Ivica Rajić (born 5 May 1958, Jehovac,

Socialist Republic of 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 ...

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label= Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavij ...

) was a commander in 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) during the 1992-1995 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, later convicted of war crimes. Rajić was an officer in the

Yugoslav People's Army The Yugoslav People's Army (abbreviated as JNA/; Macedonian and sr-Cyrl-Latn, Југословенска народна армија, Jugoslovenska narodna armija; Croatian and bs, Jugoslavenska narodna armija; sl, Jugoslovanska ljudska ar ...

(JNA) prior to 1992 which is when he joined the HVO. Rajić operated out of the central Bosnian town of

Kiseljak Kiseljak (Кисељак) is a town and municipality located in Central Bosnia Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It lies in the valley of the Fojnica River, the Lepenica and the Kreševka ...

as the Commander of the Second Operational Group of the HVO's Central Bosnia Operative Zone. Rajić was responsible for the 23–24 October 1993 massacre in the village of

Stupni Do Stupni Do is a village in the municipality of Vareš in central Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located 3 km southeast of the city of Vareš. History This small village received notoriety because of the Bosnian War Stupni Do massacre (1993), ...

where at least 37

Bosniak The Bosniaks ( bs, Bošnjaci, Cyrillic: Бошњаци, ; , ) are a South Slavic ethnic group native to the Southeast European historical region of Bosnia, which is today part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who share a common Bosnian ancestry, ...

people, including elderly, women and children, some of them burned alive, were killed, and several women raped by Croat forces. He was also commanded the previous day looting of the town of Vareš, where more than 250 military-aged men rounded up in their homes and then abused in the schools where they were detained. After the massacre Rajić assumed the name Viktor Andrić and continued to serve in the HVO. He was indicted for war crimes by the

International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) was a body of the United Nations that was established to prosecute the war crimes that had been committed during the Yugoslav Wars and to try their perpetrators. The tribunal ...

on 29 August 1995, and went into hiding in the seaside city of

Split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, entertai ...

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = " Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capi ...

which is where he was arrested on 5 April 2003, by Croatian authorities. Rajić was transferred to ICTY In June 2003. Rajić pleaded not guilty and was set to go on trial in 2005, which is when he then changed his plea to guilty. The Trial Chamber found that the sentence should reflect the fact that Rajić's crimes were committed on a large scale and were of particularly violent nature, the impact of his crimes on particularly vulnerable victims, his participation in a cover-up and the fact that he absconded and obstructed justice for almost eight years. Rajić "significantly cooperated with the Prosecution providing and authenticating various important documents and confirming numerous important facts", and this was considered a

mitigating factor In criminal law, a mitigating factor, also known as an extenuating circumstance, is any information or evidence presented to the court regarding the defendant or the circumstances of the crime that might result in reduced charges or a lesser sente ...

, as was his guilty plea, which the Trial Chamber stated "helped to establish the truth surrounding the crimes committed in Stupni Do and Vareš", which "may contribute to the reconciliation of the peoples of the former Yugoslavia and to the restoration of a lasting peace in the region". The Trial Chamber also felt that "Rajić's expression of remorse was real and sincere and must be taken into account in mitigation". On 8 May 2006, Rajić was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment for "wilful killing, inhumane treatment (including sexual assault), appropriation of property" and "extensive destruction not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly", and sent to serve his sentence in

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

in 2007. On 8 September 2011, it was announced that Rajić was granted an early release, having served eight years of his 12-year sentence.

References

External links

Rajić ICTY case information sheetICTY - TPIY :: Ivica Rajić
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rajic, Ivica 1958 births Bosnia and Herzegovina people imprisoned abroad Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina convicted of war crimes Living people Croatian Defence Council soldiers People convicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia Prisoners and detainees of Spain People extradited from Croatia Officers of the Yugoslav People's Army Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina convicted of crimes against humanity

See also

References

External links