Bacin massacre
Encyclopedia
The Baćin massacre was a war crime
committed by rebel Croatian Serbs' forces on October 21, 1991 on a location near village of Baćin, near Hrvatska Dubica
, in central Croatia, during the Croatian War of Independence
.
During the Croatian War of Independence, Dubica was located in the area contested by the Serb rebels. Most of the civilians fled the area during the attacks of the Serb forces that started in September 1991. These forces were controlled by the convicted war criminal Milan Martić
, and consisted of units of Yugoslav People's Army
, Territorial Defence, and the so-called Militia of SAO Krajina
. Around October 7, 1991, these forces took control of the entire wider area of Hrvatska Kostajnica
.
Around 120 Croatian civilians, mostly elderly people and women, were left in the adjactent villages of Hrvatska Dubica, Cerovljani and Baćin. In the morning of October 20, 1991, the Serb forces captured 53 civilians in Dubica and held them in the fire department building. During the day and the following night, ten of them were released on the basis that they were Serbs, or had connections with Serbs.
According to the initial indictment against Milan Babić
, on the following day, October 21, 1991, the paramilitaries took the remaining 43 people to a location near the village of Baćin. At least thirteen other non-Serb civilians were brought to the same spot from Baćin and Cerovljani
. All 56 civilians were then shot there. Their bodies were exhumed from the mass grave in 1997 and 37 of them have been identified. Most of the victims were between 60 and 90 years of age.
Around the same time, rebel Serb forces also removed another 30 civilians from Baćin and 24 from Dubica and Cerovljani, and killed them at an unknown location.
Altogether, 110 people were killed.
The events were described by witnesses at the trial of Slobodan Milošević
and others at the ICTY. Milan Martić
was sentenced to 35 years in prison for his role in the crime.
War crime
War crimes are serious violations of the laws applicable in armed conflict giving rise to individual criminal responsibility...
committed by rebel Croatian Serbs' forces on October 21, 1991 on a location near village of Baćin, near Hrvatska Dubica
Hrvatska Dubica
Hrvatska Dubica is a village and a municipality in central Croatia in the Sisak-Moslavina county. It is located on the northern bank of the river Una, east of Hrvatska Kostajnica and southwest of Jasenovac and Novska. The municipality of Hrvatska Dubica has a population of 2,341 , 90.13% which are...
, in central Croatia, during the Croatian War of Independence
Croatian War of Independence
The Croatian War of Independence was fought from 1991 to 1995 between forces loyal to the government of Croatia—which had declared independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia —and the Serb-controlled Yugoslav People's Army and local Serb forces, with the JNA ending its combat...
.
During the Croatian War of Independence, Dubica was located in the area contested by the Serb rebels. Most of the civilians fled the area during the attacks of the Serb forces that started in September 1991. These forces were controlled by the convicted war criminal Milan Martić
Milan Martic
Milan Martić is a Serbian politician, former president of the Republic of Serbian Krajina...
, and consisted of units of Yugoslav People's Army
Yugoslav People's Army
The Yugoslav People's Army , also referred to as the Yugoslav National Army , was the military of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.-Origins:The origins of the JNA can...
, Territorial Defence, and the so-called Militia of SAO Krajina
SAO Krajina
Serbian Autonomous Oblast of Krajina or SAO Krajina was a self proclaimed Serbian autonomous region within modern-day Croatia . It existed between 1990 and 1991 and was subsequently included into Republic of Serbian Krajina...
. Around October 7, 1991, these forces took control of the entire wider area of Hrvatska Kostajnica
Hrvatska Kostajnica
Hrvatska Kostajnica, often just Kostajnica, is a small town in central Croatia. It is located on the Una river in the Sisak-Moslavina county, south of Petrinja and Sisak and across the river from Bosanska Kostajnica in Bosnia and Herzegovina.-History:...
.
Around 120 Croatian civilians, mostly elderly people and women, were left in the adjactent villages of Hrvatska Dubica, Cerovljani and Baćin. In the morning of October 20, 1991, the Serb forces captured 53 civilians in Dubica and held them in the fire department building. During the day and the following night, ten of them were released on the basis that they were Serbs, or had connections with Serbs.
According to the initial indictment against Milan Babić
Milan Babic
Milan Babić was from 1991 to 1995 the first President of the Republic of Serbian Krajina, a Croatian region at the time of the war largely populated by a Serbs of Croatia that wished to break away from Croatia.He was indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former...
, on the following day, October 21, 1991, the paramilitaries took the remaining 43 people to a location near the village of Baćin. At least thirteen other non-Serb civilians were brought to the same spot from Baćin and Cerovljani
Cerovljani
Cerovljani is a village in the municipality of Gradiška, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina.-References:...
. All 56 civilians were then shot there. Their bodies were exhumed from the mass grave in 1997 and 37 of them have been identified. Most of the victims were between 60 and 90 years of age.
Around the same time, rebel Serb forces also removed another 30 civilians from Baćin and 24 from Dubica and Cerovljani, and killed them at an unknown location.
Altogether, 110 people were killed.
The events were described by witnesses at the trial of Slobodan Milošević
Slobodan Milošević
Slobodan Milošević was President of Serbia and Yugoslavia. He served as the President of Socialist Republic of Serbia and Republic of Serbia from 1989 until 1997 in three terms and as President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1997 to 2000...
and others at the ICTY. Milan Martić
Milan Martic
Milan Martić is a Serbian politician, former president of the Republic of Serbian Krajina...
was sentenced to 35 years in prison for his role in the crime.