Ivan Cermak

Ivan Cermak was born on 19 December 1949, in the Municipality of Zagreb in the present Republic of Croatia. He served as an advisor to the President of the Republic of Croatia, Franjo Tudjman and was appointed the Assistant Minister of Defence in the Croatian Government in 1991, a position he held until 1993. While in this position and thereafter, he held the rank of Colonel General.

On 5 August 1995, Ivan Cermak was appointed Commander of the Knin Garrison, thereby becoming the highest ranking Croatian military authority in the Garrison’s jurisdiction, which he commanded until approximately 15 November 1995. According to the indictment, Ivan Cermak had effective control over members of Croatian Army units or elements which were attached to, or operated in the Knin Garrison, and also over civilian police who operated in the Garrison area and areas adjacent to it.

The facts of the case relate essentially to Operation “Storm”. The major part of this major military offensive came into full effect on 4 August 1995 and continued for several days thereafter, with continuing actions and operations until approximately 15 November 1995. Operation Storm was aimed at re-taking the Krajina region by the Croatian Army.

According to the indictment, from July 1995 to 15 November 2005 and beyond, Ivan Cermak, along with other persons, planned, established, implemented and/or participated in a joint criminal enterprise, the common purpose and objectives of which were the permanent removal of the Serb population from the Krajina region, by force, fear or threat of force, persecution, forced displacement, transfer and deportation, appropriation and destruction of property and other means, which constituted or involved the commission of crimes.

Among these crimes were the forcible displacement of the Serb civilian population from their homes and the systematic plunder and destruction of property belonging to the Serb civilian population, the purpose of which was to expel or remove the Serb civilian population and to discourage and/or prevent members of that population from returning to their homes and resuming habitation, thereby permanently removing and ethnically cleansing these Serbs from the Krajina region.

On 11 March 2004, Ivan Cermak voluntarily surrendered and was transferred to the ICTY (International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia) in The Hague.