massacre massacre killing civilians croatia weeks october croatian war independence majority victims ethnic serbs arrested nearby coastal town arrested october taken barracks executed near town shot area killings ordered secretary crisis headquarters commander lieutenant colonel killings publicised wartime member paramilitary spoke unit involvement killings civilians interview formal investigation launched croatian intelligence military police officers informed yugoslavia killings including arrested tried found guilty crime sentenced years prison respectively background august insurrection took place croatia centred predominantly populated areas including parts near city significant ethnic population areas subsequently named declaring intention integrate serbia government croatia declared rebellion march conflict escalated croatian war independence june croatia declared independence yugoslavia month followed decision came effect october increasingly supported unable cope situation formed development military croatia hampered arms introduced september military conflict croatia continued started august end august fighting intensified including fighting control city continued september controlled forces remained serbian artillery bombardment battle fighting resulted heavy damage town flight bulk population residents war population including serbs serbs previously living town fled croatian authorities urged return television radio broadcasts civilian population started return late september chief police proposed list returning serbs drawn ostensibly security purposes according president crisis headquarters feared returning serbs harbour fifth column defence town reportedly opposed list compiled october similar list serbs returning nearby prepared october police control crisis headquarters order issued minister interior military police based addition paramilitary volunteer group nicknamed autumn rains controlled deployed september unit formally subordinate killings secretary crisis headquarters commanding officer lieutenant colonel called meeting subordinates ordered arrest civilians subsequent detention barracks killings sources disagree exact date meeting according meeting took place october approximately attended officials sources including subsequent criminal inquiry trial witnesses indicated meeting held october courts processing case including determined meeting took place october ordered attendance execute civilians arrested based prepared lists killing civilians serbian took place october pretext executions arrests occurred october civilians especially serbs led away gunpoint bomb shelters starting october days later residents witnessed civilians loaded aboard military town cattle market seen civilians killed area known october killings continued near october people executed firing squad held barracks battalion based time additional civilians arrested october shot bodies retrieved area december aftermath massacre significant committed war sources disagree total number fatalities massacre estimates ranging nearly killed official figures indicate total persons went missing area victims dumped tank covered layers clay stone rubble later discovered yugoslavia investigators complaints mayor street protests croatian veterans additional corpses burnt disposed near village east retrieved 6th brigade december examined kilometres miles away eighteen buried mass grave buried individually relatives mass grave excavated december criminal investigation victims homes looted immediate aftermath unit members unit briefly imprisoned croatian authorities released charge september defunct croatian newspaper published detailed eyewitness account autumn rains troops claimed involved carrying massacre interview stated unit ordered claimed occasionally ordered ally croatian president terminate prisoners fully aware task members unit identified interview arrested denied claims croatian government officials denied responsibility matter turn requested information croatian intelligence officers military police officer approached offering information concerning events later murdered particularly valuable witness claimed witnessed deaths people area justice minister new government criticised predecessors police failure pursue case authorities failed protect murdered car bomb august investigation killings contributing factor criticism government efforts seven active duty retired croatian generals issued letter making public led seven active duty officers including president group included held rank major general september trial formal killings launched late arrest issued february evaded arrest weeks convinced authorities intended relatives aided residents attempted prevent police arresting surrounding police sent transport defendants custody opposition prosecution culminated strong street protest split february protests repeated protesters appeared surrendered february received assurances tried croatia formal indictment brought forward march charging killing civilians case tried included testimony witnesses court survivors attacks testified belgrade croatian nationals fled germany fearing safety refused testify government assurances safety march court found defendants guilty sentenced years prison received sentence years prison imprisoned term years acquitted lack evidence case ultimately appealed way upheld instance convictions analysis claimed trials indicated willingness croatian government deal war crimes committed nationals following long period inactivity described judge conspiracy silence members unit convicted unrelated case killing abuse civilians committed near received prison sentences ranging years trial charged command responsibility war crimes committed
Gospić massacre