Lora prison camp

Prison camp in Split, Croatia

The Lora prison camp was a prison camp in Split, Croatia. It was active from 1992 to 1997 with mainly Serbian residents of Split and prisoners of war being imprisoned throughout the Croatian War of Independence. The camp was the site of human rights abuses resulting in a controversial trial, acquittal, retrial and conviction of prison guards.

In 1991, during the Croatian War of Independence, Yugoslav Federal JNA forces were forced to withdraw from Split and the Lora naval compound was occupied by Croatian forces. The naval compound was converted to a prison camp in 1992 to house both civilians and prisoners of war.

The camp prisoners were subjected to a variety of beating, torture and killings.

In 1998, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia filed a report to the United Nations regarding the Lora prison camp abuses claiming it was genocide.

In 2002, the trial of eight Croatian military officers, members of the 72nd Military Police Battalion, began with charges of the torture and murder of Serbian and Montenegrin prisoners at the camp. All eight were acquitted by Judge Lozina in November 2002 after a trial characterised by intimidation and harassment of witnesses, and alleged threats against the prosecutors. The eight charged were prison commander Tomislav Duic, deputy Tonci Vrkic, members of the intervention group Miljenko Bajic, Josip Bikic and Davor Banic, and prison guards Bungur, Ante Gudic and Andjelko Botic. Bikic and Bajic were later arrested and re tried, being sentenced to four years and four and a half years in prison respectively. After a lengthy trial, in April 2022, the County Court of Split sentenced Duic to 8 and a half years and Bungur to 4 years and ten months.