White Eagles (paramilitary)

Name

Although the group's members were occasionally referred to as Chetniks, the name White Eagles comes from the anti-communist and pro-fascist paramilitary unit that was formed during World War II, known as Serbian Volunteer Corps. White Eagle refers to the national symbol of Serbia, the double-headed white eagle under a crown.

History

The White Eagles were founded at the end of 1990. The unit's emblem was a white double-headed eagle on a red shield. Its leaders were Vojislav Šešelj, Mirko Jović, Dragoslav Bokan and Milan Lukić.

Croatian War of Independence

They participated in attacks on the settlement of Slatina in western Slavonia, Lovas in October, and Vukovar in November 1991. The Voćin massacre was the killing of 43 civilians in Voćin by the White Eagles on 13 December 1991.

Bosnian War

In the Bosnian war, White Eagles participated in attacks on Bosniak paramilitary units that occupied Bijeljina and defended Višegrad. In 1992, Šešelj's men, together with Arkan's Tigers, captured Zvornik.

Members of the White Eagles have been accused of the Višegrad massacre, and the Foča massacre.

The prosecution claimed that these killings were incited by Šešelj's speech, which was dismissed by the Hague Tribunal. There are also unproven allegations that the White Eagles operated a detention camp in Liješće.

Kosovo War

They were also active during the war in Kosovo. OSCE reports say that together with Arkan's Tigers, they participated in the persecution and murder of Albanians from Peja.

Reappearance

In December 2010 a group called "White Eagles" () took responsibility for the killing of Kosovo's Bosniak leader Šefko Salković in the north of Kosovo. The group also took responsibility for obstructions of the election process in northern Kosovska Mitrovica, as well as for attacking KFOR troops.

References

References

1. "ICTY: Milan Lukić and Sredoje Lukić judgement".
2. [https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2317765.stm "Profile: Vojislav Seselj" ''BBC News'' 27 November 2006]
3. Allen, Beverly (1996) ''Rape Warfare: The Hidden Genocide in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia'' University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota, pp. 154-155, {{ISBN. 0-8166-2818-1
4. [http://www.hrw.org/legacy/reports/2001/kosovo/Po_naredjenju.pdf Po naređenju: ratni zločini na Kosovu] (Izveštaj Human Right Watch-a)
5. ICTY, [http://www.icty.org/x/cases/seselj/ind/en/ses-ii030115e.pdf Vojislav Seselj indictment], 15 January 2003
6. "In previous wars (Bosnia, Croatia) there was a small paramilitary organisation called White Eagles, but the Serb Radical Party had absolutely nothing to do with them."[http://www.icty.org/x/cases/pavkovic/trans/en/050823IT.htm Testimony of Vojislav Šešelj, Transcript of 23 August 2005, p. 43081, lines 16-18]
7. "Trial Judgement in the case of Vojislav Šešelj delivered {{!}} International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia".
8. "United Nations Commission on Breaches of Geneva Law in Former Yugoslavia".
9. (2012). "Mapping the Extreme Right in Contemporary Europe: From Local to Transnational". Routledge.
10. (2002). "Indictment at the Hague: The Milosevic Regime and Crimes of the Balkan Wars". NYU Press.
11. (4 December 2012). "Hague Tribunal Upholds Visegrad Crimes Verdict".
12. (1991-12-19). "Villagers in Croatia Recount Massacre by Serbian Forces (Published 1991)".
13. ""Updates From the International Criminal Courts"".
14. "Testimony of Witness 52, Transcript of 27 March 2000".
15. "Detalji optužnice protiv Šešelja".
16. "Prison Camps".
17. "Wayback Machine".
18. (2010-12-11). "Kosovo Holds First Parliamentary Election".
19. "Serb organization “Beli Orlovi” takes over the killing of Salkovic :: EMG :: Business news from Serbia 2010".