Murder of the Zec family

Last updated
Murder of the Zec family
Location Zagreb, Croatia
Date7 December 1991
Target Croatian Serbs
Attack type
 Mass killing
Deaths3
PerpetratorsMunib Suljić, Siniša Rimac, Igor Mikola (Members of Tomislav Merčep's Paramilitary unit)

The murder of the Zec family occurred in Zagreb, Croatia on 7 December 1991, during the Croatian War of Independence, when a squad of five Croatian militiamen shot dead three members of a Serb family: Mihajlo Zec, his wife Marija, and their 12-year-old daughter, Aleksandra. Two other Zec children escaped. The murderers were apprehended, but released after a controversial court decision in 1992.

Contents

After a long period of apparent negligence and cover-up, the Zec family murder was never addressed by the Croatian legal system, but the government agreed to compensate the surviving family members in a 2004 court settlement. The main perpetrators of this murder were given prison sentences on separate crimes.

Murder

At around 11:00 p.m. on 7 December 1991, the Zec family home near Zagreb, was surrounded by five people: Siniša Rimac, Munib Suljić, Igor Mikola, Nebojša Hodak and Snježana Živanović. They invaded the premises purportedly to arrest Mihajlo Zec, a butcher by profession, due to alleged links to rebel Krajina Serbs. Four of the men were members of Tomislav Merčep's paramilitary unit, reserve units of the Croatian Ministry of Internal Affairs. [1] In a later leak of President Tuđman's transcripts, Merčep was quoted in 1995 as telling Tuđman the murder was ordered by Zvonimir Trusić, who in turn was, according to Merčep, a subordinate of then Minister of Foreign Affairs Zvonimir Šeparović and then-Minister of the Interior Ivan Vekić. This testimony was never investigated by a court. [2]

Mihajlo Zec ran out on the street, and tried to escape, but Siniša Rimac shot him from a distance of thirty meters. [3] After that, they tied up his wife, Marija, and one of their daughters, Aleksandra, threw them into a van with no license plates and drove to a mountain lodge near Medvednica mountain. Once on Sljeme, Aleksandra and Marija were killed and dumped in a garbage pit. Aleksandra's siblings, Gordana and Dušan, managed to successfully hide and fled to their grandmother's home in Banja Luka. Subsequent investigations purport that Rimac allegedly did not want Aleksandra to be killed, but the others opposed any mercy as she was a witness. The girl was shot in the head with an automatic Heckler & Koch rifle, by Munib Suljić. [3]

Investigation

Just a few days after the crime, the police arrested the perpetrators, and during the early investigation they admitted to the liquidation and described it in detail. However, these confessions were made without the presence of their lawyers. This major procedural error meant that there were no legal witnesses of executions. [1] [3] There was testimony from witnesses who saw Rimac kill Mihajlo Zec. Others testified Mikola had confessed to the killing. [2] Police expertise at the time proved that the weapons seized from the accused were identical to those used to commit the murders. A forensic examination of the perpetrators' van proved it was used to transport Aleksandra and Marija Zec. The County Court in Zagreb did not take any of this into account [2] and rendered a verdict of not guilty. [3]

On 19 February 1992, the Supreme Court of Croatia reviewed and remanded the case. [2] On 9 July 1992, the County Court in Zagreb again rendered a not-guilty verdict. [3] The Croatian judicial system was criticized for this. Most legal experts argued the verdict was far-fetched and included a highly dubious interpretation of legal provisions, [4] due to strong political pressure exerted on the court. [1]

Aftermath

After their release, Suljić and Hodak maintained criminal lifestyles that were extensively covered in local newspapers. Rimac became a bodyguard of the Minister of Defence Gojko Šušak and progressed to a high rank in the Croatian Army. [3] Mikola escaped the limelight by moving to Herzegovina, while Snježana Živković successfully evaded all punishment. On 30 May 1995, Rimac received the Order of Nikola Šubić Zrinski in recognition of "war-time heroism", awarded by Franjo Tuđman. [2]

According to the Croatian weekly magazine Nacional , the protections were extended by Tuđman himself. In 1992, Stjepan Mesić allegedly requested from Tuđman that the case to be resolved as soon as possible, but Tuđman replied: "Let it be, maybe I will still need those guys". [5]

Journalist Davor Butković stated that Vladimir Šeks, who at the time of the original trial was a public prosecutor of Republic of Croatia, stated he was saddened by the Zec case, and felt guilty that the killers were not punished. [3] In 2004, Šeks told Berislav Jelinić of Nacional that he was saddened by the case but bore no responsibility. [2] In 2005, Rimac, Suljić and Mikola were convicted of the murder of Aleksandar "Saša" Antić in the "Pakračka poljana" case, where the same unit committed numerous war crimes against Serbs (such as the Zec family) as well as certain Croatians who had fallen into disfavor and taken prisoner, including Antić and Marina Nuić in 1991. The exact reasons for the murders of Antić, Nuić, and other ethnic Croats in Pakračka poljana remain unclear. Nuić's body was never located but Miro Bajramović, who was quoted in an interview with Feral Tribune as saying he had killed 86 people, 72 with his own hands, in Pakračka. He attested that Nuić had been raped numerous times before being shot dead, and her body buried at nearby Janja Lipa, where it remains, having never been disinterred. [6] [7] [8] [9] That case was first brought to trial in 1997, but went through several hearings between 1999 and 2001. [8]

Suljić, the first shooter in that case, eventually received a sentence of 10 years. Siniša Rimac was sentenced to eight years. [9] Igor Mikola was convicted as an accessory to murder as well as the illegal detention and extortion of Miloš Ivošević, Radom Pajić and Marko Grujić, and sentenced to five years in prison. Two other men were convicted of the latter crime with Mikola. After the verdict, Rimac was arrested, while Suljić and Mikola failed to appear at the sentencing. [8]

A year earlier, Igor Mikola was extradited from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Croatia after serving a 27-month prison sentence in the Zenica prison for the attempted extortion of one Mladen Žulj, owner of a gas station in Grude. [10] He fled to Peru where he surrendered to police in 2014 following a drug shootout. [11] He was extradited to Croatia in 2015 to serve the remainder of his sentence for Pakračka Poljana. [12]

Nebojša Hodak was sentenced in June 2005 to one year in prison in a different case of attempted extortion. [13]

Munib Suljić had personally surrendered to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague in June 2006. He was extradited to Croatia to serve his 12-year prison sentence, but died in a prison hospital in Svetošimunska Street, Zagreb, on 25 August 2006. [14]

Compensation to surviving family members

The surviving Zec children, siblings Dušan and Gordana, sued the Republic of Croatia with the assistance of Croatian attorneys Ante Nobilo and Mara Mihočević. Near the end of the court case in the spring of 2004 the Ivo Sanader government agreed to a settlement and compensation of 1,500,000 Croatian kuna. [2]

In fiction

The Zec affair was an inspiration for Alabaster Sheep (Croatian : Ovce od gipsa), Jurica Pavičić's debut novel published in 1997, and Vinko Brešan's 2003 film Witnesses , based on Pavičić's novel. The novel is loosely based on actual events. Some deviations from the facts of the case - most notably the fact that the character modeled on Aleksandra Zec survives, having been rescued by the protagonists - have been a subject of controversy, and both the film and the novel have been criticized for presenting a watered-down depiction of the event. [15] [16] [17]

A 2014 play titled Aleksandra Zec, written and directed by Oliver Frljić  [ hr ], was explicitly based on the Zec affair, using real-life details such as police photographs and confessions of the perpetrators. [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ivo Sanader</span> Croatian politician (born 1953)

Ivo Sanader is a Croatian former politician who served as Prime Minister of Croatia from 2003 to 2009. He is currently serving a 18-year prison sentence for corruption in Lipovica prison.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Croatian Democratic Union</span> Croatian political party

The Croatian Democratic Union is a major conservative, centre-right political party in Croatia. Since 2016, it has been the ruling political party in Croatia under the incumbent Prime Minister Andrej Plenković. It is one of the two major contemporary political parties in Croatia, along with the centre-left Social Democratic Party (SDP). It is currently the largest party in the Sabor with 55 seats. The HDZ governed Croatia from 1990 before the country gained independence from Yugoslavia until 2000 and, in coalition with junior partners, from 2003 to 2011, and since 2016. HDZ is a member of the Centrist Democrat International, International Democracy Union, and the European People's Party, and sits in the European People's Party Group in the European Parliament. HDZ is the first political party in Croatia to be convicted of corruption.

This is the history of Croatia since the end of the Croatian War of Independence.

Feral Tribune was a Croatian political weekly magazine. Based in Split, it first started as a political satire supplement in Nedjeljna Dalmacija before evolving into an independent satirical weekly in 1993. It became a popular political weekly in the 2000s before ceasing publication in June 2008.

Branimir Glavaš is a Croatian retired major general and politician. He was one of the founders of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party which was in power in the 1990s and one of its key figures until a split in 2006.

Mirko Norac is a former Croatian general of the Croatian Army (HV), and a convicted war criminal. He was the first Croatian Army general to be found guilty of war crimes by a Croatian court, in 2003, after his case was transferred from The Hague to Zagreb. He was released on probation in November 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ivan Šimonović</span> Croatian diplomat, politician and law scholar

Ivan Šimonović is a Croatian diplomat, politician and law scholar. In October 2008 he was appointed Justice Minister of Croatia. On 3 May 2010, Šimonović was appointed UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights. As of 1 October 2016, Šimonović has been appointed as the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect.

The Gospić massacre was the mass killing of 100–120 predominantly Serb civilians in Gospić, Croatia during the last two weeks of October 1991, during the Croatian War of Independence. The majority of the victims were ethnic Serbs arrested in Gospić and the nearby coastal town of Karlobag. Most of them were arrested on 16–17 October. Some of the detainees were taken to the Perušić barracks and executed in Lipova Glavica near the town, while others were shot in the Pazarište area of Gospić. The killings were ordered by the Secretary of Lika Crisis Headquarters, Tihomir Orešković, and the commander of the 118th Infantry Brigade of the Croatian National Guard, Lieutenant Colonel Mirko Norac.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vladimir Šeks</span> Croatian lawyer and politician

Vladimir Šeks is a Croatian lawyer and politician. He has been a representative in the Croatian Parliament since the nation's independence, and has held the posts of the Speaker of the Parliament, as well as Deputy Prime Minister in the government. He also served as acting President of the Croatian Democratic Union and Leader of the Opposition from 5 January to 30 April 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Assassination of Ivo Pukanić</span> 2008 murder in Zagreb, Croatia

The assassination of Ivo Pukanić happened on 23 October 2008 in Zagreb, Croatia, when a remote-detonation car bomb fitted on a motorcycle outside the Nacional newspaper's premises killed the owner of the newspaper, Ivo Pukanić, and Niko Franjić, its marketing manager, and injured two more people. The explosion occurred in the centre of the capital at 18:10 local time. Numerous arrests of suspects around the country followed. A subsequent police investigation accused Croatian and Serbian organized crime groups of perpetrating the bombing. Eight people suspected of having connections to organised crime groups were indicted. Six were later convicted over the murders with prison terms ranging from 15 to 40 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Remetinec prison</span> Prison in Croatia

Remetinec prison is a closed-type prison located in the Remetinec neighborhood of Zagreb, Croatia.

Tomislav Merčep was a Croatian politician and paramilitary leader during the Croatian War of Independence who was later convicted of war crimes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mladen Naletilić Tuta</span> Bosnian Croat soldier (1946–2021)

Mladen Naletilić was a Bosnian Croat paramilitary commander of the "Convicts' Battalion" of the Croatian Defence Council (HVO) convicted for war crimes by the ICTY.

Croatia Association of Theatre Critics and Theatre Scholars is a professional, nonprofit organization for Croatian theater scholars and critics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacques Houdek</span> Croatian recording artist (born 1981)

Jacques Houdek is a Croatian recording artist who represented Croatia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 with the song "My Friend". Houdek began his professional solo career in 2000 and has since released many recordings and albums out which 13 have been certified silver, gold, platinum and diamond (once). Houdek is one of the mentors in the Croatian version of the TV talent show The Voice. During show's first season, he mentored the winner Nina Kraljić. Aside from Croatian, he has sung and recorded in English, Italian, German, Spanish, French, Slovene, Macedonian, and Māori language.

Ljerka Mintas-Hodak is a Croatian politician and jurist who served as a Deputy Prime Minister of Croatia, and first Minister of European Integration. Mintas-Hodak co-founded the Zagreb School of Economics and Management and after she retired from government service, she became manager of the Law Department. She also manages the Ivana Hodak Foundation that was created in honor of here late daughter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ankica Tuđman</span> First Lady of Croatia (1926–2022)

Ankica Tuđman was the wife of Franjo Tuđman, the first President of an independent Croatia from 1991 until 1999, following the country's secession from SFR Yugoslavia, and the last President of the Presidency of SR Croatia as a constituent Yugoslav republic.

Igor Vukić is a Croatian journalist and historical negationist. He is an author of books on the Jasenovac concentration camp, including Radni logor Jasenovac, which advances his thesis that Jasenovac was simply a labour camp, rather than an extermination camp as accepted by all serious scholars. He does not have a degree in history.

The Pakračka Poljana camp was a makeshift prison camp where Croatian Serb civilians along with some Croats were held, tortured and executed by members of the Croatian Special Police commanded by Tomislav Merčep during the Croatian War of Independence. It was located in Pakračka Poljana, a village between the towns of Pakrac and Kutina.

The INA-MOL dispute was a dispute between the government of Croatia and MOL Plc., as to the management rights of INA d.d. MOL held the controlling interest in the company, while Croatian representatives maintained this controlling share was obtained illegally, through the bribery of the former Croatian prime minister Ivo Sanader. The dispute was brought to an arbitral tribunal under the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law Arbitration Rules and administered by the PCA, with the arbitral tribunal ruling in favor of MOL.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Impunity for unlawful killings and extrajudicial executions allegedly committed by members of the Croatian Army and police forces" (PDF). A shadow on Croatia's future: Continuing impunity for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Amnesty International/UNHCR. 13 December 2004. pp. 9–10. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Berislav Jelinić (27 April 2004). "Sanader odlučio: obitelj Zec obeštetiti kao moralni čin" [Sanader decides: Compensation to Zec family as a moral act]. Nacional (in Croatian). No. 441. Archived from the original on 9 June 2012. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Hladnokrvno ubojstvo" (in Croatian). Jutarnji list. 24 April 2004. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  4. ↑ Željka Godeč (18 January 2011). "Božica (ne) pravde". Globus (in Croatian). Archived from the original on 19 March 2012. Retrieved 11 May 2011.
  5. ↑ "Tuđman štitio ubojice Mihajla, Marije i Aleksandre Zec?" (in Croatian). Index.hr. 27 April 2004. Retrieved 11 May 2011.
  6. ↑ "Sin Marine Nuić: Tužim državu jer su mi merčepovci ubili majku". 15 July 2006.
  7. ↑ Croatian's confession describes torture and killing on vast scale, nytimes.com, September 5, 1997; accessed September 1, 2016.
  8. 1 2 3 "Optuženici krivi za slučaj Pakračka poljana" (in Croatian). Index.hr. 15 September 2005. Retrieved 11 May 2011.
  9. 1 2 "Osuđeni ubojica Siniša Rimac želi biti otac" (in Croatian). T-portal.hr. 9 January 2010. Retrieved 11 May 2011.
  10. ↑ "Igor Mikola izručen Hrvatskoj" [Igor Mikola extradited to Croatia]. Nacional (in Croatian). No. 476. 28 April 2006. Archived from the original on 9 June 2012. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  11. ↑ Ivanovic, Josip (15 July 2014). "Fugitive Croatian War Criminal Surrenders in Peru". Balkan Insight.
  12. ↑ Blaško, Dubravka (30 October 2015). "Hrvatskoj nedavno u tajnosti izručen jedan od najpoznatijih bjegunaca". telegram.hr.
  13. ↑ "Mesić odbio pomilovati Sobjeslavskog i Grandića". Dnevnik.hr (in Croatian). Nova TV (Croatia). 19 December 2006. Retrieved 11 May 2011.
  14. ↑ "U zatvorskoj bolnici umro Munib Suljić". Jutarnji list (in Croatian). 28 August 2006. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  15. ↑ Damir Radić (24 February 2004). "'Svjedoci' su produkcijski superiorni i moralno upitni" ["Witnesses" are distinguished by superior production and moral questionability]. Nacional (in Croatian). No. 432. Archived from the original on 12 June 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  16. ↑ "Predstavljen roman "Ovce od gipsa" Jurice Pavičića". Index.hr (in Croatian). 1 March 2004. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  17. ↑ Šošić, Anja (2009). "Film i rat u Hrvatskoj: refleksije jugoslavenskih ratova u hrvatskom igranom filmu". Zapis (in Croatian) (64–65). Croatian Film Association. sec. 5.2. Prema istinitom događaju. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  18. ↑ Čadež, Tomislav (17 April 2014). "'ALEKSANDRA ZEC' Iako ima kiča, ovo je najbolja predstava Olivera Frljića". Jutarnji list (in Croatian). Retrieved 8 January 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.