U.S. seeking to revoke citizenship of Iowa man accused in Bosnian killings

Federal authorities are seeking to strip the citizenship of a man who they say lied about his participation in extrajudicial killings and paramilitary organizations in Bosnia in order to gain entry to the United States as a refugee.

The Justice Department on Thursday filed paperwork seeking to strip 51-year-old Eso Razic of his citizenship, which would free immigration authorities to have him deported. Court documents state that Razic's last known address was in Asbury, in northeast Iowa.

Authorities say Razic participated in killing a wounded prisoner of war and two others in the 1990s but concealed his violent past when he applied for refugee status 20 years ago. He said on his forms he lost his house and hairdressing shop in the war and was beaten in a detention camp.

Razic, who is also known as "Esad Razic" or "Brico," was born in Yugoslavia and was subsequently a citizen of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was admitted to the United States as a refugee in 1998 and became a citizen in 2004 on the basis of his permanent residency, according to court documents filed Thursday in federal court in the Northern District of Iowa.

Bosnia's 1992-95 war pitted the main ethnic communities — Bosniaks, Croats and Serbs — against one another during the bloody breakup of the Yugoslav federation. For the majority of the conflict, Bosniaks and Croats were allies against the Serbs, but in 1993 they fought a short but brutal war against one another.

In November 1992, Razic was on the payroll of the Croatian Defense Council, a paramilitary group. He served in the First Battalion Support Platoon and was paid 40,000 dinars for 22 days of service, according to a court exhibit.

The next month, Razic signed a document confirming he was on the payroll of the Independent Commando Company — a separate paramilitary organization — and was paid 186,700 dinars, court documents show.

Razic and another man are accused of taking a wounded man, Milan Misita, as a prisoner of war on June 8, 1992, before turning Misita over to another member of their group, who shot and killed him.

While serving as a "brigade scout" in the Croatian Defense Council on Oct. 2, 1993, Razic and six others turned on their comrades, killing two of them and capturing another two, one of whom was later released, according to court documents.

Asked on immigration forms whether he had ever engaged in genocide or killed anyone because of the person's political affiliation or religion, Razic answered "No."

It was not clear how authorities discovered Razic. He could not immediately be reached for comment, and court records don't list an attorney.

Records show Razic listed "truck driver" as his occupation when he was living in Dubuque County in the early 2000s.

The case was investigated and is being prosecuted by several federal authorities, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the office of the U.S. attorney for the northern district of Iowa.

"Laws that regulate access to United States citizenship must be respected," U.S. Attorney Peter E. Deegan, Jr. said in a statement. "Our office will work vigorously with our enforcement partners to ensure that naturalization is reserved for qualified individuals and that the rule of law is upheld."

— The Associated Press contributed to this report.