Ramiz Delalić (15 February 196327 June 2007), widely known by his nickname Ćelo (
[The word means "baldy" - a common nickname 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 ...
for criminals, because their heads were shaven during their time spent in prison), was a
Bosnian gangster
A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Most gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from '' mob'' and the suffix '' -ster''. Gangs provide a level of organization and ...
and
warlord
A warlord is a person who exercises military, economic, and political control over a region in a country without a strong national government; largely because of coercive control over the armed forces. Warlords have existed throughout much of h ...
, commander of the 9th Mountain Brigade 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 ...
. He was one of several prominent underworld figures engaged by the
Party of Democratic Action
The Party of Democratic Action ( bs, Stranka demokratske akcije; abbr. SDA) is a Bosniak nationalist, conservative political party in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
History
The Party of Democratic Action (SDA) was founded on 26 May 1990 in Sarajevo, ...
in preparations for the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Delalić gained notoriety as the main suspect who stood trial before a local court for the
killing of Nikola Gardović on 1 March 1992.
Activities
Delalić, along with
Mušan "Caco" Topalović were two of the criminals who helped to organize Bosniak paramilitaries in Sarajevo.
In addition to guarding key positions on Mount
Trebević
Trebević ( sr-cyrl, Требевић) is a mountain in central Bosnia and Herzegovina, located to the southeast of Sarajevo, in the territory of East Sarajevo city, bordering Jahorina mountain. Trebević is tall, making it the second shortest ...
, their gangs "requisitioned" private vehicles; kidnapped men to dig trenches at the front; murdered, raped and robbed with impunity.
Despite the stories surrounding him later during the war, namely his racketeering and extortion rings, his acts during the wartime were still considered far less controversial when compared to other local warlords, such as
Jusuf "Juka" Prazina. Unlike Prazina and some other local gangsters, Delalić remained loyal and obedient to official Bosnian political and military authorities through the entire war-period, and it is even assumed that he was very close with Bosnian president
Alija Izetbegović
Alija Izetbegović (; ; 8 August 1925 – 19 October 2003) was a Bosnian politician, lawyer, Islamic philosopher and author, who in 1992 became the first president of the Presidency of the newly independent Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovin ...
.
Sarajevo wedding attack
On 1 March 1992, a
Bosnian Serb
The Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sr-Cyrl, Срби у Босни и Херцеговини, Srbi u Bosni i Hercegovini) are one of the three constitutive nations (state-forming nations) of the country, predominantly residing in the politi ...
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι� ...
wedding procession in front of the
Old Church 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 ...
's old quarter of
Baščaršija
Baščaršija (Cyrillic: Башчаршија; ) is Sarajevo's old bazaar and the historical and cultural center of the city. Baščaršija was built in the 15th century when Isa-Beg Ishaković founded the city.
Baščaršija is located on the n ...
was attacked, resulting in death of the father of the groom, Nikola Gardović, and the wounding of a
Serbian Orthodox
The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous ( ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodox Christian churches.
The majority of the population ...
priest. Delalić was identified by eyewitnesses as the shooter. However, Bosnian Muslim authorities made little effort to locate and prosecute him. On 8 December 2004, Delalić was charged with one count of
first degree murder
Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person without justification or excuse, especially the ...
in relation to the wedding attack. Delalić was shot and killed by unidentified gunmen in Sarajevo before the completion of his trial.
Death
Delalić was gunned down at the entrance to his apartment building in the center of
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 ...
, on 27 June 2007. The killer waited for Delalić and fired at him on two occasions, each time with multiple shots.
Immediately after the shooting, an ambulance arrived, though doctors pronounced Delalić dead shortly after. Delalić was buried in the Kovači Cemetery, Sarajevo.
See also
*
Ismet "Ćelo" Bajramović
Notes
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Delalic, Ramiz
1963 births
2007 deaths
Bosniaks of Serbia
People from Priboj
Bosnia and Herzegovina gangsters
Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina soldiers
Bosnia and Herzegovina murder victims
People murdered in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Deaths by firearm in Bosnia and Herzegovina
People acquitted of murder
Serbian expatriates in Bosnia and Herzegovina
2007 crimes in Bosnia and Herzegovina
2007 murders in Europe
2000s murders in Bosnia and Herzegovina