U povodu donošenja prvostupanjske presude Međunarodnog kaznenog suda za ratne zločine u bivšoj Jugoslaviji (MKSJ) u predmetu Gotovina, Čermak, Markač želimo upozoriti na teško nasljeđe neprocesuiranih zločina počinjenih u tijeku i neposredno nakon vojno redarstvene operacije “Oluja”.
Operacijom “Oluja” definitivno je slomljena pobuna dijela Srba u Hrvatskoj, a time i skršena samoproglašena Republika Srpska Krajina (“RSK”). Time je na tom području ponovno uspostavljen ustavno pravni poredak Republike Hrvatske. Također, ponovno su, kontinentalnom trasom, prometno, spojeni jug i sjever Hrvatske. Tako su ostvarene sigurnosne pretpostavke za život na područjima koja su graničila sa “RSK” te za ostvarivanje prava na povratak prognanika u svoje domove, protjeranih sa tog područja.
At the same time, one should also bear in mind the consequences of this action, which were manifested in arson and looting, and numerous unpunished and even systematically concealed killings of civilians. Research conducted by the Croatian Helsinki Committee showed that in August and September 1995, during and after the end of military operations, more than 600 civilians were killed and more than 22,000 houses were burned in the territory integrated by the action. Fearing for their personal safety and at the instigation of the Krajina authorities, more than 150,000 of its former inhabitants, mostly Serbs, left Croatia at that time. Their return was made difficult by the failure to establish security measures and the rule of law in that part of the territory of the Republic of Croatia, the delayed prosecution of war crimes, ineffective return programs and too slow state economic measures to encourage reconstruction. The synergy of the above elements resulted in the permanent emigration of the Serb population from one fifth of Croatian territory to an extent that had the effects of ethnic cleansing.
We remind you of some publicly known unprosecuted crimes:
– U vrijeme trajanja vojno redarstvene akcije “Oluja” 6. kolovoza 1995. u mjestu Golubić kraj Knina ubijeno je najmanje 10 civila. Zločini nisu procesuirani.
– Ubojstva najmanje petoro civila u Mokrom Polju (Knin) započela su 6. kolovoza tijekom akcije “Oluja” i nastavila se nakon završetka vojnog djelovanja. Zločini nisu procesuirani.
– Between August 7 and 8, 1995, several dozen civilians from the municipalities of Glina, Topusko, Gvozd and Vojnić were killed in attacks on a refugee convoy between Glina and Dvor. Crimes were not prosecuted.
– On August 12, 1995, nine civilians were killed in Komić (Korenica). Crimes were not prosecuted.
– On 25 August 1995, six civilians were killed in the village of Grubori (Knin). After a systematic cover-up of the crime, which was testified to before the ICTY by several individuals, the Zagreb District Court filed an indictment on 15 December 2010 against three Croatian citizens, FD (1963), BK (1957) and IB (1973), for committing the criminal offence of war crimes against the civilian population under Article 120, paragraph 1 of the Basic Criminal Code of the Republic of Croatia.
– On 27 August 1995, at around 4 pm, seven civilians were killed in the village of Gošić (Kistanje). The Zadar District Court filed an indictment No. KT-83/96 on 13 February 1996, but due to a lack of solid evidence, the proceedings were returned to the investigation stage against unknown perpetrators.
– Za vrijeme VRA “Oluja”, pa do konca 1995. godine u selu Kijani (Gračac), prema Izvještaju HHO-a registrirano je 14 ubijenih civila, među kojima devet žena. Zločini nisu procesuirani
– On September 28, 1995, in the village of Varivode (Kistanje) around 5:00 PM - 5:30 PM, nine civilians were killed. Six members of the Croatian police force were suspected of the crime, but after the proceedings before the Zadar County Court and a retrial at the Šibenik County Court, the defendants were acquitted, which returned the investigation to the beginning, against unknown perpetrators. Even eight years after the proceedings before the Šibenik court were completed, there has been no new information and no prosecution of the perpetrators of this crime.
By citing these examples, we wish to remind the public and relevant government institutions of the fact that these crimes were committed and that no one was held accountable for them, and thus of the unfulfilled obligation to uncover and prosecute the perpetrators of war crimes against civilians. Prosecution of war crimes must be carried out consistently, regardless of who the perpetrator is and who the victim is, because a crime, no matter what it is motivated by, has neither nation nor religion, but only the hallmark of evil and therefore cannot be justified by anything, just as its non-prosecution cannot be justified.
Also, given that the families of those killed who sued the Republic of Croatia seeking compensation for damages are living under the threat of execution due to possible payment of legal costs (in 29 known cases, costs ranging from 5,000 to 90,900 kuna are threatened), we remind the competent institutions of their obligation to ensure fair compensation for all victims and all families of victims.
Regarding the upcoming ICTY verdict in the Gotovina, Čermak, Markač case, we would like to remind you that the IT 06/90 indictment charges the defendants, as participants in a criminal enterprise, under warrant command responsibility (omission of a superior), with persecutions, deportations and forcible transfers, plunder of public or private property, wanton destruction, inhumane acts and cruel treatment, and failure to react to crimes committed at lower levels: which includes the killing of civilians in the municipalities of Knin (villages of Kovačić, Đurići, Žagrović, Grubori), Orlić (villages of Orlić, Šarena Jezera/Vrbnik, Uzdolje), Kistanje (village of Kakanj), Ervenik (village of Oton) and Donji Lapac (village of Oraovac). The Republic of Croatia strongly supported the establishment of the court, incorporated the Statute of the court into national legislation, so that the court's decisions are an integral part of its rights and must be respected. Regardless of the content of the first-instance verdict, we call for a peaceful and dignified acceptance of the decision of the ICTY trial chamber.
Vesna Teršelic, Document, Zagreb
Katarina Kruhonja, Center for Peace, Nonviolence and Human Rights Osijek
Zoran Pusić, Citizens' Committee for Human Rights, Zagreb
Gordan Bosanac, Center for Peace Studies, Zagreb
Nela Pamuković, Center for Women Victims of War, Zagreb
Mirjana Bilopavović, Delfin, Pakrac
Mirjana Kučer, Dominoes, Split
Sanja Sarnavka, BaBe, Zagreb
Mario Mažić, Youth Initiative for Human Rights, Croatia
Sanja Sarnavka, House of Human Rights
Biserka Momčinović, Center for Civic Initiatives, Poreč
Ivo Škorić, Mreža za kulturnu suradnju i pomirenje – Rakun
Zdeka Pantić, Rehabilitation Center for Stress and Trauma, Zagreb
Marica Šeatović, Udruženje porodice “Protiv zaborava”, Zagreb
Srđan Antić, Nansen Dialogue Center, Osijek
Emina Bužinkić, Croatian Youth Network
Semina Lončar, CERD, Split
Mirjana Galo, HOMO, Pula
Vesna Kesic, GONG
Drago Pilsel, Zagreb
Ljiljana Gherecke, Vukovar
Ana Kvesic, Vukovar
Additional data on unprosecuted crimes
– U vrijeme trajanja akcije 6. kolovoza 1995. u mjestu Golubic kraj Knina ubijeno je najmanje 10 civila. Vasu Vasića (r. 1920.) i Nikolu Panića (r. 1935.) ubili su vatrenim oružjem – vojska ih je izvela pred kuću i strijeljala. Toga su dana smaknuti i Branko Radinović (r. 1920.), Maša Radujko (r. 1927.) i njen suprug Nikola Radujko (r. 1918.), Tode Marić (r. 1929.), Milka Grubić (stara oko 60 godina), Zorka Kablar (stara oko 80 godina), Milica Šljivar (r. 1936.) i Jeka Opačić (stara oko 80 godina). Zločini nisu procesuirani.
– Ubojstva najmanje petoro civila u Mokro Polje (Knin) započela su tijekom akcije “Oluja” i nastavila se nakon završetka vojnog djelovanja. Ružica Babić, r. 1926. ubijena je 6. kolovoza 1995. na pragu svoje kuće. Stana Popović, r. 1926. i Mirko Popović, r. 1952. (majka i sin) ubijeni su 7. kolovoza 1995. u svojoj kući, hicima iz vatrenog oružja. Tom prilikom ranjen je i Obrad Popović (suprug i otac). Stevan Sučević, r. 1934. ubijen je 9. kolovoza 1995. Jeka Kanazir, r. 1928. ubačena je u “Pavlovićevu gusternu”. Sahranjena je u Kninu nakon 40 dana. Sava Babić, r. 1913. usmrćena je hicima iz vatrenog oružja 24. kolovoza 1995. ispred svoje kuće. Zločini nisu procesuirani.
– Između 7. i 8. kolovoza 1995. u attacks on the refugee column between Glina and Dvor poginulo je nekoliko desetaka civila s područja općina Glina, Topusko, Gvozd i Vojnić. Među njima su bili Zorojević Aleksa (r. 1928.) iz Donjeg Klasnića – nestao pri napadu na kolonu na području Dvora, Miloš Vladić (1931.) iz Buzete – ubijen na traktorskoj prikolici u koloni između Gline i Dvora; Danica Bulat (r. 1931.) iz Buzete – ubijena na traktorskoj prikolici u koloni između Gline i Dvora, Marija Baždar (r. 1928) iz Buzete – ubijena na traktorskoj prikolici u koloni između Gline i Dvora; Kukulj Milenko (oko 1935.) iz Blatuše – ubijen u koloni na području Dvora; Milić Ljubica (r. 1952.) iz Blatuše – ubijena na cesti Glina – Dvor kada je iz šume pucano po koloni vatrenim oružjem; Milić Đurđica (oko 1967.) iz Blatuše – ubijena na cesti Glina – Dvor kada je iz šume pucano po koloni vatrenim oružjem; Mraović Ana (r. 1905.) iz Bovića – nestala u koloni kod sela Rujevac; Mraović Mile (r. 1931.) iz Bovića – poginuo od granate pri granatiranju kolone kod Gline; Stanojević Stanko (r. 1918.) iz Bovića – ranjen pri granatiranju kolone kod Gline i od tada mu se gubi svaki trag; Komadina Stevan (r. 1930.) iz Bovića – poginuo od granate pri granatiranju kolone kod Gline; Rkman Milica (r. 1915.) iz Brnjavca – nestala na području sela Rujevac pri napadu na kolonu od strane HV-a; Pavlović Maca (r. 1923.) iz Trepče – nestala u koloni kod sela Žirovac; Radanović Danica (r. 1924.) iz Šljivovca – nestala u koloni između Gline i Dvora; Radanović Ranka (r. 1932.) iz Čremušnice – poginula pri granatiranju kolone u selo Ravno Rašće; Radanović Miljka (r. 1922.) iz Čremušnice – poginula pri granatiranju kolone u selo Ravno Rašće. Zločini nisu procesuirani.
– U mjestu Comic (Korenica) On August 12, 1995, nine civilians were killed. Marija Brkljačić-Ugarković, born in 1921, was burned alive in her house. Staka Ćurčić was killed on the same day. Sava Lavrnić, born in 1903, and Petar Lavrnić, aged about 65, mother and son, were also killed on August 12, 1995, and their house was burned. The spouses Mara and Rade Mirković were also killed on the same day. Mika Pavlica, born in 1904, was burned in her house. Mika Sunajko, born in 1915, was killed near Klapavice. Her husband Rade Sunajko, born in 1909, was killed near G. Mirković's house in Poljice. The crimes were not prosecuted.
– 25. kolovoza 1995. kad su pripadnici UN i svjedokinje prišli selu Grubori (Knin) they saw most of the houses in flames and found 5 killed civilians. The witness said that the livestock was burning alive in the stables. She called out to her husband and ran to a meadow where she saw their two cows, shot and lying on the grass. Not far from those cows was the body of Jovo Grubor (born 1930), his throat had been cut and half of his face was missing. The witness cried out for help and ran to the house of 80-year-old Miloš Grubor, who was lying sick in bed. She found him on the floor in his pajamas, lying in a pool of blood. There were spent shells next to him. Because of the night, the UN transported them to Knin. The next day, they continued the search with UN members for four more villagers. In the charred remains of her house, the witness saw legs under a burnt beam. After spreading the ashes from under the beam, she found her 90-year-old mother-in-law Maria, lying on her back, her face covered with her hands, all burnt. In the meadow where she found her husband, they found two more corpses: 51-year-old Milica Grubor, stabbed and riddled with gunfire. Not far from her was the corpse of Đura Karanović (b. 1950), who had knife wounds on his neck and gunshot wounds on his chest. 73-year-old Jovan Grubor was set on fire along with his house. After the systematic concealment of the crime, which was testified to by several persons before the ICTY, the ŽDO from Zagreb filed an indictment on December 15, 2010 against three Croatian citizens FD (1963), BK (1957) and IB (1973) for committing the criminal offense of war crimes against the civilian population under Art. 120th century 1. Basic Criminal Code of the Republic of Croatia.
– Dana 27. kolovoza 1995. godine, oko 16,00 sati u Gosic (Kistanje) a white car arrived. Several shots were heard from an automatic rifle. After about ten minutes, the same car drove away from the village. In the hamlet of Borci, Dušan Borak (56 years old) and Milka Borak (80 years old) were killed at that time, in the house of Savo Borak, Savo Borak (70 years old), Grozdana Borak (70 years old) and Vasilj Borak (70 years old) were killed, in the neighboring house, Kosovka Borak (77 years old) was killed, in the house next door, Marija Borak (81 years old) was killed. The Zadar District Court filed an indictment no. KT-83/96 of 13 February 1996, but due to the lack of solid evidence, the proceedings were returned to the stage of investigation against unknown perpetrators.
– Za vrijeme VRA “Oluja”, pa do konca 1995. godine u selu Kijani (Gračac), according to the HHO Report, 14 killed civilians were registered, including nine women: Dane Bolta, 90 years old; Sava Bolta, about 70 years old; Branko Jelača, about 67 years old; Marija Jelača, d. in 1913; Milica Jelača, d. around 1927; Ana Jelača, about 50 years old; Smilja Jelača, about 90 years old; Dušan Kesić, b. in 1939; Mileva Kolundžić, about 70 years old; Danica Sovilj, about 70 years old; Mara Sovilj, about 75 years old; Mira Sovilj, about 50 years old; Rade Sovilj, d. around 1947 and Vlado Sovilj, d. 1931, who returned home from the refugee column. Crimes were not prosecuted
– Dana 28. rujna 1995. godine, u selu Varivode (Kistanje) around 17:00 - 17:30, nine civilians were killed, almost two months after the cessation of hostilities. Nine people were brutally and without cause executed, the youngest of whom was 60 and the oldest 85 years old. 60-year-old Jovan Berić, 60-year-old Špiro Berić, 69-year-old Rajko Berić, 70-year-old Mara Berić, 85-year-old Mirko Pokrajac, 75-year-old Ljubo Duje Dukić, 70-year-old Mara Dukić, 71-year-old Milka Berić and 75-year-old Jovan Berić were riddled with bullets, mostly on their doorsteps. Six members of the Croatian police force were suspected of the crime, but after proceedings before the Zadar County Court and a retrial at the Šibenik County Court, the defendants were acquitted, which returned the investigation to the beginning, against unknown perpetrators. Even eight years after the completion of the proceedings before the Šibenik court, there has been no new information and no prosecution of the perpetrators of this crime.
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