Zvonko Bušić
Encyclopedia
Zvonko Bušić is a Croatia
n emigrant known for hijacking TWA Flight 355
in September 1976. He was subsequently convicted of air piracy, spending 32 years in prison before being released on parole in July 2008.
(Bosnia and Herzegovina
, FPR Yugoslavia), and finished high school in Imotski
. He graduated in Zagreb
, and emigrated at the age of 20 to Vienna
in order to study Slavistics and History at the University. In Vienna, three years later, in 1969, he met the American student, Julienne Eden Schultz
, who was studying German there and who soon thereafter became involved in the activities of the Croatian emigration. In coordination with Zvonko Bušić, she and a friend traveled to Zagreb and threw anti-Yugoslav leaflets from the Ilica skyscraper on Republic Square (now Ban Jelačić Square
), after which they were arrested and imprisoned. After release, Julienne returned to Vienna and in 1972, Julienne and Zvonko married in Frankfurt
. Later they moved to the U.S.
, Petar Matanić, and Frane Pešut hijacked a commercial TWA
plane, Boeing 727, Flight 355, heading from New York to Chicago. The mastermind of the hijacking, Zvonko Bušić, delivered a note to the captain in which he informed him that the airplane was hijacked, the group had five gelignite
bombs onboard, and another bomb was planted in a locker across from the Commodore Hotel in New York with further instructions. The group demanded that the flight go to London.
The principal demand in the locker instructions were that certain propaganda texts must appear in the next day morning's edition of several major American newspapers. If the instructions were followed, the bomb would be deactivated. During the deactivation of the bomb at the New York hotel, American policeman Brian Murray died, and one other officer was wounded.
The plane headed for Paris. Thirty passengers were released at a refueling stop in Newfoundland. In Paris, after receiving information that their demands were met, the group surrendered to the French police, which transferred the group to the custody of the FBI.
The widow of the policeman filed a lawsuit against the responsible police bodies for "gross negligence". In the suit she stated that the police supervisor placed the officers under his command at unnecessary risk by attempting to disassemble the device while ignoring safety procedures, rather than simply detonating it remotely.
At a Croatian Parliament session in 2002, a resolution was passed to request transfer of Zvonko Bušić to Croatia, which was forwarded to the Council of Europe.
The U.S. State Department continued to support Busic's incarceration after Croatia gained its independence in 1995. His request for parole was denied in 2006, after service of 30 years, although the others in the group had already been free for at least 17 years. Julienne Bušić was released in 1989. After this parole denial, the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights
, through its Croatian branch, the Croatian Helsinki Committee
, launched a campaign to secure his release on humanitarian grounds, arguing that Busic had served out his sentence and therefore should be released.
Bušić spent his last two years of imprisonment at the Communications Management Unit (CMU) in Terre Haute, Indiana
, transferred there from Allenwood, Pennsylvania.
Bušić was granted parole in July 2008 and turned over to immigration authorities for deportation proceedings. A condition of his parole was that he could not return to the U.S.
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n emigrant known for hijacking TWA Flight 355
TWA Flight 355
TWA Flight 355 was a domestic Trans World Airlines flight which was hijacked by five terrorists, all members of the Croatian National Resistance which was a terrorist Croatian Ustaše emigrant organization, on September 10, 1976....
in September 1976. He was subsequently convicted of air piracy, spending 32 years in prison before being released on parole in July 2008.
Background
Zvonko Bušić was born in 1946 in Gorica, a village in HerzegovinaHerzegovina
Herzegovina is the southern region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. While there is no official border distinguishing it from the Bosnian region, it is generally accepted that the borders of the region are Croatia to the west, Montenegro to the south, the canton boundaries of the Herzegovina-Neretva...
(Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, FPR Yugoslavia), and finished high school in Imotski
Imotski
Imotski , is a small town situated on the northern side of Biokovo massif, Dalmatian hinterland, Croatia. The town was first mentioned as Imotski for the first time in the 10th century and it was held by the Turks from the fall of Bosnia until 1717 when it was captured by the Venetians. The town...
. He graduated in Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, and emigrated at the age of 20 to Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
in order to study Slavistics and History at the University. In Vienna, three years later, in 1969, he met the American student, Julienne Eden Schultz
Julienne Busic
Julienne Bušić is an American terrorist and the wife of Zvonko Bušić. She was arrested in 1976 after hijacking TWA Flight 355 and sentenced to life in prison, with early parole.-Biography:...
, who was studying German there and who soon thereafter became involved in the activities of the Croatian emigration. In coordination with Zvonko Bušić, she and a friend traveled to Zagreb and threw anti-Yugoslav leaflets from the Ilica skyscraper on Republic Square (now Ban Jelačić Square
Ban Jelacic Square
Ban Jelačić Square is the central square of the city of Zagreb, Croatia, named after ban Josip Jelačić. The official name is Trg bana Jelačića...
), after which they were arrested and imprisoned. After release, Julienne returned to Vienna and in 1972, Julienne and Zvonko married in Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
. Later they moved to the U.S.
Hijacking
On September 10, 1976, Zvonko and Julienne BušićJulienne Busic
Julienne Bušić is an American terrorist and the wife of Zvonko Bušić. She was arrested in 1976 after hijacking TWA Flight 355 and sentenced to life in prison, with early parole.-Biography:...
, Petar Matanić, and Frane Pešut hijacked a commercial TWA
Trans World Airlines
Trans World Airlines was an American airline that existed from 1925 until it was bought out by and merged with American Airlines in 2001. It was a major domestic airline in the United States and the main U.S.-based competitor of Pan American World Airways on intercontinental routes from 1946...
plane, Boeing 727, Flight 355, heading from New York to Chicago. The mastermind of the hijacking, Zvonko Bušić, delivered a note to the captain in which he informed him that the airplane was hijacked, the group had five gelignite
Gelignite
Gelignite, also known as blasting gelatin or simply jelly, is an explosive material consisting of collodion-cotton dissolved in either nitroglycerine or nitroglycol and mixed with wood pulp and saltpetre .It was invented in 1875 by Alfred Nobel, who had earlier invented dynamite...
bombs onboard, and another bomb was planted in a locker across from the Commodore Hotel in New York with further instructions. The group demanded that the flight go to London.
The principal demand in the locker instructions were that certain propaganda texts must appear in the next day morning's edition of several major American newspapers. If the instructions were followed, the bomb would be deactivated. During the deactivation of the bomb at the New York hotel, American policeman Brian Murray died, and one other officer was wounded.
The plane headed for Paris. Thirty passengers were released at a refueling stop in Newfoundland. In Paris, after receiving information that their demands were met, the group surrendered to the French police, which transferred the group to the custody of the FBI.
Trial and imprisonment
Zvonko and Julienne Bušić were charged with and convicted of air piracy resulting in death, which carried a mandatory life sentence with parole eligibility after 10 years. Three years after the trial, Judge John Bartels reduced the sentence, which made both Bušićs eligible for parole at the end of 1979. On June 13, 1989, Bartels wrote a letter on Zvonko's behalf to the U.S. Parole Commission, in which he stated that the death of the police officer was partly due to the police's negligence and that he had no objection to Bušić's release. Zvonko served a total of 32 years, 19 years longer than Julienne.The widow of the policeman filed a lawsuit against the responsible police bodies for "gross negligence". In the suit she stated that the police supervisor placed the officers under his command at unnecessary risk by attempting to disassemble the device while ignoring safety procedures, rather than simply detonating it remotely.
At a Croatian Parliament session in 2002, a resolution was passed to request transfer of Zvonko Bušić to Croatia, which was forwarded to the Council of Europe.
The U.S. State Department continued to support Busic's incarceration after Croatia gained its independence in 1995. His request for parole was denied in 2006, after service of 30 years, although the others in the group had already been free for at least 17 years. Julienne Bušić was released in 1989. After this parole denial, the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights
International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights
The International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights was a self-governing group of non-governmental, not-for-profit organizations that act to protect human rights throughout Europe, North America and Central Asia...
, through its Croatian branch, the Croatian Helsinki Committee
Croatian Helsinki Committee
Croatian Helsinki Committee for Human Rights is the leading organisation for protection and promotion of human rights in Croatia...
, launched a campaign to secure his release on humanitarian grounds, arguing that Busic had served out his sentence and therefore should be released.
Bušić spent his last two years of imprisonment at the Communications Management Unit (CMU) in Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute is a city and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, near the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a population of 170,943. The city is the county seat of Vigo County and...
, transferred there from Allenwood, Pennsylvania.
Bušić was granted parole in July 2008 and turned over to immigration authorities for deportation proceedings. A condition of his parole was that he could not return to the U.S.