US Moves to Revoke Citizenship of Alleged Bosnian War Criminal

Sat Dec 20 2025 06:55:20 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The US justice department is pursuing legal action to strip Kemal Mrndzic of his citizenship based on allegations of war crimes linked to his service in a notorious Bosnian prison camp.

In a significant legal action, the US Department of Justice has initiated a case to revoke the citizenship of Kemal Mrndzic, an individual accused of serving as a guard at the infamous Celebici prison camp during the Bosnian War. Evidence presented during a prior court trial indicated that Mrndzic had failed to disclose his military service and the atrocities committed against prisoners, including killings and abuse. The US government emphasizes maintaining the integrity of its naturalization process.

The US justice department has launched a civil legal case against Kemal Mrndzic, accused of being a Bosnian war criminal, to revoke his citizenship. Mrndzic allegedly did not disclose his role as a guard at Bosnia's notorious Celebici prison camp during his immigration process, where severe human rights violations occurred, including killings, torture, and other abuses.

A UN war crimes tribunal found that detainees at Celebici were subjected to heinous treatment during the conflict. US Department of Justice official Brett Shumate stated that individuals who ‘persecute others’ should not benefit from refuge in the United States. The current action reflects the US government's dedication to maintaining the integrity of its naturalization process.

In 2024, a jury found Mrndzic guilty of multiple counts of criminal fraud and misrepresentation regarding his application for US citizenship, sentencing him to more than five years in prison in January 2025. He failed to disclose the nature and duration of his military service and his involvement in the persecution of Bosnian-Serb inmates.

The Bosnian War, stemming from the disintegration of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, witnessed the Srebrenica massacre in July 1995—recognized as genocide by the UN—where Bosnian-Serb forces murdered over 8,000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys. The Celebici prison camp was operated by Bosniak and Croatian forces, responsible for widespread killings as well.

Slobodan Milosevic, the Serbian leader, faced trials for war crimes, and the atrocities committed during this period ultimately led to the US-brokered Dayton Peace Agreement in December 1995.