Ivica Rajic
Encyclopedia
Ivica Rajić was a commander in the Croatian Defence Council
(HVO) during the 1992-1995 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina
.
Rajić was an officer in the Yugoslav National Army prior to 1992 which is when he joined the HVO. Rajić operated out of the central Bosnian town of Kiseljak
as the Commander of the Second Operational Group of the HVO’s Central Bosnia Operative Zone. He was responsible for the October 23-24, 1993, massacre village of Stupni Do
where at least 37 Bosniak
people, including elderly, women and children, some of them burned alive, were killed and several women raped by Croat forces. He was also commanded the previous day looting of the town of Vareš
, where more than 250 military-aged men rounded up in their homes and then abused in the schools were they were detained.
After the massacre Rajić assumed the name Viktor Andrić and continued to serve in the HVO. He was indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
on August 29, 1995, and went into hiding in the seaside city of Split
in Croatia
which is where he was arrested on April 5, 2003, by Croatian authorities. Rajić was transferred to ICTY In June 2003. He pleaded not guilty and was set to go on trial in 2005, which is when he changed his plea to guilty.
The Trial Chamber found that the sentence should reflect the fact that Rajić’s crimes were committed on a large scale and were of particularly violent nature, the impact of his crimes on particularly vulnerable victims, his participation in a cover-up and the fact that he absconded and obstructed justice for almost eight years. Rajić "significantly cooperated with the Prosecution providing and authenticating various important documents and confirming numerous important facts", and this was considered a mitigating factor
, as was his guilty plea, which the Trial Chamber stated "helped to establish the truth surrounding the crimes committed in Stupni Do and Vareš", which "may contribute to the reconciliation of the peoples of the former Yugoslavia and to the restoration of a lasting peace in the region". The Trial Chamber also felt that "Rajić's expression of remorse was real and sincere and must be taken into account in mitigation". On May 8, 2006, Ivica Rajić was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment for "wilful killing, inhumane treatment (including sexual assault), appropriation of property" and "extensive destruction not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly", and sent to serve his sentence in Spain
in 2007.
On 8th September, 2011, it was announced that Rajić will be granted an early release, having served eight years of his 12-year sentence.
Croatian Defence Council
The Croatian Defence Council was a military formation of the self-proclaimed Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia during the Bosnian War.-History:...
(HVO) during the 1992-1995 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnian War
The Bosnian War or the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between April 1992 and December 1995. The war involved several sides...
.
Rajić was an officer in the Yugoslav National Army prior to 1992 which is when he joined the HVO. Rajić operated out of the central Bosnian town of Kiseljak
Kiseljak
Kiseljak is a small town and municipality in central Bosnia and Herzegovina, located northwest of Sarajevo and south of Zenica. Kiseljak lies in the valley of the rivers Fojnica , Lepenica and Kreševka, which are a tributary of the Bosna, and it is on the intersection of roads from Visoko, Fojnica,...
as the Commander of the Second Operational Group of the HVO’s Central Bosnia Operative Zone. He was responsible for the October 23-24, 1993, massacre village of Stupni Do
Stupni Do
Stupni Do is a village in the municipality of Vareš in central Bosnia and Herzegovina It is located 3 km southeast of the city of Vareš. This small village has only received notoriety because of the atrocity committed there during the 1992-1995 war in Bosnia and...
where at least 37 Bosniak
Bosniaks
The Bosniaks or Bosniacs are a South Slavic ethnic group, living mainly in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a smaller minority also present in other lands of the Balkan Peninsula especially in Serbia, Montenegro and Croatia...
people, including elderly, women and children, some of them burned alive, were killed and several women raped by Croat forces. He was also commanded the previous day looting of the town of Vareš
Vareš
Vareš is a town and municipality in central Bosnia and Herzegovina, famous for the local mining activities and production of iron. It is part of the Zenica-Doboj Canton and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.-About Vareš:...
, where more than 250 military-aged men rounded up in their homes and then abused in the schools were they were detained.
After the massacre Rajić assumed the name Viktor Andrić and continued to serve in the HVO. He was indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
The International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991, more commonly referred to as the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia or ICTY, is a...
on August 29, 1995, and went into hiding in the seaside city of Split
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
which is where he was arrested on April 5, 2003, by Croatian authorities. Rajić was transferred to ICTY In June 2003. He pleaded not guilty and was set to go on trial in 2005, which is when he changed his plea to guilty.
The Trial Chamber found that the sentence should reflect the fact that Rajić’s crimes were committed on a large scale and were of particularly violent nature, the impact of his crimes on particularly vulnerable victims, his participation in a cover-up and the fact that he absconded and obstructed justice for almost eight years. Rajić "significantly cooperated with the Prosecution providing and authenticating various important documents and confirming numerous important facts", and this was considered a mitigating factor
Mitigating factor
A mitigating factor, in law, is any information or evidence presented to the court regarding the defendant or the circumstances of the crime that might result in reduced charges or a lesser sentence.-Death penalty in the United States:...
, as was his guilty plea, which the Trial Chamber stated "helped to establish the truth surrounding the crimes committed in Stupni Do and Vareš", which "may contribute to the reconciliation of the peoples of the former Yugoslavia and to the restoration of a lasting peace in the region". The Trial Chamber also felt that "Rajić's expression of remorse was real and sincere and must be taken into account in mitigation". On May 8, 2006, Ivica Rajić was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment for "wilful killing, inhumane treatment (including sexual assault), appropriation of property" and "extensive destruction not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly", and sent to serve his sentence in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
in 2007.
On 8th September, 2011, it was announced that Rajić will be granted an early release, having served eight years of his 12-year sentence.