Assassination of Ivo Pukanić
| 23 October 2008 Zagreb bombing | |
|---|---|
| Location | Downtown Zagreb, Croatia |
| Date | 23 October 2008 1820 (UTC+2) |
| Target | Ivo Pukanić |
| Deaths | 2 |
| Injured | 3 |
| Perpetrators | Unknown |
 | This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly and initial news reports may be unreliable. The latest updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. |
The 23 October 2008 Zagreb bombing was an attack by a remote-detonation car bomb outside the Croatian Nacional newspaper's premises in the Croat capital, Zagreb. The attack killed the owner the newspaper, Ivo Pukanić, and another employee, and injured three more people. The explosion occurred in the centre of the capital at 1822 local time (1622 GMT).[1] The Croatian capital is experiencing a wave of violence since the beginning of 2008.[2]
Preceding events
Prior Pukanić assassination attempt
Pukanić, an influential and cotroversial person in the Croatian politics, was already targeted in a murder attempt in April 2008, in western downtown Zagreb, near Franjo Tuđman Square. He was shot at with a revolver. Pukanić threw himself on the pavement and successfully dodged the shot, while the shooter's revolver jammed subsequently and the shooter escaped from the crime scene. The police suspected the attempt to be a warning to Pukanić intended to discourage him from certain activities. Police protection was assigned to Pukanić immediately following the event. However, it is unknown whether he was under protection during the October 23 bombing and, if he was, where were the police officers responsible for his life.[3]
2008 Zagreb crime wave
The bombing was quickly associated by the media with the increased occurence of crime in Zagreb in 2008.[2][4] The crime wave started with the Ribnjak Park killing of a Bad Blue Boys football fan in early Spring, followed by a retaliation by other BBB members.[5][6] A mob beating with deadly consequences on a bus stop in the high-traffic Većeslav Holjevac Avenue ensued.[7]
The latest in the stream of crime events was the murder of Ivana Hodak, the daughter of an influential lawyer Zvonimir Hodak, who defended the alleged war profiteer general Vladimir Zagorec. The murder caused the Prime Minister Ivo Sanader to fire Marijan Benko, chief of Zagreb Police Department, Berislav Rončević, Minister of Defense and Ivica Kirin, Minister of Internal Affairs. Kirin was replaced by Tomislav Karamarko and Rončević by Ivan Šimonović.[4][8]
Details
Pukanić entered his Lexus with Niko Franjić, the Nacional director of marketing. Upon approaching the vehicle, the bomb was detonated. The incident happened on Stara Vlaška Street, only two street blocks east of the main Zagreb square, Ban Jelačić Square. The police immediately blocked the traffic around the site of assassination, causing immense traffic jams all over the city center.
A man was sighted to be running away from the explosion down the nearby Palmotićeva Street. The man was in his early thirties, wearing a baseball cap and running with no regard for the traffic.[9][10][3]
Reactions
On a special press conference the Prime Minister of Croatia Ivo Sanader declined a proposal for entering a state of emergency.[1] Mirjana Pukanić, Ivo's wife was shocked to find out about the assassination.[11] The media in special reports have called for a special anti-mafia operation similar to the Serbian "Sabre" Operation concluded after the assassination of former Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić, which resulted in hundreds of arrests and a substantial decrease of Serbian mafia activities. However, there have been no news from the Police Department as to a possible operation.[1] Such an action was already called for by the public after the murder of Ivana Hodak.[1][12]
References
- ^ a b c d Special report on Nova TV (October 23, 2008)
- ^ a b "Croatia blast 'kills media pair'". BBC. 2008-10-23. Retrieved 2008-10-23.
- ^ a b "Ivo Pukanic, Niko Franjic Killed, Two Injured". Javno.hr. 2008-10-23. Retrieved 2008-10-23.
- ^ a b "Croatia vows action against crime wave". Reuters. ekathimerini. 2008-10-07. Retrieved 2008-10-23.
- ^ "Ribnjak Park the Scene of the Killing of a Youth Three Weeks ago To Get Round-the-Clock Wardens". Croatiapress. 2008-04-08. Retrieved 2008-10-07.
- ^ "Zagreb's Mayor Protects Fans, Punks Panic". Javno.hr. 2008-03-21. Retrieved 2008-10-07.
- ^ "Suspect Confess to Attacking Luka Ritz". Javno.hr. 2008-10-22. Retrieved 2008-10-23.
- ^ "Novi ministri Šimonović i Karamarko položili prisegu". Vijesti.net (in Croatian). 2008-10-10. Retrieved 2008-10-23.
- ^ "Eksplodirao auto bomba pored Nacionala, ubijen Ivo Pukanić?!". Ezadar.hr (in Croatian). 2008-10-23. Retrieved 2008-10-23.
- ^ "Ubijen Ivo Pukanić". Poslovni.hr (in Croatian). 2008-10-23. Retrieved 2008-10-23.
- ^ "Mirjana Pukanic: Ivo Killed? I Cannot Believe It". Javno.hr. 2008-10-23. Retrieved 2008-10-23.
- ^ Jandrijević Tomas, Saša (2008-10-11). "Načelnik Mile Novaković: Srpska 'Sablja' sasjekla bi hrvatsku mafiju". Slobodna Dalmacija (in Croatian). Retrieved 2008-10-23.