Tomorrow marks 33 years since the sudden aggression by the Croatian Army against the Serbian sub-Velebit villages of Divoselo, Čitluk, and Počitelj. These villages, located south of Gospić in the so-called Medak Pocket, had been under the official protection of the United Nations (UNPROFOR) for a full 18 months at the time of the attack. During the advance and subsequent retreat of the Croatian forces, which lasted from September 9 to September 17, 1993, a “scorched earth” tactic was applied, resulting in all three villages being systematically looted, burned, and razed to the ground.
A total of 87 Serbs lost their lives in this operation, and the terrifying fact remains that there were absolutely no wounded survivors. The results of post-mortem examinations—fractured skulls, multiple close-range gunshot wounds, and individuals thrown alive into fires—unequivocally indicate the systematic liquidation of the captured and helpless. The casualties included 46 soldiers, 6 policemen, and 35 civilians and local guards. Among the victims were 17 women, while 25 of the deceased were over the age of 60. Nine individuals are still listed as missing, including six civilians with an average age of 71, four of whom are women. The sheer scale of destruction is best captured by the statement made at the time by the UNPROFOR Commander, General Jean Cot, who, after inspecting the area, declared: “I found no signs of life, neither humans nor animals… The destruction is complete, systematic, and deliberate.”
Although the dimensions of the crime were blatant, the ICTY transferred the Ademi/Norac case to the jurisdiction of the Croatian judiciary, resulting in merely symbolic sentences. General Rahim Ademi was acquitted of all charges, while General Mirko Norac was sentenced to just six years in prison for failing to prevent the murder of four civilians and the torture of a prisoner of war. The direct perpetrators, Josip Krmpotić, Velibor Šolaja, and Josip Mršić, received minimal sentences ranging from three to five years in prison. It is particularly devastating that while the court proceedings indisputably established that at least four Serbian women burned to death in their homes, no one was held criminally responsible for their deaths or the arson.
Before the war, in April 1991, Divoselo, Počitelj, and Čitluk had a combined population of 780 residents, predominantly of Serbian nationality. Today, in September 2026, the aftermath of the “Medak Pocket” operation is a total demographic collapse: Divoselo is completely abandoned, only two elderly women remain in Počitelj, and a mere ten residents across four families are left in Čitluk.
The “Veritas” Documentation and Information Center reminds the public of this unpunished crime once again this year, appealing that the victims never be forgotten and that justice, however delayed, must be served.
BELGRADE / BANJA LUKA, September 8, 2026
Information Service of DIC “Veritas”
