Capital punishment in Croatia

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Capital punishment in Croatia existed until 1991 when it was constitutionally abolished. The last execution had taken place there in 1987 when Croatia was still part of Yugoslavia.

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Notable executions

In the time of Yugoslavia, several court cases resulted in capital punishment:

The last civilian execution in Croatia was done in 1987, [2] [3] [4] when a former truck driver Dušan Kosić was executed for the 1 March 1983 murder of his coworker Čedomir Matijević, his wife Slavica and their daughters Dragana (aged 2) and Snježana (8 months old). [2] [3] In the course of the investigation, Kosić provided the investigative judge and police officers a detailed admission to the murders, but retracted it during his later trial. [4] The District Court in Karlovac found him guilty and sentenced him to death on 4 October 1983. [2] [4] Kosić was executed by firing squad on January 29, 1987. [2] [3] [4]

Capital punishment was outlawed by article 21 of the 1990 Constitution of Croatia. [5]

Croatia is a signatory of Protocol 13 of the European Convention on Human Rights that abolishes the death penalty in all circumstances. The convention was signed on 3 July 2002, ratified on 3 February 2003, and came into force on 1 July 2003. [6]

Executions since 1959

Source: SPSK Database

Executed personGenderDate of sentenceDate of executionPlace of executionCrimeMethod
Pavao ČekadaMale196029 March 1960 Varaždin war crimes firing squad
Stevo OvčarMale6 October 1959 [7] December 1960 [8] Osijek murder of a police officer
Jovan BugarskiMale6 June 1965 [9] 24 February 1965 Zagreb double murder
Kazimir AntićMale6 November 19675 November 1968 [10] Rijeka murder during robbery
Ferdo DorićMale19701970 Karlovac double murder
Kosta DujićMale27 November 19741976 Split double murder
Nikola KevićMale197722 April 1978 [1] Osijek double murder
Dušan KosićMale4 October 1983 [11] 29 January 1987 [12] Karlovac multiple murder

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Majetić, Vanja (2005-11-26). "Smrtna kazna" (PDF). Vjesnik . pp. 39–42. Retrieved 2014-01-05.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "TAJNA POSLJEDNJE SMRTNE KAZNE 'Karlovački monstrum nije imao milosti. Morali smo ga osuditi na strijeljanje'". Jutarnji list (in Croatian). 2013-07-29. Retrieved 2013-07-29.
  3. 1 2 3 "Deveterostruko ubojstvo najteži zločin". Glas Slavonije (in Croatian). 27 May 2009. Archived from the original on 1 October 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Za četverostruko ubojstvo i ubojici smrt". dalje.com (in Croatian). November 6, 2006. Archived from the original on 31 July 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  5. ↑ "2. Personal and Political Liberties and Rights - Article 21". The Constitution of the Republic of Croatia (consolidated text). Croatian Parliament. Archived from the original on 2013-09-26. Retrieved 2013-02-22.
  6. ↑ Protocol No. 13 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, concerning the abolition of the death penalty in all circumstances
  7. ↑ "Сеоски силеџија осуђен на смрт". Borba: 4. 7 October 1959.
  8. ↑ "Izvršena smrtna kazna nad ubojicom dvojice milicionera". Slobodna Dalmacija (4922): 3. 15 December 1960.
  9. ↑ "Јован Бугарски осуђен на казну смрти стрељањем". Borba: 2. 7 June 1964.
  10. ↑ "Погубљен Казимир Антић". Borba: 6. 6 November 1968.
  11. ↑ "Смртна казна четвороструком убици". Borba: 12. 5 October 1983.
  12. ↑ "Извршена смртна казна". Borba: 16. 30 January 1987.
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