Roland Bartetzko
German soldier, paid paramilitary, and author / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Roland Bartetzko?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
Roland Bartetzko (born 1970) is a former German soldier and convicted terrorist who fought with the Croatian Defence Council in the Bosnian War (1992–1995) and the Kosovo Liberation Army in the Kosovo War (1998–1999).
Roland Bartetzko | |
---|---|
Nickname(s) | "Shaban" |
Born | 1970 Würselen, West Germany |
Allegiance | West Germany Germany Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia Kosovo Liberation Army |
Service/ | German Army Croatian Defence Council (HVO) Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) |
Years of service | 1987–1992 (Bundeswehr) 1992–1994 (HVO) 1998–1999 (KLA) |
Rank | Oberfeldwebel |
Battles/wars | Bosnian War Kosovo War |
In 2001, Bartetzko orchestrated a car bombing outside a Yugoslav government office in Pristina, killing one Serb civilian, and injuring four others. After his fingerprint was found on the detonator, he was arrested and charged with murder, attempted murder and terrorism, becoming the first Westerner to be indicted on these charges in post-war Kosovo.
The following year, he was convicted on all counts by an international court under the supervision of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), and sentenced to 23 years' imprisonment. Bartetzko's sentence was later commuted to 20 years' imprisonment. He was released on parole in 2015. He has maintained his innocence and claims he was framed by UNMIK. He wrote a book in 2018.