It has been a long time for Croatia (indeed for much of the ex-communist run world) to see the day when serious considerations and criminal jurisprudence will apply to the World War II crimes and post WWII crimes committed by the pro-communist forces during that war and many years after.
When it comes to Croatia mass executions of people from the losing side (non-communist orientated) in Second World War were enormous, from massacres in Bleiburg/Austria to hundreds of mass graves and pits filled with corpses (uncovered in the years after the War and some in the last decade/ 600 uncovered in Slovenia, 840 in Croatia, 90 in Bosnia and who knows how many more are strewn across the entire region).
Indeed, on 25th February 2010 several prominent European politicians, former political prisoners, human rights advocates and historians, signed The Declaration on Crimes of Communism which calls for the condemnation of communism. Actual criminal proceedings against those suspected of such crimes have been practically non-existent in Croatia. One likely reason for this could well be the entrenched and hardened pro-communist and pro-Yugoslavia views, political wheeling-and-dealing of numerous high ranking personalities that crept their way into the power halls of the struggles for independent Croatia since 1980’s in particular to today. Also, the victors always write history, but given time justice will always correct it.
This morning (02/11/2011), Josip Boljkovac, 91, was arrested in his house near Karlovac in central Croatia on suspicions of having committed war crimes against civilians of Croatia in May 1945. Boljkovac and two other former ranking Croatian officials ( Josip Manolic and Rade Bulat/ all Partisans in WWII) have been investigated for alleged mass murders in 1945 and 1946 of Croatian soldiers and sympathisers (those that were not pro-communists, not pro-Yugoslavia but pro-Croatia).
Reports say Boljkovac was a senior officer of the Communist secret service which went on a revenge shooting spree of pro-Croatia soldiers and civilians after WWII ended.
Boljkovac managed to secure himself the position of Croatia’s first interior minister in the early 1990’s when the country declared independence from the former Yugoslavia. Many of his “mates” did the same. It has always been clear to me that Croatia and its reputation were at the mercy of ex-communists and their allies. It would not surprise me to discover that a great deal of misinformation spread about Croatia and its people in the last 60+ years was forged in such circles.
The ex-president of the Republic of Croatia (the last President of the former communist led Yugoslavia), Stjepan Mesic, was quoted today in Croatian press as follows: “- On the other hand, that information (about the arrest of Boljkovac) has somewhat shocked me, because it shows the measures to which the forces waging reckonings against anti-fascism under the mask of clearing that which they call communist crimes are willing to go”. (Slobodna Dalmacija, 2.11.2011)
Crimes of murder are considered exceptionally heinous and as a rule, there is no statute of limitations for murder. But then, perhaps Mr Mesic believes that being an anti-fascist gives one the licence and justification for murder and mass murder?
Mr Mesic has also said that the arrest of Mr Boljkovac was an attempt by the Croatian Democratic Union party to divert public’s attention from their own troubles when it comes to coming elections in Croatia. Furthermore, he said that “it is obvious that this is a school example of a political lawsuit”.
Mr Mesic’s ways of trying to divert into oblivion or belittle the due process of justice in such criminal cases that involve anti-fascists never cease to amaze.
Congratulations to Jadranka Kosor (current Prime Minister of Croatia)
Jadranka Kosor
and Tomislav Karamarko (current Minister of Internal Affairs of Croatia)
Tomislav Karamarko
and all those who support them on this long awaited period in Croatia’s criminal history. If a nation is to be at peace and with the rule of law then such matters as processing war criminals from all wars is crucial and absolutely necessary. Ina Vukic, Prof. (Zgb), B.A.,M.A.Ps. (Syd)