Ramiz Delalić
Encyclopedia
Ramiz Delalić widely known by his nickname Ćelo ' onMouseout='HidePop("68481")' href="/topics/Sarajevo">Sarajevo
for criminals, due assumption they got their head shaven during their time spent in prison) is known as commander of 9th Mountain Brigade in Sarajevo
, and also as main suspect who stood trial before a local court for the killing of Nikola Gardović on March 1, 1992 during a Serb wedding in front of the old Orthodox Church in Sarajevo - an event many Serbian nationalists consider as the criminal act that triggered the 1992-95 war
. The accusations for this killing were never proven.
Delalić was also one of several prominent underworld figures who helped to defend Sarajevo
during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Despite of the rumors of him, later during the war, starting running racketeering and extortion rings, his acts during the wartime were still considered far less controversial when compared to other local warlords, like Jusuf "Juka" Prazina
in particular. Unlike Prazina and some other local gangsters, Delalić remained loyal and obedient to official Bosnian political and military authorities through the entire war-period and it is even assumed that he was very close with Bosnian president, Alija Izetbegović
.
Ramiz Delalić was gunned down at the entrance to his apartment building in the center of Sarajevo
, on June 27, 2007. The exact reasons of why Delalić went outside of his apartment in late hours, unarmed and without wearing bulletproof vest (that he regularly wore in every occasion due numerous threats from his enemies) is still unknown. There are speculations that he may have got a phone call from somebody close to him, who he trusted, to meet outside apartment. The killer waited for Delalić and fired at him two separate times from his firearm, each time with multiple shots. The murder weapon was likely a Heckler & Koch MP5
. Immediately after the shooting, an ambulance arrived. However, there was no saving Delalić, and doctors were only able to proclaim him dead. Lirim Bytyqi (Bitići), called Svrka - an ethnic Albanian
, citizen of Serbia
; and another person whose identity is partially known to the police, are pointed as murder suspects. Although there are no official evidences at this time, several of Delalić's friends and associates are claiming that the leader of an Albanian rival mob in Sarajevo, and Delalić's longtime enemy, Muhamed Ali Gaši, is likely to have ordered the hit.
Ramiz Delalić was buried in the martyr's cemetery "Kovači" in Sarajevo.
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
for criminals, due assumption they got their head shaven during their time spent in prison) is known as commander of 9th Mountain Brigade in Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
, and also as main suspect who stood trial before a local court for the killing of Nikola Gardović on March 1, 1992 during a Serb wedding in front of the old Orthodox Church in Sarajevo - an event many Serbian nationalists consider as the criminal act that triggered the 1992-95 war
Bosnian War
The Bosnian War or the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between April 1992 and December 1995. The war involved several sides...
. The accusations for this killing were never proven.
Delalić was also one of several prominent underworld figures who helped to defend Sarajevo
Siege of Sarajevo
The Siege of Sarajevo is the longest siege of a capital city in the history of modern warfare. Serb forces of the Republika Srpska and the Yugoslav People's Army besieged Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, from 5 April 1992 to 29 February 1996 during the Bosnian War.After Bosnia...
during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Despite of the rumors of him, later during the war, starting running racketeering and extortion rings, his acts during the wartime were still considered far less controversial when compared to other local warlords, like Jusuf "Juka" Prazina
Jusuf Prazina
Jusuf "Juka" Prazina was a Sarajevan gangster and paramilitary warlord during the Bosnian war.A troubled teen, Prazina's youth allegedly contained numerous stays in various jails and correctional facilities of the former Yugoslavia...
in particular. Unlike Prazina and some other local gangsters, Delalić remained loyal and obedient to official Bosnian political and military authorities through the entire war-period and it is even assumed that he was very close with Bosnian president, Alija Izetbegović
Alija Izetbegovic
Alija Izetbegović was a Bosniak activist, lawyer, author, philosopher and politician, who, in 1990, became the first president of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He served in this role until 1996, when he became a member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, serving until 2000...
.
Ramiz Delalić was gunned down at the entrance to his apartment building in the center of Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
, on June 27, 2007. The exact reasons of why Delalić went outside of his apartment in late hours, unarmed and without wearing bulletproof vest (that he regularly wore in every occasion due numerous threats from his enemies) is still unknown. There are speculations that he may have got a phone call from somebody close to him, who he trusted, to meet outside apartment. The killer waited for Delalić and fired at him two separate times from his firearm, each time with multiple shots. The murder weapon was likely a Heckler & Koch MP5
Heckler & Koch MP5
The Heckler & Koch MP5 is a 9mm submachine gun of German design, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH of Oberndorf am Neckar....
. Immediately after the shooting, an ambulance arrived. However, there was no saving Delalić, and doctors were only able to proclaim him dead. Lirim Bytyqi (Bitići), called Svrka - an ethnic Albanian
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
, citizen of Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
; and another person whose identity is partially known to the police, are pointed as murder suspects. Although there are no official evidences at this time, several of Delalić's friends and associates are claiming that the leader of an Albanian rival mob in Sarajevo, and Delalić's longtime enemy, Muhamed Ali Gaši, is likely to have ordered the hit.
Ramiz Delalić was buried in the martyr's cemetery "Kovači" in Sarajevo.
See also
- Ismet "Ćelo" BajramovićIsmet BajramovicIsmet "Ćelo" Bajramović was a Bosnian soldier and reputed organized crime figure from Sarajevo. During the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina and specifically the siege of Sarajevo, Bajramović played a key role in the defense of the city in the early days of the war.Bajramović was born in Sarajevo...
- Mušan "Caco" TopalovićMušan TopalovicMušan "Caco" Topalović was commander of the 10th Mountain Brigade in the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Caco was also a smuggler, thief and gangster inside the besieged capital Sarajevo...
- Jusuf "Juka" PrazinaJusuf PrazinaJusuf "Juka" Prazina was a Sarajevan gangster and paramilitary warlord during the Bosnian war.A troubled teen, Prazina's youth allegedly contained numerous stays in various jails and correctional facilities of the former Yugoslavia...