11-29-2017, 11:28 PM
*** 30-Nov-17 World View -- TV audience shocked watching dramatic suicide of Croat commander convicted of war crimes in Bosnian war
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
****
**** TV audience shocked watching dramatic suicide of Croat commander convicted of war crimes in Bosnian war"
****
![[Image: g171129b.jpg]](http://Media.GenerationalDynamics.com/ww2010/g171129b.jpg)
Slobodan Praljak, sentenced to 20 years in prison, drinks poison in a court hearing broadcast live around the world, and dies a few hours later (Getty)
Croat General Slobodan Praljak, a commander of the Bosnian Croat
forces during the Bosnian war, was sentenced on Wednesday to a 20-year
prison sentence for war crimes during the Bosnian war in the early
1990s. The sentence was handed down in the last days of the existence
of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia
(ICTY).
Upon hearing that his 20-year prison sentence had been upheld, Praljak
shouted, "I, Slobodan Praljak, reject the verdict! I am not a war
criminal!"
The judge ordered him to sit down. He refused to sit down, but
instead raised his hand as if to be preparing to shout something else.
But it turned out that his hand contained a small bottle. He drank
from the bottle, and declared, "What I am drinking now is poison."
Praljak's lawyer was sitting in front of Praljak, so did not actually
see him drink the poison, but she heard what he said. She shouted "My
client says that he has taken poison!"
At that, the judge ordered that the bottle be preserved. The judge
shut down the tv coverage and cleared the courtroom. An ambulance
arrived to take Praljak to a hospital, where he died several hours
later.
Reporters expressed astonishment that Praljak had been able to find a
way to bring the bottle of poison with him into the courtroom, and
then drink it on international television. The courtroom was supposed
to be extremely secure, with the same kind of inspections used in
airports. There will be a thorough investigation.
This was the last day of a court case that's been ongoing for years,
indicting 161 suspects and convicting 90 of them. The hearing was
restarted long enough to read three more judgments upholding the
sentences of other Croat commanders. Balkan Insight and AFP and Al Jazeera and Independent (London)
****
**** Croat commanders committed war crimes while trying to create a 'Greater Croatia'
****
Slobodan Praljak was a Croat commander in the Croat–Bosniak War, which
was a sub-war of the larger Bosnian war that took place in the Balkans
throughout the early 1990s, following the breakup of Yugoslavia.
From the point of view of Generational Dynamics, Yugoslavia was in a
generational Crisis era during the early 1990s. Its previous crisis
war had been World War I, and by 1929 the Kingdom of Yugoslavia had
been formed, consisting of multiple ethnic groups. World War II was
an Awakening era war for Yugoslavia, but by the 1990s, the compromises
that had been reached to settle World War I were long forgotten by the
younger generations growing up after that war. These younger
generations were willing to re-fight the bloody battles that had
killed tens of millions of people 70 years earlier.
General Slobodan Praljak was commander of the army of the Croatian
Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia (Herzeg-Bosna), which declared independence
on November 18, 1991, though it was never recognized by any other
country. The goal of the republic was to create an ethnically pure
"Greater Croatia." The goal was never achieved, and Herzeg-Bosnia
disappeared around April, 1994.
During that three year period, according to the indictment, Slobodan
Praljak incited political, ethnic and religious hatred and had
recourse to force, intimidation and terror, notably by mass arrests
during which people were killed. He reportedly participated in the
establishment and expansion of a system of concentration camps and
other detention centers. He also was said to have inflicted cruel
treatment on Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims), by arranging for their
expulsion and forced transfer and by submitting those imprisoned to
forced labor. The activities included murders, rape, sexual assault,
the destruction of property and the deportation of Bosniaks.
In 2013, The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia
(ICTY) found Praljak and five other Croatian commanders guilty of
these war crimes, and sentenced them to a total of 111 years in jail.
The sentences were appealed, and on Wednesday the sentences were
reaffirmed.
Prior to the sentencing, Croatia's interior minister Davor Bozinovic
said:
<QUOTE>"I expect that [the six officials’ guilt] won’t be
proven because the Republic of Croatia wasn’t a party in the war
in Bosnia and Herzegovina and I hope for a verdict of
acquittal."<END QUOTE>
The court found that this claim was clearly false.
Although the Bosnian war has officially ended, feeling among all the
different ethnic groups in the Balkans are still extremely
acrimonious. I discovered this earlier this year when I wrote a
couple of articles on Macedonia and Albania,
and received dozens of the most acrimonious and vitriolic
comments that any of my articles have ever received. These comments
came from all sides -- especially the Macedonians, the Greeks, the
Albanians and the Bulgarians.
Many people believe that after two world wars in the 20th century,
there will never be another European war. I can assure you that's far
from the truth. This multi-year trial of Croat commanders that ended
on Wednesday was supposed to help resolve old feelings and hatreds,
those vitriolic hatreds still exist in full force throughout the
Balkans, and will result in war when the time is right. International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY)
and Balkan Insight (29-May-2013) and Trial International and Balkan Insight
Related Articles
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Bosnian war, Slobodan Praljak,
International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, ICTY,
Croat–Bosniak War, Yugoslavia, Herzeg-Bosnia, Herzeg-Bosna,
Davor Bozinovic, Macedonia, Albania
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
- TV audience shocked watching dramatic suicide of Croat commander convicted of war crimes in Bosnian war
- Croat commanders committed war crimes while trying to create a 'Greater Croatia'
****
**** TV audience shocked watching dramatic suicide of Croat commander convicted of war crimes in Bosnian war"
****
Slobodan Praljak, sentenced to 20 years in prison, drinks poison in a court hearing broadcast live around the world, and dies a few hours later (Getty)
Croat General Slobodan Praljak, a commander of the Bosnian Croat
forces during the Bosnian war, was sentenced on Wednesday to a 20-year
prison sentence for war crimes during the Bosnian war in the early
1990s. The sentence was handed down in the last days of the existence
of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia
(ICTY).
Upon hearing that his 20-year prison sentence had been upheld, Praljak
shouted, "I, Slobodan Praljak, reject the verdict! I am not a war
criminal!"
The judge ordered him to sit down. He refused to sit down, but
instead raised his hand as if to be preparing to shout something else.
But it turned out that his hand contained a small bottle. He drank
from the bottle, and declared, "What I am drinking now is poison."
Praljak's lawyer was sitting in front of Praljak, so did not actually
see him drink the poison, but she heard what he said. She shouted "My
client says that he has taken poison!"
At that, the judge ordered that the bottle be preserved. The judge
shut down the tv coverage and cleared the courtroom. An ambulance
arrived to take Praljak to a hospital, where he died several hours
later.
Reporters expressed astonishment that Praljak had been able to find a
way to bring the bottle of poison with him into the courtroom, and
then drink it on international television. The courtroom was supposed
to be extremely secure, with the same kind of inspections used in
airports. There will be a thorough investigation.
This was the last day of a court case that's been ongoing for years,
indicting 161 suspects and convicting 90 of them. The hearing was
restarted long enough to read three more judgments upholding the
sentences of other Croat commanders. Balkan Insight and AFP and Al Jazeera and Independent (London)
****
**** Croat commanders committed war crimes while trying to create a 'Greater Croatia'
****
Slobodan Praljak was a Croat commander in the Croat–Bosniak War, which
was a sub-war of the larger Bosnian war that took place in the Balkans
throughout the early 1990s, following the breakup of Yugoslavia.
From the point of view of Generational Dynamics, Yugoslavia was in a
generational Crisis era during the early 1990s. Its previous crisis
war had been World War I, and by 1929 the Kingdom of Yugoslavia had
been formed, consisting of multiple ethnic groups. World War II was
an Awakening era war for Yugoslavia, but by the 1990s, the compromises
that had been reached to settle World War I were long forgotten by the
younger generations growing up after that war. These younger
generations were willing to re-fight the bloody battles that had
killed tens of millions of people 70 years earlier.
General Slobodan Praljak was commander of the army of the Croatian
Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia (Herzeg-Bosna), which declared independence
on November 18, 1991, though it was never recognized by any other
country. The goal of the republic was to create an ethnically pure
"Greater Croatia." The goal was never achieved, and Herzeg-Bosnia
disappeared around April, 1994.
During that three year period, according to the indictment, Slobodan
Praljak incited political, ethnic and religious hatred and had
recourse to force, intimidation and terror, notably by mass arrests
during which people were killed. He reportedly participated in the
establishment and expansion of a system of concentration camps and
other detention centers. He also was said to have inflicted cruel
treatment on Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims), by arranging for their
expulsion and forced transfer and by submitting those imprisoned to
forced labor. The activities included murders, rape, sexual assault,
the destruction of property and the deportation of Bosniaks.
In 2013, The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia
(ICTY) found Praljak and five other Croatian commanders guilty of
these war crimes, and sentenced them to a total of 111 years in jail.
The sentences were appealed, and on Wednesday the sentences were
reaffirmed.
Prior to the sentencing, Croatia's interior minister Davor Bozinovic
said:
<QUOTE>"I expect that [the six officials’ guilt] won’t be
proven because the Republic of Croatia wasn’t a party in the war
in Bosnia and Herzegovina and I hope for a verdict of
acquittal."<END QUOTE>
The court found that this claim was clearly false.
Although the Bosnian war has officially ended, feeling among all the
different ethnic groups in the Balkans are still extremely
acrimonious. I discovered this earlier this year when I wrote a
couple of articles on Macedonia and Albania,
and received dozens of the most acrimonious and vitriolic
comments that any of my articles have ever received. These comments
came from all sides -- especially the Macedonians, the Greeks, the
Albanians and the Bulgarians.
Many people believe that after two world wars in the 20th century,
there will never be another European war. I can assure you that's far
from the truth. This multi-year trial of Croat commanders that ended
on Wednesday was supposed to help resolve old feelings and hatreds,
those vitriolic hatreds still exist in full force throughout the
Balkans, and will result in war when the time is right. International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY)
and Balkan Insight (29-May-2013) and Trial International and Balkan Insight
Related Articles
- European officials worry that Macedonia's chaos could destabilize the Balkans (07-May-2017)
- Peaceful protests in Bosnia turn into widespread violence (09-Feb-2014)
- Bosnia commemorates the 1995 Srebrenica massacre (12-Jul-2013)
- Bosnia still bitterly divided as Srebrenica massacre is commemorated (11-Jul-2011)
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Bosnian war, Slobodan Praljak,
International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, ICTY,
Croat–Bosniak War, Yugoslavia, Herzeg-Bosnia, Herzeg-Bosna,
Davor Bozinovic, Macedonia, Albania
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
