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[:en]5 August 2009: ICMP extends its condolences to Mrs. Esma Palic and to the relatives and many friends of Colonel Avdo Palic who have suffered for so long as a consequence of not knowing his fate and whereabouts. We also continue to extend our support to all those who are searching for persons missing from the armed conflicts of the 1990’s in the regions of the former Yugoslavia.
Considering the many requests that ICMP has received for more information and with the consent of Mrs. Palic we would like to provide the following review of the case history.
In November 2001, just when the ICMP DNA Laboratory system went on line, ICMP received thousands of samples from around the country for testing. The court-appointed forensic pathologist from Sarajevo gave ICMP a full freezer containing hundreds of bone samples that had been collected between 1996 and 2001 from various sites in his jurisdiction. Amongst those was a bone sample with case number 9100507 taken from mortal remains exhumed at a site in Vragolovi. In June of 2002, ICMP attempted a DNA extraction from this sample. However, the tests performed at that time did not produce a profile that could be matched to any family reference on ICMP’s databases. ICMP has made almost 15,000 conclusive DNA matches of different individuals relevant to the conflicts in the Western Balkans. Nevertheless, it is not a rare event that some DNA profiles remain on ICMP’s databases without yielding a match.
There are many reasons why a sample may not result in a DNA match. The most common technical reason is that the number of family reference profiles on ICMP databases is insufficient in a given case. Another common technical reason is that a sample fails to yield enough genetic information. However, DNA typing and matching systems have continuously improved over the years. The improved systems sometimes permit obtaining DNA profiles where that was not possible previously. ICMP therefore regularly reviews samples that remain on the database, but do not yield a match.
In November 2008, ICMP instituted a full technical review of all unmatched DNA profiles that had been generated in the period 2001-2004. The DNA profiles that had not been matched were carefully examined in the light of current standards. This technically demanding process necessarily took some time but as a result of this review, samples were identified as potentially benefitting from re-extraction of DNA using improved extraction methods. Among these was the sample 9100507 from the Vragolovi site. The new DNA extraction was completed in July 2009, and a full and accurate DNA profile was obtained from the sample. Upon comparison with family reference profiles, a match was found identifying the sample as belonging to Col. Avdo Palic.
ICMP is always responsive to any information that could aid in the identification of individuals. However, no information was ever provided to ICMP suggesting that the Vragolovi site might be associated with Colonel Palic. Consequently, it was not until ICMP performed its technical review in 2008-2009 that the case could be closed.
ICMP would like to underline, that without the use of state-of-the-art DNA identification methods, Colonel Palic would not have been identified. ICMP continues to review all cases using newer and more refined techniques as they become available.
ICMP operates a high throughput DNA identification laboratory system that is dedicated to assisting governments with cases of persons missing from armed conflict, crimes against humanity, violations of human rights, as well as disaster victim identification following natural or manmade disasters. Since ICMP’s DNA laboratory system went on-line in November 2001, almost 15,000 DNA matches of different individuals have been made of persons missing from the conflicts in the Western Balkans, of which over 12,000 are relevant to Bosnia and Herzegovina. ICMP has also provided assistance to Thailand following the Tsunami, the United States following Hurricane Katrina, the Philippines following Typhoon Frank, the Government of Chile concerning cases of missing persons from the regime of Pinochet, while ICMP currently operates programs in Colombia and Iraq.[:bs]ICMP upućuje izraze saučešća gospođi Esmi Palić, rodbini i mnogobrojnim prijateljima Pukovnika Avde Palića koji su patili toliko dugo zbog toga što nisu imali saznanja o njegovoj sudbini niti lokaciji. Mi također nastavljamo sa pružanjem naše podrške svima onima koji tragaju za osobama nestalim kao posljedica oružanih sukoba 90-tih godina na teritoriji bivše Jugoslavije.
Obzirom na mnogobrojne zahtjeve upućene ICMP-u za više informacija, a uz pristanak gospođe Palić, ovim putem želimo dati sljedeći pregled istorije ovog slučaja.
U novembru 2001. godine, odmah nakon početka rada ICMP-evog sistema DNK laboratorija, ICMP je primio na hiljade uzoraka na testiranje, iz svih dijelova zemlje. Sudski vještak iz Sarajeva je predao ICMP-u pun frižider sa stotinama koštanih uzoraka koji su bili sakupljani u periodu od 1996. do 2001. godine sa različitih lokaliteta koji su bili u njegovoj nadležnosti. Među njima je bio i koštani uzorak broj 9100507 uzet iz posmrtnih ostataka ekshumiranih na lokalitetu Vragolovi. U junu 2002. godine, ICMP je pokušao izdvajanje DNK iz ovog uzorka. Međutim, testiranje obavljeno tada nije rezultiralo profilom koji bi se podudarao referentnim uzorcima članova porodice u bazi ICMP-a. ICMP je uradio skoro 15 000 konačnih DNK poklapanja za različite osobe nestale kao posljedica konflikata na Zapadnom Balkanu. Uprkos tome, nije rijedak slučaj da neki DNK profili ostanu u ICMP-evim bazama podataka bez postignutog podudaranja.
Postoji više razloga zašto uzorak nekada ne rezultira DNK poklapanjem. Najčešći tehnički razlog je da je broj porodičnih referentnih profila, u ICMP-evim bazama podataka, nedovoljan za određeni slučaj. Drugi uobičajeni tehnički razlog je da uzorak ne sadrži dovoljno genetskih informacija. Međutim, DNK sistemi tipizacije i podudaranja su se kontinuirano unapređivali tokom godina. Poboljšani sistemi ponekad dozvoljavaju dobivanje DNK profila u slučajevima u kojima to ranije nije bilo moguće. ICMP stoga redovno vrši preispitivanje slučajeva koji su preostali u bazi podataka, a kod kojih nije došlo do poklapanja.
U novembru 2008. godine, ICMP je pokrenuo sveobuhvatnu tehničku reviziju DNK profila za koje ne postoje podudaranja, a koji su dobijeni putem analiza u periodu od 2001. do 2004. godine. Takvi DNK profili su detaljno obrađeni u skladu sa standardima koji se trenutno primjenjuju. Ovaj tehnički veoma zahtjevan proces je nužno potrajao određeno vrijeme ali, kao rezultat revizije, izdvojen je određeni broj profila za koje je procijenjeno da bi bilo korisno da prođu ponovno izdvajanje DNK, pri čemu bi se primijenio novi poboljšani metod. Među tim uzorcima nalazio se i uzorak 9100507 sa lokacije Vragolovi. Nova DNK ekstrakcija, završena u julu 2009. godine, rezultirala je potpunim i tačnim DNK profilom. Naknadnim poređenjem sa referentnim uzorcima članova porodice pronađeno je podudaranje koje upućuje na to da razmatrani uzorak pripada pukovniku Avdi Paliću.
ICMP je potpuno otvoren za sve informacije koje mogu pomoći identifikaciji nestalih osoba. Međutim, ICMP nije nikada dobio informaciju koja bi ukazala na mogućnost postojanja veze između lokaliteta Vragolovi i Pukovnika Palića. Stoga, ICMP nije bio u mogućnosti zaključiti ovaj slučaj sve do tehničke revizije 2008.-2009. godine.
ICMP želi da naglasi da bez korištenja najnaprednijih DNK identifikacijskih metoda, Pukovnik Palić ne bi nikada bio identifikovan. ICMP nastavlja reviziju svih slučajeva uz korištenja novijih i naprednijih tehnika kako postaju dostupne.
ICMP posjeduje najnapredniji sistem DNK laboratorija koji pruža asistenciju vladama u slučajevima osoba koje su nestale kao posljedica oružanih sukoba, zločina protiv čovječnosti, povreda ljudskih prava, kao i slučajevima žrtava prirodnih ili drugih katastrofa. Od uspostave ICMP-evog sistema DNK laboratorija u novembru 2001. godine, dobiveno je skoro 15 000 DNK podudaranja različitih osoba nestalih kao posljedica konflikata na Zapadnom Balkanu, od čega je 12 000 osoba vezano za Bosnu i Hercegovinu. ICMP je također pružio pomoć Tajlandu nakon tcunamija, SAD-u nakon uragana Katrina, Filipinima nakon tajfuna Frenk, vladi Čilea u vezi osoba nestalih u vrijeme Pinočeovog režima; ICMP trenutno implementira svoje programe u Čileu i Iraku.
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