Profile of Safet Hadzialijagic


Safet Hadzialijagic was born in Bosanski Samac.  Before the war, he was the manager of the municipal water system in the Bosanski Samac municipality.

On April 20, 1992, Hadzialijagic was arrested and forcibly escorted out of his apartment by Serb police.  Over the next year, Hadzialijagic was transferred among at least six different detention centers and labor camps.  While being detained at the Osnovna Skola primary school, Hadzialijagic was subjected to particularly harsh treatment and torture by defendant.  He was subjected to bouts of “Russian Roulette” and often feared he would be killed.  On one occasion the defendant “branded” Hadzialijagic with a knife, slicing his forehead and then forcibly dunking his head into a container used as a toilet by other detainees.

Hadzialijagic was released from detention in or about May 1993.  He arrived in Belgium as a refugee with his family in November 1993.  He continues to suffer physical and emotional injuries as a result of the torture and abuse he suffered while in detention. Hadzialijagic currently lives near Brussels and is not employed.