethnic Serbs at the notorious Celebici prison camp during the Bosnian War, the U.S. Attorney said Monday.

Kemal Mrndzic, 52, of Swampscott, was convicted Friday of engaging in a scheme to conceal his involvement in persecution of Serb prisoners at the Celebici prison camp in Bosnia in 1992, Acting U.S. Attorney Josh Levy said in a statement.

Mrndzic was also convicted of 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, Levy said.

A federal jury handed down the conviction following a two-week jury trial in Boston, Levy said.

The jury acquitted him of two counts of making false statements to Homeland Security Investigations special agents. In June 2023, Mrndzic was indicted by a federal grand jury.

“The heartbreaking testimony of the Celebici 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,” 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. Investigating and prosecuting these historical transnational cases demands extraordinary commitment and we are deeply grateful for the exceptional work of our federal law enforcement partners and our partners in countries across the globe,” Levy said.

Mrndzic served as a supervisor of the guards at the notorious prison camp in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the sectarian war which fractured the country in the 1990s, Levy said.

Five camp survivors testified at trial, recounting the “horrific conditions” at the Celebici camp in 1992 when Mrndzic was a supervisor there, Levy said.

Survivors testified about their detention in a lightless, airless tunnel for months on end, their near suffocation after being sealed in manholes for hours at a time, and the daily and nightly beatings that were administered by the guards at the camp — with baseball bat, wooden poles and rifle buts, Levy said.

The survivors testified to murders, the burning of one detainee’s tongue with a heated knife blade, the wrapping of another detainee with a long fuse cord and then lighting it on fire, sexual abuse, and other harrowing acts committed over a period of many months.

One survivor recounted the beating death of a 70-year-old detainee whom guards pinned a military badge to his forehead while he was still dying, Levy said. Survivors also testified about being starved and deprived of the most basic needs, including sleeping on the concrete floor of a sheet metal hanger for months on end while being fed only a slice of bread a day.

“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 Celebici prison camp, a prison with well-documented cases of violence, abuse and even murder of prisoners during the Bosnian War,” Michael Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, New England, said in a statement.

A United Nations tribunal investigated the crimes committed at Celebici in the 1990s and convicted the two top commanders of the camp and one particularly sadistic guard on numerous crimes including murder and torture.

While Mrndzic was interviewed by investigators in connection with that case in 1996, he was not charged by international authorities, Levy said.

Mrndzic subsequently concocted a scheme to leave Bosnia by crossing the border into Croatia and applying as a refugee to the United States using a fabricated story, Levy said.

In his refugee application and interview, he falsely claimed that he fled his home after he was captured, interrogated and abused by Serb forces, and could not return home for fear of future persecution, Levy said.

As the government argued at trial, Mrndzic used his own experience as a persecutor to press a false narrative that he had been persecuted, Levy said. He was admitted to the U.S. as a refugee in 1999, and ultimately became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2009.

The charges of using a fraudulently obtained passport and fraudulently obtained naturalization certificate each provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.

The three remaining charges each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.

Krol of Homeland Security Investigations said his department “continues to use our international reach and regional expertise to uncover the past and bring to justice those who lie to undeservingly seek refuge in the U.S.”

“We want to express our deep gratitude to the bravery of the survivors who came forward to testify during this trial,” Krol said.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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