Rahim Ademi | |
|---|---|
 Rahim Ademi in 2011 | |
| Born | (1954-01-30)30 January 1954 (age 71) |
| Allegiance |  Yugoslavia Croatia |
| Branch | Yugoslav People's ArmyCroatian Army |
| Rank | Brigadier general |
| Battles / wars | Croatian War of Independence |
| Awards | Order of Duke Domagoj |
Rahim Ademi (born 30 January 1954) is a retiredCroatian Armygeneral ofKosovar Albanian origin.
Born and raised in the village of Karač,Vushtrri,Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (modern dayKosovo), Ademi graduated from theYugoslav Military Academy in Belgrade in 1976. He was assigned to a station inRogoznica nearŠibenik inCroatia where he married and had two children.[1]
In 1986, the Military Court inSarajevo convicted him ofcounterrevolutionary acts andAlbanianirredentism, but after serving a year and a half in prison, the Supreme Military Court agreed with his appeal and acquitted him. He would spend the next years serving as an officer inSinj until 1990 when the war in Croatia was starting and he deserted theYugoslav People's Army in order to help create Croatian army formations.[1]
He officially joined theMinistry of the Interior in 1991 and later became part of theCroatian Army forces during theCroatian War of Independence. Between 1992 and 1993, as aBrigadier, he commanded Croatian military units in the Sinj area, with particular responsibility for thePeruća Dam.[2] In 1993 he was assigned to the post of sub commander of theGospić military district, but was relieved of duty later that year, after the controversialOperation Medak pocket. He later served as a sub-commander of theSplit military district and was promoted tobrigadier general for his achievements inOperation Storm in 1995. He remained there until 1999 when he was reassigned to the post of the Assistant Chief Inspector of the Armed Forces inZagreb.
In 2001, theInternational Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) indicted Ademi forcrimes against humanity allegedly committed against theCroatian Serbs in the Medak pocket. He was originally in the custody of the Court but was later allowed to prepare his defense free. In November 2005, in line with its completion strategy, the ICTY referred the Ademi-Norac case to the Croatian judiciary. The trial began on 18 June 2007 in front of a special bench of the Zagreb County Court with Judge Marin Mrčela presiding.[3]
Ademi claims that the Croatian government, under international pressure, relieved him of duty inGospić in 1993 in order to make him a scapegoat, rather than implicating commanding officersJanko Bobetko,[3]Mirko Norac andMladen Markač. He alleged that the Tribunal wanted him for questioning as far back as 1998 but the government did not allow him to answer their questions. On 30 May 2008, he was acquitted by the Zagreb County Court of responsibility for atrocities committed againstSerb prisoners by Croat troops during Operation Medak Pocket.[3]
In March 2010, theSupreme Court of Croatia upheld Ademi's acquittal.[4]
During campaign for the2014–15 presidential election, Ademi worked as a co-coordinator forIvo Josipović.[5][6]