Ratni zločin u Sijekovcu, Predmet: Zemir Kovačević
War crime in Sijekovac, Verdict: Zemir Kovačević

Contributor(s): Edvin Kanka Ćudić (Editor)
Subject(s): Criminal Law, International Law, Law and Transitional Justice, Military history, Studies in violence and power, Transformation Period (1990 - 2010), Peace and Conflict Studies, Court case
Published by: Udruženje za društvena istraživanja i komunikacije (UDIK)
Keywords: War crimes in Sijekovac; Serbian civilians; Croatian military forces; Zemir Kovačević;
Summary/Abstract: This war crime occurred on March 26, 1992, when various formations mixed between Bosniaks and Croats, with the markings of Croatian military formations, crossed the Sava River from Croatia and committed a war crime against the Serb population in Sijekovac. The motive and cause of the attack on Sijekovac remains questionable to this day. Serbian sources claim that Croat-Bosniak forces killed civilians and set fire to around 50 houses in the village without any reason, while Human Rights Watch states that it could not establish allegations of massacre because it was an armed conflict between Serb and Croat-Bosniak soldiers, while which killed about 20 soldiers. Civilian casualties in that conflict occurred by accident, when the locals found themselves between two conflicting parties. In May 2014, the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina sentenced Zemir Kovačević to ten years in prison. As a member of the Intervention Platoon of the 1st Bosanski Brod Brigade, during the months of March and April 1992, and July and August of the same year, he participated in murders, torture, illegal imprisonment, forced labor, alone and with unidentified members of the HOS and the Croatian Army (HV) in the area of the municipality of Bosanski Brod.

• Details
• Contents