Ivan Korade
Encyclopedia
Ivan Korade was a Croatian Army general
famous for his role in the Croatian War of Independence
. Korade's long history of violent behaviour resulted in forced retirement in 1997 and culminated in a 2008 shooting spree in which he murdered five people before committing suicide.
. Before the start of the Yugoslav Wars
, he worked as a central heating
installer. Korade's military career began in 1991, when he volunteered for a special operations police unit. After the Croatian National Guard
was formed, he joined the 1st Guards Brigade ("The Tigers") and became a battalion commander in 1992. He was badly injured in Dubrovnik
in 1992, losing his left arm, but returned to action after only two weeks of recovery, and became the first commander of the newly formed 7th Guards Brigade
("Pumas") in 1993. His brigade was the first to enter Knin
on 5 August 1995, and Korade raised the Croatian flag at the Knin Fortress
. He returned to fight in Bosnia in September 1995.
He retired from his post in 1997 after causing brawls during football matches at the club "Bojovnik 7".
.
In the following years, he has been linked to several crimes, including beatings and drunk driving. In 2001, he was convicted of violent behaviour and maltreatment of a man six years earlier, and Korade received a suspended eight-month sentence. Croatian authorities have been criticised for allowing these incidents to occur.
They looked for him 8 days. In the beginning, he wasn't accused of murders, but simply was looked for by the police as a 'person who can help in the resolving of the case'. After a few days, police found Korade's vehicle near the forest and started to investigate the forest. Few nights after, police spotted a 'person who fits in Korade's description' with an thermal vision camera
, but they did not manage to arrest him. Following the discovery of the dead bodies, Korade was accused of 4 murders and a kidnapping
.
and saw a broken window on one house. They started walking towards the house to investigate it, but suddenly rifle gunshot started from a house and one police officer was wounded. He died on the way to the hospital. Police then surrounded the house and started throwing tear gas into the house. When police finally broke into the house, Korade was dead. He was hiding in a house in Velika Veternička when police surrounded him. Surrounded with bombs and other weapons, Korade apparently committed suicide; although local media speculated that he had been killed by police.
By committing suicide, Korade escaped being tried for war crimes during the military campaign "Maestral" in Glamoc, Bosnia and Herzegovina (1995), where he commanded over the "Pumas".
Korade's son Mario was later arrested on two occasions, first for domestic violence and later for a bar brawl.
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
famous for his role in 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...
. Korade's long history of violent behaviour resulted in forced retirement in 1997 and culminated in a 2008 shooting spree in which he murdered five people before committing suicide.
Early life and military career
Ivan Korade was born in 1963 in Velika Veternička, a village near Zlatar in Hrvatsko ZagorjeHrvatsko Zagorje
Hrvatsko Zagorje is a region north of Zagreb, Croatia. It comprises the whole area north of Medvednica mountain up to Slovenia in the north and west, and up to the regions of Međimurje and Podravina in the north and east...
. Before the start of the Yugoslav Wars
Yugoslav wars
The Yugoslav Wars were a series of wars, fought throughout the former Yugoslavia between 1991 and 1995. The wars were complex: characterized by bitter ethnic conflicts among the peoples of the former Yugoslavia, mostly between Serbs on the one side and Croats and Bosniaks on the other; but also...
, he worked as a central heating
Central heating
A central heating system provides warmth to the whole interior of a building from one point to multiple rooms. When combined with other systems in order to control the building climate, the whole system may be a HVAC system.Central heating differs from local heating in that the heat generation...
installer. Korade's military career began in 1991, when he volunteered for a special operations police unit. After the Croatian National Guard
Croatian National Guard
The Croatian National Guard was the name of the first modern Croatian military force. Croatian president Franjo Tuđman signed to law the Decree of Formation of the Croatian National Guard on April 20, 1991 which became the first professional armed forces with defence and training duties.These...
was formed, he joined the 1st Guards Brigade ("The Tigers") and became a battalion commander in 1992. He was badly injured in Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea coast, positioned at the terminal end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic, a seaport and the centre of Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Its total population is 42,641...
in 1992, losing his left arm, but returned to action after only two weeks of recovery, and became the first commander of the newly formed 7th Guards Brigade
7th Guards Brigade (Croatia)
The 7th Guards Brigade , also known by their nickname Pumas , was a Croatian Ground Army brigade formed on 23 December 1992 in Varaždin...
("Pumas") in 1993. His brigade was the first to enter Knin
Knin
Knin is a historical town in the Šibenik-Knin county of Croatia, located near the source of the river Krka at , in the Dalmatian hinterland, on the railroad Zagreb–Split. Knin rose to prominence twice in history, as a one-time capital of both the Kingdom of Croatia and briefly of the...
on 5 August 1995, and Korade raised the Croatian flag at the Knin Fortress
Knin Fortress
Knin Fortress is a partially ruined fortress located just above Knin, Croatia. It is one of the biggest and most significant defensive strongholds, and a historical town in the Šibenik-Knin county in the Dalmatian hinterland. The construction of the fortress started as early as 9th century, while...
. He returned to fight in Bosnia in September 1995.
He retired from his post in 1997 after causing brawls during football matches at the club "Bojovnik 7".
After retirement
In September 2000, Korade was one of the signers of the Twelve Generals' LetterTwelve Generals' Letter
The Twelve Generals' Letter was an open letter, signed by twelve generals of the Croatian Armed Forces, that criticized the government, politicians and media for perceived criminalization of the Croatian War of Independence and asserted that war veterans had suffered undignified treatment...
.
In the following years, he has been linked to several crimes, including beatings and drunk driving. In 2001, he was convicted of violent behaviour and maltreatment of a man six years earlier, and Korade received a suspended eight-month sentence. Croatian authorities have been criticised for allowing these incidents to occur.
Murders
On April 1, 2008, Korade was charged with the March 27 murders of four people in his village of Velika Veternička: a 16-year-old boy, a 62-year-old female relative, and two men, including former aide Davor Petriš. Croatian media reported that one of the victims was shot in the eyes and another was stabbed with a knife. He went missing after the killings and hundreds of police officers, backed by several helicopters, searched for him in the village and in abandoned mines and nearby hills.They looked for him 8 days. In the beginning, he wasn't accused of murders, but simply was looked for by the police as a 'person who can help in the resolving of the case'. After a few days, police found Korade's vehicle near the forest and started to investigate the forest. Few nights after, police spotted a 'person who fits in Korade's description' with an thermal vision camera
Thermographic camera
A thermographic camera or infrared camera is a device that forms an image using infrared radiation, similar to a common camera that forms an image using visible light...
, but they did not manage to arrest him. Following the discovery of the dead bodies, Korade was accused of 4 murders and a kidnapping
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
.
Death
On April 3, 2008, police officers found a bottle of alcoholAlcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
and saw a broken window on one house. They started walking towards the house to investigate it, but suddenly rifle gunshot started from a house and one police officer was wounded. He died on the way to the hospital. Police then surrounded the house and started throwing tear gas into the house. When police finally broke into the house, Korade was dead. He was hiding in a house in Velika Veternička when police surrounded him. Surrounded with bombs and other weapons, Korade apparently committed suicide; although local media speculated that he had been killed by police.
Aftermath
Korade was buried at Petrova Gora, and the funeral was attended by many of his comrades. The locals of Veternička publicly expressed a desire for him to be buried elsewhere. The policeman that Korade had killed, Mario Kusanić, was posthumously decorated with the Order of Petar Zrinski and Fran Krsto Frankopan.By committing suicide, Korade escaped being tried for war crimes during the military campaign "Maestral" in Glamoc, Bosnia and Herzegovina (1995), where he commanded over the "Pumas".
Korade's son Mario was later arrested on two occasions, first for domestic violence and later for a bar brawl.