Paulin Dvor massacre
Paulin Dvor massacre | |
---|---|
Part of the Croatian War of Independence | |
Paulin Dvor on the map of Croatia. Territories controlled by Serb or JNA forces in late December 1991 are highlighted in red. | |
Location | Paulin Dvor, Croatia |
Coordinates | 45°26′35″N 18°37′26″E / 45.4431°N 18.6239°E |
Date | 11 December 1991 |
Target | Croatian Serb villagers and one Hungarian national |
Deaths | 19 |
Perpetrators | Croatian Army (HV) |
The Paulin Dvor massacre was an act of mass murder committed by soldiers of the Croatian Army (HV) in the village of Paulin Dvor, near the town of Osijek on 11 December 1991 during the Croatian War of Independence. Of the nineteen victims, eighteen were ethnic Serbs, and one was a Hungarian national. The ages of the victims, eight women and eleven men, ranged from 41 to 85. Two former Croatian soldiers were convicted for their role in the killings and were sentenced to 15 and 11 years, respectively. In November 2010, Croatian President Ivo Josipović laid a wreath at the graveyard of the massacre victims and officially apologized for the killings.
Background
In 1990, following the
The village of Paulin Dvor had a population of 168 prior to the war, 147 of whom were ethnic Serbs.[8] The inhabitants of the village were known to support Croatian authorities in Zagreb.[9]
Massacre
On the night of 11 December 1991, Croatian troops entered the village. Nineteen people, eighteen Serbs and one
Aftermath
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/32/16_obljetnica_vojnoredarstvene_operacije_Oluja_04082011_Ivo_Josipovic_938.jpg/175px-16_obljetnica_vojnoredarstvene_operacije_Oluja_04082011_Ivo_Josipovic_938.jpg)
The victims of the massacre were first buried near a military warehouse in
In 2005, the
In November 2010, Croatian President Ivo Josipović laid a wreath at the graveyard of the massacre victims. He said, "those who are left behind those victims deserve our apology" and stated that "a crime has no justification; revenge cannot be justified by a crime." The wreath-laying ceremony came just after Serbian President Boris Tadić's visit to Vukovar to commemorate the Croatian victims of the 1991 Vukovar massacre.[13] Part of the Croatian public saw the two visits as key to the reconciliation process, while another part condemned Josipović's comments as an attempt to belittle the Vukovar massacre and an attempt to "relativize the guilt for crimes committed during the war."[14]
Notes
- ^ Hoare 2010, p. 117.
- ^ ICTY & 12 June 2007.
- ^ Sudetic & 2 April 1991.
- ^ Engelberg & 3 March 1991.
- ^ Sudetic & 26 June 1991.
- ^ Sudetic & 29 June 1991.
- ^ Narodne novine & 8 October 1991.
- ^ a b Tanjug & 11 December 2012.
- ^ a b c d e B92 & 11 December 2012.
- ^ a b c Institute for War & Peace Reporting & 6 September 2005.
- ^ Neier 2012, p. 353.
- ^ Slobodna Dalmacija & 17 May 2012.
- ^ CBC & 4 November 2010.
- ^ Banjeglav 2012, pp. 45–46.
References
- Books
- Banjeglav, Tamara (2012). "Dealing with the Past in Post-War Croatia: Perceptions, Problems and Perspectives". In Simić, Olivera; Volčič, Zala (eds.). Transitional Justice and Civil Society in the Balkans. Springer. ISBN 978-1-4614-5422-9.
- ISBN 978-1-139-48750-4.
- Neier, Aryeh (2012). The International Human Rights Movement: A History. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-1-4008-4187-5.
- Court documents
- Journals
- "Odluka" [Decision]. Narodne novine (in Croatian) (53). 8 October 1991.
- Websites
- "21 years since massacre of civilians in Croatia". B92. 11 December 2012. Archived from the original on 13 December 2012.
- "Serbian leader visits massacre site". CBC. 4 November 2010.
- Engelberg, Stephen (3 March 1991). "Belgrade Sends Troops to Croatia Town". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2 October 2013.
- Institute for War & Peace Reporting.
- "Ratni zločin u Paulin Dvoru: Viteškiću na trećem suđenju 11 godina zatvora". Slobodna Dalmacija. 17 May 2012.
- Sudetic, Chuck (2 April 1991). "Rebel Serbs Complicate Rift on Yugoslav Unity". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2 October 2013.
- Sudetic, Chuck (26 June 1991). "2 Yugoslav States Vote Independence To Press Demands". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 10 November 2012.
- Sudetic, Chuck (29 June 1991). "Conflict in Yugoslavia; 2 Yugoslav States Agree to Suspend Secession Process". The New York Times.
- "Anniversary of crime against Serbs in Paulin Dvor". Tanjug. 11 December 2012. Archived from the original on 2 January 2013.