Mirko Norac

Mirko Norac (born September 19, 1967 in Otok near Sinj , Yugoslavia , today Croatia ) is a former general in the Croatian army and convicted war criminal . In 2003 he stood before the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague for war crimes and was sentenced to 12 years in prison for the massacre of the Serbian population in Gospić . In May 2008, he was sentenced to seven years in prison for war crimes during Operation Medak Pocket .

biography

After graduating from high school, Norac worked as a waiter.

Military time

On September 12, 1990, he became a member of the anti-terrorist unit ATJ Lučko . As a member of ATJ Lučko, Norac took part in a number of previous operations by the Croatian police, including the Plitvice Lakes incident .

Operation Gospić

In September 1991 Norac left the ATJ and went to Gospić, where he took part in the fighting against the JNA . The city was surrounded on three sides. It contained a JNA barracks called “Stanko Opsenica” with around 70 officers, 200 soldiers and numerous Serbian paramilitaries. After a four-day siege led by Norac, the JNA surrendered.

Also in September 1991, Norac was appointed commander of the 118th Brigade of the Croatian Army. One month later, around 100 to 120 Serbs were murdered by Norac's men in the “Gospić Massacre”. In early 1992, at the age of 25, he became the youngest colonel in the Croatian army.

Operation Maslenica and Operation Medak

In November 1992 Norac became the commandant of the 6th Guards Brigade. In September of the same year, he commanded Operation Medak , which involved war crimes against the Serbian population. During the operation, Norac was wounded in both hands and legs. He spent a month in a hospital in Zagreb.

In 1994 he was made Brigadier General and Commander of the Operation Gospić Zone. In the same year he was made Duke of Sinjska alka . Diplomats from Zagreb publicly asked not to take part in Sinjska alka while Norac was still a member.

Operation Oluja

In August 1995, Norac took part in Operation Oluja . On September 25, 1995, he was appointed major general.

After criticizing the illegalization of the Croatian War in an open letter , he was banned from the army by the Croatian President on September 29, 2000.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Mirko Norac sentenced to 12 years in prison
2. ↑ ^{a b} Biography of Mirko Norac ( Memento of the original from September 20, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
3. ↑ ^{a b} Article about Mirko Norac in the "Slobodna Dalmacija"
4. ↑ ^{a b c d} ICTY information sheet about Mirko Norac
5. ↑ Article about Mirko Norac in the "Slobodna Dalmacija" (Part 2)
6. ↑ Diplomati u RH zbog Norca će i ove godine bojkotirati Alku - Jutarnji.hr