Joševica massacre
Encyclopedia
The Joševica massacre was a war crime
committed by the paramilitary forces of the rebel Serbs
in the Croatian village of Joševica
during the Croatian War of Independence
. The atrocities took place on December 16 of 1991.
The Serb paramilitary forces killed 21 Croatian civilians in village of Joševica
near the city of Glina
. One civilian survived the attack with serious wounds. After a few weeks, Serb paramilitary forces perpetrated another massacre, killing another 3 Croats. In total, 32 residents of Joševica out of 133 that had lived in Joševica (census 1991) were killed.
At the time there was no active combat in the Joševica area, as the forces of rebel Serbs had already occupied the area. Serb military commanders had also made guarantees to the local Croats that they would enjoy peace and safety if they didn't partake in armed resistance.
(in 2008 a member of the city council of Glina) had investigated the events and made a detailed record with a precise list of victims and the description of how those persons were killed. Despite that, the occupation authorities of RSK
hadn't done any further actions, and the perpetrators weren't legally processed, despite the existence of witnesses that named the victims.
The State Attorney's Office of the Republic of Croatia (DORH) has indicted six citizens of the Republic of Serbia for the Joševica case. All of them had left for Serbia in 1995 after the Croatian Operation Flash
, where they took permanent residence. DORH brought the indictment forward almost 17 years after the events.
War crime
War crimes are serious violations of the laws applicable in armed conflict giving rise to individual criminal responsibility...
committed by the paramilitary forces of the rebel Serbs
Republic of Serbian Krajina
The Republic of Serbian Krajina was a self-proclaimed Serb entity within Croatia. Established in 1991, it was not recognized internationally. It formally existed from 1991 to 1995, having been initiated a year earlier via smaller separatist regions. The name Krajina means "frontier"...
in the Croatian village of Joševica
Joševica
Joševica is a village located just south of Glina in Banovina, central Croatia.During the Croatian War of Independence, the village was ravaged in the December 1991 Joševica massacre....
during the Croatian War of Independence
Croatian War of Independence
The Croatian War of Independence was fought from 1991 to 1995 between forces loyal to the government of Croatia—which had declared independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia —and the Serb-controlled Yugoslav People's Army and local Serb forces, with the JNA ending its combat...
. The atrocities took place on December 16 of 1991.
The Serb paramilitary forces killed 21 Croatian civilians in village of Joševica
Joševica
Joševica is a village located just south of Glina in Banovina, central Croatia.During the Croatian War of Independence, the village was ravaged in the December 1991 Joševica massacre....
near the city of Glina
Glina, Croatia
Glina is a small town in central Croatia, located southwest of Petrinja and Sisak in the Sisak-Moslavina county. It lies on the eponymous river of Glina.-History:...
. One civilian survived the attack with serious wounds. After a few weeks, Serb paramilitary forces perpetrated another massacre, killing another 3 Croats. In total, 32 residents of Joševica out of 133 that had lived in Joševica (census 1991) were killed.
At the time there was no active combat in the Joševica area, as the forces of rebel Serbs had already occupied the area. Serb military commanders had also made guarantees to the local Croats that they would enjoy peace and safety if they didn't partake in armed resistance.
Investigation
At the time, one Nikola Sužnjević, an investigating judge in the employ of the then-Republic of Serbian KrajinaRepublic of Serbian Krajina
The Republic of Serbian Krajina was a self-proclaimed Serb entity within Croatia. Established in 1991, it was not recognized internationally. It formally existed from 1991 to 1995, having been initiated a year earlier via smaller separatist regions. The name Krajina means "frontier"...
(in 2008 a member of the city council of Glina) had investigated the events and made a detailed record with a precise list of victims and the description of how those persons were killed. Despite that, the occupation authorities of RSK
Republic of Serbian Krajina
The Republic of Serbian Krajina was a self-proclaimed Serb entity within Croatia. Established in 1991, it was not recognized internationally. It formally existed from 1991 to 1995, having been initiated a year earlier via smaller separatist regions. The name Krajina means "frontier"...
hadn't done any further actions, and the perpetrators weren't legally processed, despite the existence of witnesses that named the victims.
The State Attorney's Office of the Republic of Croatia (DORH) has indicted six citizens of the Republic of Serbia for the Joševica case. All of them had left for Serbia in 1995 after the Croatian Operation Flash
Operation Flash
The Serbs in western Slavonia took part in the organized rebellion against the government of the Republic of Croatia that had just proclaimed independence in June 1991, by proclaiming the Serbian Autonomous Oblast of Western Slavonia in August 1991...
, where they took permanent residence. DORH brought the indictment forward almost 17 years after the events.