Naser Oriç is a military figure who served within the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ARBiH) during the Bosnian War from 1992 to 1995. He commanded the 28th Division in the defense of the Srebrenica region. With a professional background in security forces, Oriç was at the center of military operations against the Serbian siege throughout the three-year period leading up to the region’s fall in 1995.

Before his military career, Naser Oriç began his professional life within the security apparatus of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In the late 1980s, he served in a special police operations unit in Belgrade, where he played an active role in operations against organized crime and developed expertise in high-level security procedures and operational tactics.^【1】

One of the most strategic phases of his career was his service in the close protection detail of Slobodan Milošević, the Serbian leader of the time. While stationed at the center of Serbia’s security structure, Oriç gained direct insight into the hierarchical organization, working methods, and strategic approaches of the Serbian political and military elite.^【2】 The experience he gained during the years when Serbian nationalism was rising and Yugoslavia entered its dissolution process provided him with technical knowledge of the opposing side’s military doctrine and decision-making mechanisms.

As tensions escalated and conflict erupted in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992, Oriç left his post in Belgrade and returned to his hometown of Srebrenica, where he was initially appointed as the local police chief. The discipline, professional operational management, and defensive strategies he acquired in the security forces formed the foundation for transforming the fragmented and technologically limited Bosniak forces into a structured resistance unit: the 28th Division.^【3】

Oriç’s special police operations background enabled the effective use of unconventional warfare methods and rapid mobilization capabilities during the defense of Srebrenica. His close familiarity with the Serbian army’s siege tactics, communication discipline, and operational habits—gained during his service in Belgrade—provided Bosniak forces with a critical advantage against numerically and materially superior Serbian units.

Naser Oriç’s military activities have been subject to legal scrutiny at both international and local levels following the end of the war.

The first phase of these proceedings took place before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague. Oriç was tried by the tribunal for events related to military operations in the Srebrenica region; however, after detailed examinations and presentation of evidence, he was acquitted and found not guilty on all charges.^【4】

The second phase of the legal process began in 2015 when Oriç was arrested in Switzerland under a warrant issued by Serbia. The incident drew international attention, with both Serbian and Bosnian authorities requesting his extradition. The Swiss Federal Office of Justice, after conducting legal assessments, rejected Serbia’s request and decided to extradite Oriç to his home country, Bosnia and Herzegovina.^【5】 Oriç, brought to Sarajevo by a special aircraft, was handed over to local judicial authorities, gave his statement, and was subsequently released under specific judicial supervision conditions.^【6】

^{Commander of the Srebrenica Defense, Naser Oriç (}Anadolu Ajansı⁾

The final legal proceeding in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s local courts focused on allegations that in 1992, three Serbian civilians were killed in villages around Srebrenica. Naser Oriç and his comrade Sabahudin Muhiç appeared before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina charged with “violating international human rights norms.”^【7】 The initial acquittal verdict issued on 9 October 2017 was overturned by the Appellate Panel due to procedural errors raised by the prosecution, triggering a retrial.

In 2018, following the retrial, the court panel ruled that the allegations lacked concrete and credible evidence and that contradictions in witness testimonies prevented the establishment of guilt, resulting in a final acquittal for both defendants.^【8】

In the post-Bosnian War period, Naser Oriç holds the status of a war veteran honored with the “Golden Lily” (Zlatni Ljiljan) decoration within Bosnian society and state hierarchy.^【9】 His military leadership during the Srebrenica operations and the eventual acquittal after prolonged legal proceedings have been central to his current social standing. Oriç describes the military and humanitarian events in Srebrenica as “a genocide that cannot be erased from the history of humanity.”^【10】

Oriç continues to live in Bosnia and Herzegovina and is regarded as a figure in efforts to preserve the collective memory of the war period. The completion of all legal proceedings against him has enabled his biography to be represented in both civil and official spheres.

In this context, Oriç’s life story and the resistance in Srebrenica continue to be presented to the public through fictional and documentary narratives, including the biographical series “Naser,” produced by TRT’s digital platform Tabii.^【11】