Croatian War of Independence

Ljubljana – The first countries recognised newly-independent Slovenia soon after it left Yugoslavia in June 1991, but most of them were brand new independent states themselves. A major wave followed in December and in January 1992, when Slovenia was also recognised by Germany, the Vatican and the EU’s predecessor – the European Community.

Police announced on Monday that they have charged a 55-year-old Croatian citizen, who they did not name, with committing a war crime against a civilian.

According to the police, "a criminal investigation established a well-founded suspicion" that the suspect, who was "an armed member of paramilitary units", raped a female Croatian citizen.

Five people who had been missing since the 1991-95 war in Croatia were identified on Friday at the forensic department in the eastern town of Osijek.

Among those whose remains were identified was Croatian soldier Tomislav Balic, a member of Croatian Army's 204th Vukovar Brigade.

In 36 hours, 15.000 Serbs were expelled from Western Slavonia, which was part of the then Republika Srpska Krajina and under UN protection, while 283 Serbs were killed.
More than 16.000 members of the Croatian armed forces marched on Western Slavonia on May 1, with about 15.000 inhabitants and 4.000 soldiers.

The final verdict in the trial of Ratko Mladic, aged 79, is scheduled for 3 pm on Tuesday, June 8, and will be handed down by judges Prisca Matima Nyambe, Aminatta Lois Runeni N'gum, Seymour Panton, Elizabeth Ibanda-Nahamya and newly appointed judge Mustapha El Baaj.

Croatian police said on Wednesday that they have charged a 78-year-old Croatian citizen and a 79-year-old Serbian citizen with committing war crimes against civilians in Croatia's Lika region from October 8 to November 10, 1991.

President Zoran Milanovic said on Tuesday that he spoke with representatives of Croatian war veterans' associations and agreed with them that the fate of Croatian soldiers and civilians who went missing during the 1990s war for independence from Yugoslavia must finally be established.

Croatian police said on Thursday that they have charged an unnamed Serbian citizen, the former commander of the 7th Corps of the rebel Serb-run Army of the Republic of Serbian Krajina, with committing war crimes in today's Sibenik-Knin County from December 1992 to December 1993.

According to the police, the suspect is currently unavailable to the Croatian authorities.

Croatian political leaders gathered on Wednesday in the Plitvice Lakes national park to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Operation Plitvice and the death of Josip Jovic, the first Croatian police officer killed in 1991-95 war for independence.

The Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has turned down an appeal from Darko Mrdja, a former member of a police intervention squad at the Public Security Station in the city of Prijedor, against the verdict convicting him of crimes against humanity.