Stojan Župljanin
Encyclopedia
Stojan Župljanin is a former Bosnian Serb police commander.
Župljanin was born in Maslovare, a village in the Kotor Varoš
municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina
. As commander of the Bosnian Serb police during the Bosnian war
, Župljanin had operational control over the police forces responsible for the detention camps where thousands of prisoners were held in horrific conditions and many were murdered. Župljanin is also alleged to have played a central role in the destruction of Bosniak
and Bosnian Croat communities in the Autonomous Region of Krajina.
On 14 March 1999 he was charged by the ICTY
with genocide
, crimes against humanity, violations of the laws and customs of war
and breaches of the Geneva Conventions
.
In October 2005, Župljanin's home was raided by local police and by EU peacekeepers, but they failed to find him. He was arrested on June 11, 2008 not far from Belgrade
, Serbia
and extradited to the ICTY, where he pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Two counts of genocide (Art. 4 ICTY Statute):
Five counts of crimes against humanity (Art. 5 ICTY Statute):
Two counts of violations of the laws or customs of war (Art. 3 ICTY Statute):
Three counts of serious violations of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 (Art. 2 ICTY Statute):
Župljanin was born in Maslovare, a village in the Kotor Varoš
Kotor Varoš
Kotor Varoš is a town and municipality in northwestern Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina.-History:The city was first mentioned in the 10th century, when it was called Kotor. Varoš, added later, means "town" in Hungarian...
municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
. As commander of the Bosnian Serb police during the Bosnian war
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...
, Župljanin had operational control over the police forces responsible for the detention camps where thousands of prisoners were held in horrific conditions and many were murdered. Župljanin is also alleged to have played a central role in the destruction of 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...
and Bosnian Croat communities in the Autonomous Region of Krajina.
On 14 March 1999 he was charged by the ICTY
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...
with genocide
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
, crimes against humanity, violations of the laws and customs of war
Laws of war
The law of war is a body of law concerning acceptable justifications to engage in war and the limits to acceptable wartime conduct...
and breaches of the Geneva Conventions
Geneva Conventions
The Geneva Conventions comprise four treaties, and three additional protocols, that establish the standards of international law for the humanitarian treatment of the victims of war...
.
In October 2005, Župljanin's home was raided by local police and by EU peacekeepers, but they failed to find him. He was arrested on June 11, 2008 not far from Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
and extradited to the ICTY, where he pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Indictment
Under the terms of the indictment, Stojan Zupljanin is charged on the basis of his individual criminal responsibility (Art. 7 § 1 ICTY Statute) and on the basis of his criminal responsibility as hierarchical superior (Art. 7 § 3 ICTY Statute) for:Two counts of genocide (Art. 4 ICTY Statute):
- genocide and complicity in genocide.
Five counts of crimes against humanity (Art. 5 ICTY Statute):
- persecutions
- extermination
- torture
- expulsion
- inhumane acts (forcible transfer).
Two counts of violations of the laws or customs of war (Art. 3 ICTY Statute):
- wanton destruction or devastation of towns or villages not justified by military necessity,
- destruction or willful damage done to institutions dedicated to religion.
Three counts of serious violations of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 (Art. 2 ICTY Statute):
- willful murder,
- torture,
- the appropriation or plunder of property not justified by military necessity and carried out on a large scale and in an illicit and arbitrary manner.