Ante Paradžik

Ante Paradžik
Vice-president of the
Croatian Party of Rights
In office
25 February 1990 – 21 September 1991
President Dobroslav Paraga
Leader of War Command of
Croatian Defence Forces
In office
25 June 1991 – 21 September 1991
Personal details
Born (1943-02-10)10 February 1943
Ljubuški, Independent State of Croatia
Died 21 September 1991(1991-09-21) (aged 48)
Zagreb, Croatia
Political party Croatian Party of Rights

Ante Paradžik (10 February 1943 – 21 September 1991) was a Croatian right-wing politician, lawyer and rhetorician. Paradžik was one of the founders of the Croatian Party of Rights.

Youth

Paradžik was married with three children. His best man was Dražen Budiša, Croatian liberal politician and participant in Croatian Spring. Paradžik studied social rights and worked pro bono, and he also advocated social justice. For 19 years he was without passport and deprived of human rights, after he participated in Croatian Spring in 1971. During the Croatian Spring he was president of Union of Students of Croatia.[1] After Croatian Spring ended, he was imprisoned, and released after collapse of Socialist Republic of Croatia in 1990.

1990-s activity

Paradžik was one of the restorers of Croatian Party of Rights on 25 February 1990.[2] He was also elected vice-president of the party and leader of War Command of Croatian Defence Forces (HOS).

Ante Paradžik was very dangerous to the government of Franjo Tuđman as the leader of paramilitary Croatian Defence Forces, opposing every compromise with Serbian representatives in the conflict. He advocated Croatian statehood and independence, uniting what he saw as Croatian historical and ethnic lands: Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Syrmia.

On the founding meeting of Croatian Defense Forces, Paraga explained that Croatian Party of Rights organized armed volunteer detachments "who's fighters are already fighting at first lines in critical areas of Croatia". Paradžik also accuses nagotiations of Croatian government with Slobodan Milošević about "division of Croatian lands", while their party (Croatian Party of Rights) doesn't recognize any partition of Bosnia and Herzegovina. After meeting of leaders of Croatian Party of Rights with officials from Albania and Bulgaria, they adopted charter about creation of anti-hegemony (or anti-greatserbian) coalition of movements and parties of Albanians, Bulgarians and Croats, whose idea was to make borders of Serbia look like in 1912.

Assassination

Monument of Ante Paradžik in Ljubuški

Just before his assassination defence minister of Croatia, Ivan Vekić, told to Paraga and Paradžik:

"Either, Croatian Defence Forces will de-blocade barrack of Yugoslav People's Army, or they will be disarmed by Ministry of Internal Affairs!"

Paradžik was assassinated in front of the building of Ministry of Internal Affairs of Croatia on 21 September 1991.

After Paradžik was assassinated, Slobodan Milošević requested, at peace conference held in The Hague in November 1991, from Franjo Tuđman to disarm Croatian Defence Forces. Soon after, Tuđman issued so-called "Sheperd's letter" in which he commanded disarmament of Croatian Defence Forces and ban of Croatian Party of Rights together with Serbian nationalist revolted party Serb Democratic Party. However, HOS was formally disarmed in middle of 1992, even though HOS was still active in 1994.

References

  1. ↑ Bušić, Bruno. Jedino Hrvatska (collected writings), p. 126. ZIRAL, 1983 (Croatian)
  2. ↑ Puškaš, Zvonimir. Hrvatski demokratski nacionalizam (HDN): organizirani otpor jugokomunističkoj tiraniji 1948.-1990. godine, p. 255. Hrvatski forum, 1997. ISBN 953-97120-0-9 (Croatian)
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