Norac and Ademi Allowed Killings

The Croatian generals are charged with the killing of 28 civilians and five prisoners of war.

The Zagreb County Court has published on its web-site an indictment against Croatian generals Rahim Ademi and Mirko Norac for war crimes committed in the Medak pocket military operation in 1993.

They are both charged with committing the crime from 9 to 17 September 1993, when Ademi was a commander of the Gospic Operational zone in central Croatia. Norac was a commander of the in 9^th Guard Mounted Brigade and Sector 1, a group specially formed for the 1993 Medak Pocket operation.

They are accused of launching a heavy artillery attack, the bombing in Divoselo, Citluk, Pocitelj and Medak even though they were aware that many Serb civilians would be killed. Therefore, they violated international rights are are accused of killing and heavily injuring civilians.

Both are accused of not stopping their subordinates from killing, abuse and massacre of Serbs, devastating houses and setting them on fire in order to permanently displace the Serbs.

The dates and identities of people who were killed in the liberation operation are detailed in the indictment. All 28 civilian casualties and five POWs names are written in full.

It is noted that both generals knew about the crimes due to frequent visits by UNPROFOR representatives.

It is said that one of the protected witness was beaten by gunstocks, cigarettes were extinguished on his back and at the last moment his hand was not cut off. They were accused of humiliating soldier Nikola Bulj in various ways, hanging him by the hands, castigation and putting salt on his wounded back and putting a ‘sajkaca’ (a Chetnik cap) on his head.