Dario Kordić (born 14 December 1960) is a
Bosnian Croat former politician from the
Croatian Democratic Union, military commander of the
Croatian Defence Council
The Croatian Defence Council ( hr, Hrvatsko vijeće obrane or HVO) was the official military formation of the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia, an unrecognized entity that existed in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1991 and 1996. The HVO wa ...
(HVO) between 1992 and 1994, vice president of the
Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia
The Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia ( hr, Hrvatska Republika Herceg-Bosna) was an unrecognized geopolitical entity and quasi-state in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was proclaimed on 18 November 1991 under the name Croatian Community of Herzeg-Bos ...
, a self-proclaimed Croat territory in Bosnia and Herzegovina and convicted war criminal. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison in February 2001 for
war crimes committed against the
Bosniak population during the 1992–94
Bosniak-Croat war,
and was released in June 2014 after having served two thirds of his sentence.
Early life
Kordić was born on 14 December 1960 in
Sarajevo
Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see names in other languages'') is the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its administrative limits. The Sarajevo metropolitan area including Sarajevo ...
,
PR Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Socijalistička Republika Bosna i Hercegovina, Социјалистичка Pепублика Босна и Херцеговина), commonly referred to as Socia ...
,
FPR Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yu ...
. He studied political science at the
University of Sarajevo
The University of Sarajevo ( Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian: ''Univerzitet u Sarajevu'' / Sveučilište u Sarajevu / Универзитет у Сарајеву) is a public university located in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the largest ...
and then went into journalism working for the ''Vatrostalac'' factory newspaper in
Busovača
Busovača () is a town and municipality located in Central Bosnia Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located from Sarajevo, from Zenica, and from Travnik.
History
During the Croat ...
.
Although born in Sarajevo, he lived mostly in Busovača. He has three children, a son and two daughters.
Bosnian War
On 12 November 1991,
Mate Boban and Kordić held the Joint Meeting of the Crisis Staffs of Herzegovina and Travnik Regional Communities. The two communities decided that Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina should institute a policy to bring about "our age-old dream, a common Croatian State" and should call for a proclamation of a
Croatian banovina in Bosnia and Herzegovina as the "initial phase leading towards the final solution of the Croatian question and the creation of sovereign Croatia within its ethnic and historical borders".
On 27 December 1991 there was a meeting in
Zagreb
Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital and largest city of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb stands near the international border between Croatia and Slov ...
, chaired by President
Franjo Tuđman, of the leadership of the Croatian
HDZ and of the
HDZ BiH
The Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( hr, Hrvatska demokratska zajednica Bosne i Hercegovine or HDZ BiH) is a Christian democratic, nationalist political party in Bosnia and Herzegovina, representing the Croats of Bosnia and ...
. The purpose was, first, to discuss the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the differences of opinion on this topic in the HDZ BiH party; secondly, to formulate an overall Croatian political strategy.
Stjepan Kljuić
Stjepan Kljuić (born 19 December 1939) is a Bosnian Croat former politician who was the Croat Member of the Presidency of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina before and during the Bosnian War. Kljuić was also the President of the Croatian D ...
set out his position in favour of the Croats remaining within Bosnia and Herzegovina but Boban said that, should Bosnia and Herzegovina disintegrate, the HZ H-B would be proclaimed as independent Croatian territory “which will accede to the State of Croatia but only at such time as the Croatian leadership
..should decide”. Kordić said the Croatian spirit in the HZ H-B had grown stronger in the 40 days since the declaration of the HZ H-B, the Croatian people of the
Travnik
Travnik is a town and a municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the administrative center of Central Bosnia Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in central Bosnia and Herzegovina, west of Sarajevo. As of 2 ...
region were ready to accede to the Croatian state "at all costs
..any other option would be considered treason, save the clear demarcation of Croatian soil in the territory of Herceg Bosna".
On 16 January 1992 a rally was held in the municipal hall in Busovača to celebrate Croatian independence, a video recording of which was shown to the Trial Chamber. Kordić was seen speaking to a cheering, flag-waving crowd. He said that the rally was proof that the Croatian people in Busovača are part of the united Croatian nation and that the HZ H-B, including Busovača, is "Croatian land and that is how it will be". Secretary of the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia Ignac Koštroman spoke and said: “we will be an integral part of our dear State of Croatia by hook or by crook”. The speeches were met with yells of "Dario, Dario".
The
Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) was one of the principal political parties in Croatia. One of its main aims was to ensure an “''entire Croatian Nation to within its historical and natural boundaries''”. The
Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( hr, Hrvatska demokratska zajednica Bosne i Hercegovine or HDZ BiH) is a Christian democratic, nationalist political party in Bosnia and Herzegovina, representing the Croats of Bosnia and ...
(HDZ-BiH) was one of the principal political parties of the Bosnian Croatians in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and amongst the avowed aims of the HDZ-BiH figured the statement on the right of the Croats to defend themselves and to secede. The
Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia
The Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia ( hr, Hrvatska Republika Herceg-Bosna) was an unrecognized geopolitical entity and quasi-state in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was proclaimed on 18 November 1991 under the name Croatian Community of Herzeg-Bos ...
(HZ H-B/HR H-B) proclaimed its existence in November 1991, defining itself as a separate or distinct entity within the territory of Bosnia-Herzegovina. The
Croatian Defence Council
The Croatian Defence Council ( hr, Hrvatsko vijeće obrane or HVO) was the official military formation of the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia, an unrecognized entity that existed in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1991 and 1996. The HVO wa ...
(HVO) became the executive, administrative and supreme military organ of the HZ H-B/HR H-B after its creation in April 1992.
Although he was not at the top of the political hierarchy, and was a civilian unused to the official command structure of the HVO, Kordić made many political and strategic decisions; he negotiated cease fire agreements and, he issued orders of direct and indirect military significance. Kordić played a key role in the planning, organisation, promotion and implementation of a politico-military campaign of persecution and ethnic cleansing against the Bosniaks, especially in the
Lašva Valley
The Lašva Valley ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Lašvanska dolina, Лашванска долина) is a 17 kilometers long valley in central Bosnia, defined geographically by the Lašva River's route. It is a tributary of the Bosna River. The Lašva River basi ...
(attack and massacres in
Ahmići and other villages in the valley in April 1993), as well as in
Zenica
Zenica ( ; ; ) is a city in Bosnia and Herzegovina and an administrative and economic center of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina's Zenica-Doboj Canton. It is located in the Bosna river valley, about north of Sarajevo. The city is k ...
.
Profile
, trial-ch.org; accessed 15 January 2016.
War crimes
Kordić, like many of the Herzeg-Bosnia leadership and military commanders, was accused of war crimes committed on the Bosniak population. On 6 October 1997, he voluntarily surrendered to the tribunal and on 8 October, pleaded not guilty.
He was accused by the Hague
The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...
for his role in the Lašva Valley massacre, including Ahmići, where HVO forces committed crimes against the local Bosniak population under his command. There were also reports that HVO soldiers, under his command, committed atrocities in and around Zenica
Zenica ( ; ; ) is a city in Bosnia and Herzegovina and an administrative and economic center of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina's Zenica-Doboj Canton. It is located in the Bosna river valley, about north of Sarajevo. The city is k ...
. On 26 February 2001, Kordić was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Based on his individual criminal responsibility (Art. 7 § 1 ICTY Statute) he was indicted on the following counts:
*Serious violations of the Geneva Conventions (Art. 2 ICTY Statute: willful murder; inhumane treatment, illegal detention of civilians);
*Violations of the laws and customs of war (Art. 3 ICTY Statute: unlawful attack on civilians, the unlawful attack against civilian targets; destruction without justifiable military cause; deliberate destruction or damage to buildings dedicated to religion or education);
* Crimes against humanity (Art. 5 ICTY Statute: persecutions for political or religious reasons; murder; inhumane acts; imprisonment).
In June 2006, he was transferred to a prison in Austria to serve the remainder of his sentence there. In May 2010, his application for early release after having served half of his sentence was denied on grounds of the seriousness of the crimes committed and three disciplinary breaches while in prison. However, on 21 May 2014, Kordić was granted early release, effective 6 June 2014. Čerkez had been sentenced to six years imprisonment, and, having served more than that amount of time in detention, was released for time served.
See also
* Lašva Valley ethnic cleansing
*Joint criminal enterprise
Joint criminal enterprise (JCE) is a legal doctrine used during war crimes tribunals to allow the prosecution of members of a group for the actions of the group. This doctrine considers each member of an organized group individually responsib ...
References
External links
* Lyal S. Sunga, The Kordić and Čerkez Trial Chamber Judgment: A Comment on the Main Legal Issues 7 Series of Annotated Leading Cases of International Criminal Tribunals (2004) 490-511.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kordic, Dario
1960 births
Living people
Politicians from Sarajevo
Military personnel from Sarajevo
Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina politicians
Politicians of the Croatian Republic of Herceg-Bosna
Croatian Defence Council
Croatian nationalists
People convicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
Bosnia and Herzegovina people imprisoned abroad
Prisoners and detainees of Austria
Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina convicted of war crimes
Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina convicted of crimes against humanity