Zenica massacre

The Zenica massacre happened on 19 April 1993, approximately about noon. Several grenades shot from HVO's positions located in Putićevo village, about 16 km west of Zenica, killed 16 and injured over 50 civilians amid large crowd gathered.[1][2]

Zenica massacre
Part of the Muslim–Croat War
LocationZenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Coordinates44°11′54″N 17°54′44″E
Date19 April 1993
Targetcivilians
Attack type
Mass killings
Deaths16
Injured>50
PerpetratorsCroatian Defence Council (HVO)

Attack

At the time (19 April 1993), there was significant commercial activity in the center of the city, with about two to three thousand men, women and children in the area ultimately hit by grenades.

The exact number of grenades shot at the center of Zenica is not known yet though estimates place the number at nine grenades shot from howitzer.[3][4][5][6] A total of six grenades hit the target, three series of two. The first attack began at about 12:10 local time, the second one with two grenades at 12:24, and the following two rounds with two grenades total at 12:29.[7]

Aftermath

ICTY charged HVO's general Tihomir Blaškić for the crime. There are two different claims about source of the fire: charge in the Blaškić process claims there were HVO's positions in Putićevo,[8] while defence claimed that shelling perpetrator was Serbian forces from Vlašić.[9]

The Trial Chamber acquitted[10] general Blaškić of all accusations on counts of the charge by which he was accused for the crime.

Memorial park
Part of the memorial monument with inscribed names of the victims

In order to remember the people killed after the crime of 19 April 1993, city square in Zenica became known as Stone Sleeper (translation of Kameni spavač, name of Mak Dizdar's work); it is a memorial park with large curved memorial sculpture with names of killed Zenicans, one fountain and memorial plate referring to Dizdar.

Also, the date of massacre is commemorated as a civilian victims' day of Bosnian War in Zenica.[11][12][13][14]

See also

References
  1. Proces protiv Blaškića: Granatiranje Zenice
  2. zenicainfo.ba
  3. zenicablog.com
  4. nap.ba
  5. veterani.ba
  6. historija.ba
  7. "IV. ATTACKS ON TOWNS AND VILLAGES: KILLINGS: 9. The Shelling of Zenica". www.icty.org. Archived from the original on 21 July 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
  8. Proces protiv Blaškića: Granatiranje Zenice: teze optuzbe
  9. Proces protiv Blaškića: Granatiranje Zenice: teze odbrane
  10. Proces protiv Blaškića: Granatiranje Zenice: zaključci
  11. www.aa.com.tr
  12. www.zenica.ba
  13. www.radiosarajevo.ba
  14. www.federalna.ba
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