Ivan Čermak

Ivan Čermak^{[pronunciation?]} (born 19 December 1949) is a Croatian businessman, politician and former general.

Biography

Born in Zagreb, Čermak became a small businessman in the 1980s. In the 1990s, he entered the oil business.^[1]

Between 1990 and 1991, Čermak held the position of Vice President of the Executive Board of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and also served as an advisor to the President of the Republic of Croatia, Franjo Tuđman. In 1991, he was appointed the Assistant Minister of Defence in the Croatian Government, a position he held until 1993. While in this position and thereafter, he held the rank of Colonel General.^{[citation needed]} He was succeeded in this position by his former chauffeur, Vladimir Zagorec.^[2]

In 1993, he briefly served as the Minister of Economy in the Cabinet of Nikica Valentić.

Čermak was commander of the Croatian Army's Knin corps during the 1995 Operation Storm.^[3]

In 2000, he was one of the signatories to the Twelve Generals' Letter.^[4]

In February 2004, he was indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and brought to Trial of Gotovina et al in the Hague on charges of operating a joint criminal enterprise for the purpose of permanently removing the Serb population from the Krajina by force and of crimes against humanity.^[5]

In April 2011 the judgement was handed down and he was acquitted of all charges by the Trial Chamber and released immediately.^[6] The Prosecution did not appeal his acquittal.^[7]

References

1. Denis Kuljiš (2007-09-08). "Čermak, ili priča o hrvatskom uspjehu". Nezavisne novine (in Croatian). Retrieved 2010-12-19.
2. "Ex-General Vladimir Zagorec: Vom Landvermesser zum superreichen Kroaten". News Networld Internetservice GmbH. 2 March 2009. Retrieved 2013-11-18.
3. "Croatia: Impunity for Abuses Committed during "OPERATION STORM" and the denial of the Right of Refugees to return to the Krajinka", Human Rights Watch, 8 (13 (D)), August 1996
4. "Ivan Čermak" (in Croatian). Večernji list. Archived from the original on 2014-09-08. Retrieved 2014-09-07.
5. International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (2008-03-12), Amended Joinder Indictment, Gotovina, Čermak and Markač (PDF), United Nations, Case Number IT-06-90, retrieved 2008-04-14
6. "Croat generals jailed for war crimes in Krajina". BBC News. 2011-04-15.
7. "iPress.hr - Čermak slobodan, tužiteljstvo se neće žaliti". www.ipress.hr. Archived from the original on 2011-05-20.