Sretko Kalinić
Encyclopedia
Sretko Kalinić, also known as "The Beast", or "The White" (born February 25, 1974) is a Serbian
gangster
, contract killer and mass murderer, best known as one of the conspirators in the assassination of Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic.
in a Serb family. In the early 1990s, during the Croatian War of Independence
, he was at one period a member of paramilitary unit called the Knindže (Knin ninjas, Red berets) headed by Dragan Vasiljković
("Captain Dragan").
, the largest Serbian criminal group, where he rose through the ranks. In the testimony of Dejan "Bugsy" Milenković, a former member of the Zemun Clan and protected witness, he accused Kalinić of being the most cruel member of Clan, fitting his nickname "Beast". According to Milenković's testimony, Sretko Kalinić was '"a favorite murderer" of Dušan Spasojević "Šiptar"
, the head of the Zemun clan, and was responsible for the murder of at least twenty people.
In March 2003, Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić was assassinated under the orders of Zemun Clan leader Milorad "Legija" Ulemek
and Dusan Spasojevic. On 23 May 2007 the Belgrade Special Court for Organised Crime found twelve men, including Kalinić, guilty of conspiring the murder of Zoran Đinđić. However, Kalinić and others went on the run following the assassination and could not be found. On 18 January 2008, Kalinić was sentenced by the Serbian court in absentia to 40 years imprisonment for involvement in killings, kidnappings, terrorist acts, and the murder of Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic.
In June 2010 he was found shot in the suburbs of Zagreb
, Croatia
by fellow gangster Miloš Simović, who was also a conspirator in the assassination of Zoran Đinđić. He was taken to the hospital to be treated and questioned by the police.
to Croatian investigators, including testimony on the organization of the assassination of Zoran Đinđić, and the names of the people who ordered the murder of Zoran Vukojević "Vuk", a protected witness
. He admitted to murdering Vukojević as well as Zoran Pović in 2006; both were witnesses linked to the Đinđić assassination trial. According to Croatian newspaper Kalinić admitted participating in the murder of at least twenty people in Serbia, Netherlands
, Spain
, and Croatia.
Despite being convicted of crimes in Serbia, it was noted that Kalinić would not be eligible for extradition to Serbia since he held Croatian citizenship and Croatian law forbids the extradition of their citizens (Kalinić is a citizen of both countries). Nevertheless, a few days later Serbian Minister of Justice Snežana Malović announced an extradition request for Kalinić to Croatia in hopes that Croatia would change their laws. Sure enough, it was later announced that the Croatian assembly was working on adopting constitutional amendments in regards to regional criminals, so that they would not be able to find refuge in Croatia anymore and could be subject to extradition. The changes were approved and on August 25, Kalinić was extradited to Serbia.
Accordingly, Kalinić personally killed, assisted in the murders, or participated as a collaborator in the organization of murders of: Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic, ex member of the criminal Zemun Clan and protected witness Zoran Vukojević Vuk, Zoran Pović "Pova", Sredoje Šljukić "Šljuka", Zoran Šljukić, Zoran Savic "Šoder", Jovan Guzijan, Rade Cvetić, Todor Gradašević, former leader of paramilitary units Branislav Lainovic "Dugi", Zoran Davidović Ćanda, Zoran Uskoković "Skole", Mirko Tomić "Bosanac", Radoslav Trlajić "Bata Trlaja", Željko Vuletić "Hamza", Željko Mihajlović "Crnogorac", and Zoran Petrović "Šempa".
Miloš Simović and Sretko Kalinić accused each other of the murder of their associate, Cvetko Simić, whose body parts, except for the head, were found in a lake near Zagreb.
According to ex members of the criminal Zemun Clan Dejan Milenković and Sasa Petrović, Kalinić's characteristic was sadistic
torture
of the victims. In their testimony Milenković and Petrović said that Kalinić killed one of the victims Zoran Savić, then broke his bones with a hammer
, and then burned the rest of his body with acid
.
Kalinić also participated in the kidnappings of the Zemun Clan, where he brutally tortured the kidnapped victims. Among the well-known businessmen who were kidnapped by the Zemun Clan were Miroslav Misković
, Milija Babović, and Suvad Musić.
Gordan Malić of Croatian "Jutarnji list" said that Sretko Kalinic in his confession to Croatian investigators acknowledged that he eliminated traces of the murder victim in Spain by grinding victim's body parts in a meat grinder
.
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
gangster
Gangster
A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Some gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from mob and the suffix -ster....
, contract killer and mass murderer, best known as one of the conspirators in the assassination of Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic.
Early life
Kalinić was born in ZadarZadar
Zadar is a city in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea. It is the centre of Zadar county and the wider northern Dalmatian region. Population of the city is 75,082 citizens...
in a Serb family. In the early 1990s, 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...
, he was at one period a member of paramilitary unit called the Knindže (Knin ninjas, Red berets) headed by Dragan Vasiljković
Dragan Vasiljkovic
Dragan Vasiljković nicknamed Captain Dragan was a founder and captain of the Serbian paramilitary unit called the Knindže . Currently imprisoned in Australia, he is accused of war crimes by the Republic of Croatia, wanted by Interpol...
("Captain Dragan").
Criminal career
After the war, Kalinic became of a member of the notorious Zemun ClanZemun Clan
The Zemun Clan is one of the Belgrade clans of the Serbian Mafia. The name is based on the base of the clan i.e. Zemun, a municipality of Belgrade....
, the largest Serbian criminal group, where he rose through the ranks. In the testimony of Dejan "Bugsy" Milenković, a former member of the Zemun Clan and protected witness, he accused Kalinić of being the most cruel member of Clan, fitting his nickname "Beast". According to Milenković's testimony, Sretko Kalinić was '"a favorite murderer" of Dušan Spasojević "Šiptar"
Dušan Spasojevic
Dušan Spasojević, also known by his widely used nicknames Šiptar and Duća, was the head of one of the largest Serbian criminal groups on record, the Zemun clan....
, the head of the Zemun clan, and was responsible for the murder of at least twenty people.
In March 2003, Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić was assassinated under the orders of Zemun Clan leader Milorad "Legija" Ulemek
Milorad Ulemek
Milorad "Legija" Ulemek , also known as Milorad Luković is a former commander of the Serbian secret police special unit, the Red Berets , convicted of the assassinations of Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic and former Serbian President Ivan Stambolic and organiser of the attempted murder of the...
and Dusan Spasojevic. On 23 May 2007 the Belgrade Special Court for Organised Crime found twelve men, including Kalinić, guilty of conspiring the murder of Zoran Đinđić. However, Kalinić and others went on the run following the assassination and could not be found. On 18 January 2008, Kalinić was sentenced by the Serbian court in absentia to 40 years imprisonment for involvement in killings, kidnappings, terrorist acts, and the murder of Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic.
In June 2010 he was found shot in the suburbs of Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, 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 ...
by fellow gangster Miloš Simović, who was also a conspirator in the assassination of Zoran Đinđić. He was taken to the hospital to be treated and questioned by the police.
Arrest in Croatia
While recovering in the hospital, Sretko Kalinić offered cooperationCooperation
Cooperation or co-operation is the process of working or acting together. In its simplest form it involves things working in harmony, side by side, while in its more complicated forms, it can involve something as complex as the inner workings of a human being or even the social patterns of a...
to Croatian investigators, including testimony on the organization of the assassination of Zoran Đinđić, and the names of the people who ordered the murder of Zoran Vukojević "Vuk", a protected witness
Witness
A witness is someone who has firsthand knowledge about an event, or in the criminal justice systems usually a crime, through his or her senses and can help certify important considerations about the crime or event. A witness who has seen the event first hand is known as an eyewitness...
. He admitted to murdering Vukojević as well as Zoran Pović in 2006; both were witnesses linked to the Đinđić assassination trial. According to Croatian newspaper Kalinić admitted participating in the murder of at least twenty people in Serbia, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, 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...
, and Croatia.
Despite being convicted of crimes in Serbia, it was noted that Kalinić would not be eligible for extradition to Serbia since he held Croatian citizenship and Croatian law forbids the extradition of their citizens (Kalinić is a citizen of both countries). Nevertheless, a few days later Serbian Minister of Justice Snežana Malović announced an extradition request for Kalinić to Croatia in hopes that Croatia would change their laws. Sure enough, it was later announced that the Croatian assembly was working on adopting constitutional amendments in regards to regional criminals, so that they would not be able to find refuge in Croatia anymore and could be subject to extradition. The changes were approved and on August 25, Kalinić was extradited to Serbia.
Victims
Sretko Kalinić was sentenced by Serbian court based on the testimony of ex members of the criminal Zemun Clan, Dejan "Bugsy" Milenković and Sasa Petrović. Furthermore, a large list of Kalinić's victims has been confirmed by his confession to Croatian investigators and statements of Miloš Simović to Serbian investigators.Accordingly, Kalinić personally killed, assisted in the murders, or participated as a collaborator in the organization of murders of: Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic, ex member of the criminal Zemun Clan and protected witness Zoran Vukojević Vuk, Zoran Pović "Pova", Sredoje Šljukić "Šljuka", Zoran Šljukić, Zoran Savic "Šoder", Jovan Guzijan, Rade Cvetić, Todor Gradašević, former leader of paramilitary units Branislav Lainovic "Dugi", Zoran Davidović Ćanda, Zoran Uskoković "Skole", Mirko Tomić "Bosanac", Radoslav Trlajić "Bata Trlaja", Željko Vuletić "Hamza", Željko Mihajlović "Crnogorac", and Zoran Petrović "Šempa".
Miloš Simović and Sretko Kalinić accused each other of the murder of their associate, Cvetko Simić, whose body parts, except for the head, were found in a lake near Zagreb.
According to ex members of the criminal Zemun Clan Dejan Milenković and Sasa Petrović, Kalinić's characteristic was sadistic
Sadistic personality disorder
Sadistic personality disorder is a diagnosis which appeared only in an appendix of the revised third edition of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders . The current version of the DSM does not include it, so it is no longer considered a valid...
torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
of the victims. In their testimony Milenković and Petrović said that Kalinić killed one of the victims Zoran Savić, then broke his bones with a hammer
Hammer
A hammer is a tool meant to deliver an impact to an object. The most common uses are for driving nails, fitting parts, forging metal and breaking up objects. Hammers are often designed for a specific purpose, and vary widely in their shape and structure. The usual features are a handle and a head,...
, and then burned the rest of his body with acid
Acid
An acid is a substance which reacts with a base. Commonly, acids can be identified as tasting sour, reacting with metals such as calcium, and bases like sodium carbonate. Aqueous acids have a pH of less than 7, where an acid of lower pH is typically stronger, and turn blue litmus paper red...
.
Kalinić also participated in the kidnappings of the Zemun Clan, where he brutally tortured the kidnapped victims. Among the well-known businessmen who were kidnapped by the Zemun Clan were Miroslav Misković
Miroslav Miškovic
Miroslav Mišković is a Serbian businessman, the owner of Delta Holding...
, Milija Babović, and Suvad Musić.
Gordan Malić of Croatian "Jutarnji list" said that Sretko Kalinic in his confession to Croatian investigators acknowledged that he eliminated traces of the murder victim in Spain by grinding victim's body parts in a meat grinder
Meat grinder
A meat grinder or meat mincer is a kitchen appliance for grinding, fine mincing or mixing raw or cooked meat, fish, vegetables or similar food. It replaces tools like the mincing knife, for example, which has been used to produce minced meat, filling etc. The producer puts the minced food into a...
.
See also
- Assassination of Zoran ĐinđićAssassination of Zoran ĐinđićThe assassination of Zoran Đinđić, the Prime Minister of Serbia, took place on Wednesday, March 12, 2003, in Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro.- Background :The assassination of Đinđić was preceded by several unsuccessful attempts on his life...
- Contract killingContract killingContract killing is a form of murder, in which one party hires another party to kill a target individual or group of people. It involves an illegal agreement between two parties in which one party agrees to kill the target in exchange for consideration, monetary, or otherwise. The hiring party may...
- Organized crimeOrganized crimeOrganized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
- Torture murderTorture murderTorture murder is a loosely defined term to describe a murder where death has been preceded by the torture of the victim. In many legal jurisdictions a murder involving "exceptional brutality or cruelty" will involve a harsher sentence.-Punishment:...