Simo Zaric Deputy Mayor in Bosnia

Simo Zaric, who has completed his sentence after being convicted for crimes against humanity by the Tribunal in the Hague, has been elected deputy mayor in Samac in north-east Bosnia.

Zaric was elected deputy major by the municipal assembly.

According to daily Dnevni Avaz, Savo Minic, the mayor of Samac, told reporters after the elections that he was convinced that Zaric would do his job “to the satisfaction of all the citizens of Samac”.

“This means that I will be able to continue working for the interests of all the citizens of this municipality and for the local policy,” said Zaric after his election.

During the war, Simo Zaric Solaja, 62, was the assistant commander for intelligence, reconnaissance, morale and information in the 4th Detachment, the chief of national security in Bosanski Samac from April 29, 1992 to May 19, 1992, and deputy to the president of the civilian council in Odzak.

Zaric was sentenced in 2003 to 6 years' imprisonment for crimes against humanity, including inhuman treatment, torture and beatings of civilians. He surrendered to authorities in 1998.

Zaric was granted early release in January 2004.

According to the verdict, Zaric conducted interrogations of prisoners held in detention centers in Samac. “While he did not personally beat the prisoners, as a person highly engaged and respected in the social and cultural life in Bosanski Šamac, he gave encouragement and moral support to those who did.”

In its verdict, the Trial Chamber concluded that Bosanski Šamac was taken over by Serb forces on 17 April 1992 when “large-scale arrests” of Bosnian Muslims and Croats civilians were carried out by local Serb police and paramilitaries from Serbia.

“Non-Serb civilians were detained in facilities in Bosanski Šamac, the Police station (SUP), the Territorial Defence Building (TO), Primary and Secondary Schools, Zasavica, Crkvina, and elsewhere in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including Brčko and Bijeljina. The arrests and continued detention were arbitrary and without lawful basis.”

Accoridng to existing data, before 17 April 1992, the Municipality of Bosanski Samac was made up of close to 33,000 citizens, of which approximately 17,000 were Muslims and Croatians. In May 1995, less than 300 non-Serbs remained.

On trial with Zaric were Blagoje Simic, sentenced to 15 years' and Miroslav Tadic, sentenced to 8 years'.

Zaric was a Socialist Party candidate during municipal elections in 2004.

Laws in Bosnia and Herzegovina do not put any kind of restrictions on people who were sentenced to imprisonment for war crimes to work in public administration.