Federal authorities are seeking to strip the citizenship of a woman who they say murdered civilians and prisoners of war because of their religion and ethnicity and then lied about her crimes to win refugee status in the United States and later became a U.S. citizen.
The Justice Department on Wednesday filed paperwork seeking to strip 45-year-old Sammy Rasema Yetisen, also known as Zolja, of her citizenship.
Authorities say Yetisen was part of an elite unit of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina that attacked the village of Trusina on April 16, 1993, in what is known as the Trusina massacre. The unit targeted Bosnian Croats who resided in the village because of their Christian religion and Croat ethnicity, killing 22 unarmed individuals including women and the elderly.
“War criminals will find no safe haven or shelter within the United States,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “We will be steadfast as we investigate and prosecute human rights violators, torturers, and war criminals. This is especially true for those who fraudulently obtain U.S. citizenship.”
War criminals will find no safe haven or shelter within the United States.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions
The Trump administration has come under fire from advocacy groups that accuse the government of using denaturalization as a political weapon targeted toward particular nationalities.
But, according to the Justice Department, a Bosnian court previously found that Yetisen along with Edin Dzeko, 46, were part of a firing squad that executed six unarmed prisoners of war and civilians, and Yetisen proceeded to make sure all six were dead by shooting them again.
DOJ is also seeking to remove the citizenship of Dzeko who is currently serving a prison sentence in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Email: fordonez@mcclatchydc.com; Twitter: @francoordonez.