Editing Arkan

{{Short description|Serbian paramilitary commander and career criminal}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2019}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = Željko Ražnatović
| image               = Željko Ražnatović.jpg
| image_size          = 230
| caption             = Ražnatović and his "[[Serb Volunteer Guard|Tigers]]"
| birth_name          = 
| native_name         = {{lang|sr-Cyrl|Жељко Ражнатовић}}
| nickname            = Arkan
| birth_date          = {{Birth date|1952|4|17|df=yes}}
| birth_place         = [[Brežice]], [[Socialist Republic of Slovenia|PR Slovenia]], [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|FPR Yugoslavia]]
| death_date          = {{Death date and age|2000|1|15|1952|4|17|df=yes}}
| death_place         = {{Nowrap|[[Belgrade]], [[Republic of Serbia (1992–2006)|Serbia]], [[Serbia and Montenegro|FR Yugoslavia]]}}
| death_cause         = [[Gunshot wounds]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.npr.org/2000/01/15/1069219/arkan-dead?t=1653901716289 | title=Arkan Dead | website=NPR.org }}</ref>
| resting_place       = [[Belgrade New Cemetery]]
| nationality         = Serbian
| spouse              = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|Natalija Martinović<br>||1994|end=divorced}}
* {{marriage|[[Ceca (singer)|Svetlana Veličković]]<br>|1995}}
}}
| party               = [[Party of Serbian Unity]] (1993–2000)
| children            = 9, including [[Anastasija Ražnatović|Anastasija]]
| relatives           = [[Veljko Ražnatović]] (father)
| office              = [[National Assembly (Serbia)|Member of the National Assembly]]
| president           = [[Zoran Lilić]]<br />Zoran Aranđelović
| termstart           = 25 January 1993
| termend             = 20 October 1993
| allegiance          = {{flag|Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|name=Yugoslavia}}<br />{{flag|Republic of Serbian Krajina|name=Serbian Krajina}}<br />{{flag|Republika Srpska (1992–95)|name=Republika Srpska}}
| branch              = [[File:Logo of the JNA.svg|20px]] [[Yugoslav People's Army]] <small>(until 1992)</small><br>[[File:Emblem Republika Srpska Army.svg|19px]] [[Army of Republika Srpska]] <small>(1992–1995)</small>
| serviceyears        = 1991–1996
| rank                = Commander
| battles             = {{tree list}} 
* [[Croatian War of Independence]]
** [[1991 Yugoslav campaign in Croatia]]
*** [[Battle of Vukovar]]
*** [[Battle of Jasenovac]]
*** [[Battle for Antunovac]]
*** [[Battle of Ernestinovo]]
*** [[Battle of Osijek]]
*** [[Siege of Slunj]]
*** [[Clashes in Bogdanovci|Battles for Bogdanovci]]
*** {{Tree list/final branch}} [[Battle of Nuštar]]
*** {{ill|Operation Steel '93|sr|Операција Челик '93}}
{{tree list/end}}
{{tree list}}
* [[Bosnian War]]
** [[1992 Yugoslav campaign in Bosnia]]
*** [[Bijeljina massacre|Capture of Bijeljina]]
*** [[Zvornik massacre|Capture of Zvornik]]
*** [[Višegrad massacre|Capture of Višegrad]]
** [[Operation Corridor 92]]
** {{ill|Operation Famos|sr|Операција Фамос}}
** [[Battle of Grbavica (1993)|Battle of Grbavica 93]]
** [[Operation Spider|Operation Spider 94]]
** [[Siege of Goražde]]
** [[Siege of Žepa]]
** [[Siege of Srebrenica]]
** [[Mala Kladuša offensive]]
** [[Operation Krivaja '95|Operation Krivaja 95]]
** [[Operation Una|Operation Una 95]]
** [[Operation Sana]]
** {{Tree list/final branch}} [[Operation Prijedor 95]]
{{tree list/end}}
| unit                = [[File:Patch of the Serb Volunteer Guard (variant).svg|19px]] [[Serb Volunteer Guard|Arkan Tigers]] {{Tree list/final branch}}
| awards              = [[Order of Karađorđe's Star]]<br />[[File:Karadjodjeva_zvezda_2_RS.gif|35px]] <small></small>
| module              = '''Criminal information'''{{Infobox criminal
  |child               = yes
  |charge              = {{Longitem|''see [[#ICTY indictment|ICTY indictment section below]]''}}
  | conviction         = 
  | conviction_penalty = ''No (assassinated)''
  | conviction_status  = 
}}
}}
'''Željko Ražnatović''' ({{Lang-sr-Cyrl|Жељко Ражнатовић}}, {{IPA|sh|ʒêːʎko raʒnâːtoʋitɕ|pron}}; 17 April 1952 – 15 January 2000), better known as '''Arkan''' ({{Lang-sr-Cyrl|Аркан}}), was a Serbian [[warlord]], [[mobster]] and head of the [[Serbs|Serb]] paramilitary force called the [[Serb Volunteer Guard]] during the [[Yugoslav Wars]], considered one of the most feared and effective paramilitary forces during the wars.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uGM1MrB981IC&dq=arkan%27s+tigers+one+of+the+most+powerful+paramilitary&pg=PA209 |title=Balkan Battlegrounds: A Military History of the Yugoslav Conflict, 1990-1995 |publisher=[[Central Intelligence Agency]], Office of Russian and European Analysis |year=2003 |pages=209 |isbn=978-0-16-066472-4 |language=en}}</ref> His paramilitary unit was responsible for numerous crimes in [[Bosnia and Herzegovina|Eastern Bosnia]], including murder, pillaging, rape and ethnic cleansings.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Spitka |first=Timea |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v2tACwAAQBAJ&dq=arkan+rape+murder+bosnia&pg=PA80 |title=International Intervention, Identity and Conflict Transformation: Bridges and Walls Between Groups |date=2016 |publisher=Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group |isbn=978-0-8153-6518-1 |series= |location=London New York |pages=80 |language=en}}</ref> Arkan was one of the most celebrated and iconic figures in Serbia during his time.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Milekic |first=Denis Dzidic, Marija Ristic, Milka Domanovic, Petrit Çollaku, Sven |date=2014-12-08 |title=Arkan’s Paramilitaries: Tigers Who Escaped Justice |url=https://balkaninsight.com/2014/12/08/arkan-s-paramilitaries-tigers-who-escaped-justice/ |access-date=2024-11-28 |website=Balkan Insight |language=en-US}}</ref>

Arkan was on [[Interpol]]'s top 10 most wanted list in the 1970s and 1980s for robberies and murders committed in countries across Europe,<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Bartrop |first=Paul R. |author-link=Paul R. Bartrop |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sOnEEAAAQBAJ&dq=arkan+interpol+most+wanted&pg=PA271 |title=A Biographical Encyclopedia of Contemporary Genocide: Portraits of Evil and Good |date=2012 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-0-313-38678-7 |location=Santa Barbara, Calif |pages=270–271 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Dzuro |first=Vladimír |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5rauDwAAQBAJ&dq=arkan+interpol+most+wanted&pg=PA211 |title=The Investigator: Demons of the Balkan War |date=2019 |publisher=Potomac Books, An imprint of the University of Nebraska Press |isbn=978-1-64012-195-9 |location=Lincoln |pages=211 |language=en}}</ref> he escaped jail twice,<ref name=":2" /> and was later indicted by the [[International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia]] for [[crimes against humanity]]. Up until his assassination in January 2000, Ražnatović was the most powerful [[organized crime]] figure in the Balkans,<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dhITCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA205 |title=Serbia Since 1989: Politics and Society Under Milosevic and After |date=2010 |publisher=University of Washington Press |isbn=978-0-295-98650-0 |editor-last=Ramet |editor-first=Sabrina P. |edition= |series= |location=Seattle |pages=205 |editor-last2=Pavlaković |editor-first2=Vjeran}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Glenny |first=Misha |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DI5PEAAAQBAJ&dq=arkan+most+powerful+balkans&pg=PA675#v=onepage&q&f=false |title=The Balkans: Nationalism, War, and the Great Powers, 1804–2011 |date=2012 |publisher=Penguin Books |isbn=978-0-14-242256-4 |location=New York, NY |pages=675 |language=en}}</ref> as well as the most powerful state-sponsored [[gangster]] in Serbia. Ražnatović had links to [[Abraham Golan|Avraham Golan]], an infamous security contractor.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dhITCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA218 |title=Serbia Since 1989: Politics and Society Under Milosevic and After |date=2010 |publisher=University of Washington Press |isbn=978-0-295-98650-0 |editor-last=Ramet |editor-first=Sabrina P. |edition= |series= |location=Seattle |pages=218 |editor-last2=Pavlaković |editor-first2=Vjeran}}</ref>

==Early life==
Željko Ražnatović was born in [[Brežice]], a small border town in [[Styria (Slovenia)|Lower Styria]], [[People's Republic of Slovenia|PR Slovenia]], [[Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia|FPR Yugoslavia]]. His father, [[Veljko Ražnatović]] served as a decorated officer in the [[Yugoslav Air Force|SFR-Yugoslav Air Force]], being highly ranked for his notable involvement in World War II. Veljko was stationed in Slovenian Styria at the time when his fourth child Željko was born.<ref>Miloš Milikić Mido – ''Za naše nebo — Monografija prve klase letača Vazduhoplovnog učilišta 1945-1947''. Belgrade 1995.</ref>

Infant Ražnatović spent part of his childhood in [[Zagreb]] and [[Pančevo]] before his father's job eventually took the family to the Yugoslav capital of [[Belgrade]], which is considered his hometown.<ref name=svedok70322>{{cite web|url=http://www.svedok.rs/index.asp?show=70322|title=Internet Svedok - 916|publisher=Svedok.rs|access-date=1 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190128131339/http://www.svedok.rs/index.asp?show=70322|archive-date=28 January 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> He grew up with three older sisters in a strict, militaristic patriarchal household with regular [[physical abuse]] from his father. In a 1991 interview, he recalled: "He didn't really hit me in a classical sense, he'd basically grab me and slam me against the floor."<ref>{{cite web|author=Dada Vujasinovic|url=https://dadavujasinovic.com/dada-pise/ratnik-ogrezao-u-svetosavlju-duga-br-462-1991/|title=Ratnik ogrezao u svetosavlju|publisher=duga|date=8 April 1994|access-date=1 March 2014}}</ref> As a child, Ražnatović was considered to be a "problem child" by his teachers who regularly complained of his unruly behavior.{{sfn|Schlichte|2010|p=318}}

In his youth, Ražnatović aspired to become a pilot as his father had been. Due to the highly demanding and significant positions of his parents, there appeared to be very little time in which a bond was able to be established between parents and children. Ražnatović's parents eventually divorced during his teenage years.<ref name=svedok70322/>

Ražnatović was arrested for the first time in 1966 for snatching women's purses around [[Tašmajdan Park]],<ref name="Arkanova ostavština">{{cite web|author=Filip Svarm|url=http://www.vreme.com/cms/view.php?id=906970|title=Arkanova ostavština|publisher=Vreme.com|date=14 January 2010}}</ref> spending a year at a juvenile detention center not far from Belgrade. His father then sent him to the seaside town of [[Kotor]] in order to join the [[Yugoslav Navy]], but Ražnatović had other plans (ending up in [[Paris]] at the age of 15). In 1969, Ražnatović was arrested by French police and deported home, where he was sentenced to three years at the detention center in [[Valjevo]] for several [[burglary|burglaries]]. During this time, he organized his own gang in the prison.<ref name=svedok70322/>

In his youth, Ražnatović was a [[ward (legal)|ward]] of his father's friend,<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=La3sAAAAMAAJ |title=Danas - Google Boeken |date=18 December 2009 |pages=56 |access-date=1 March 2014}}</ref> the Slovenian politician and Federal Minister of the Interior, [[Stane Dolanc]].<ref name=PIC/> Dolanc was chief of the [[Directorate for State Security (Yugoslavia)|Directorate for State Security]] (UDBA) and a close associate of [[President of Yugoslavia|President]] [[Josip Broz Tito]]. Whenever Ražnatović was in trouble, Dolanc helped him, allegedly as a reward for his services to the UDBA, as seen in the escape from the Lugano prison in 1981. Dolanc is quoted as having said: "One Arkan is worth more than the whole UDBA."<ref name=PIC>{{cite book|title=Partners in Crime: The Risks of Symbiosis Between the Security Sector and Organized Crime in Southeast Europe|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bMGxXQpfvWUC&pg=PA42|year=2004|publisher=CSD|isbn=978-954-477-115-7|pages=42–}}</ref>

==Criminal career==
===Western Europe===
In 1972, aged 20, Ražnatović migrated to Western Europe.<ref name="Arkanova ostavština"/> Abroad, he was introduced to and kept contact with many well-known criminals from Yugoslavia, such as [[Ljubomir Magaš|Ljuba Zemunac]], [[Ranko Rubežić]], [[Đorđe Božović|Đorđe "Giška" Božović]], and [[Goran Vuković]], all of whom were also occasionally contracted by the [[State Security Administration (Yugoslavia)|UDBA]], and all of whom have since been assassinated or otherwise died. Ražnatović took the nickname "Arkan" from one of his forged [[passport]]s. On 28 December 1973, he was arrested in Belgium following a bank robbery, and was sentenced to ten years in prison.<ref name="Arkanova ostavština"/> In 1974, Ražnatović was active in [[Sweden]] and among other crimes robbed a bank in [[Kungälv]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Johansson |first=Kristian |date=2023-12-26 |title=Anne-Marie var med om bankrånet på Nordmannatorget 1974 |url=https://www.kungalvsposten.se/nyheter/anne-marie-var-med-om-bankranet-pa-nordmannatorget-1974.cafb7933-c331-4564-a771-3e466112af7e |access-date=2024-08-17 |website=Kungälvs-Posten |language=sv}}</ref>

Ražnatović managed to escape from the [[Verviers]] prison on 4 July 1979.<ref name="Arkanova ostavština"/> Although he was apprehended in the Netherlands on 24 October 1979, the few months he was free were enough for at least two more armed robberies in Sweden and three more in the Netherlands. Serving a seven-year sentence at a prison in [[Amsterdam]], Ražnatović pulled off another escape on 8 May 1981 after someone slipped him a gun. Wasting no time, more robberies followed, this time in [[West Germany]], where after less than a month of freedom he was arrested in [[Frankfurt]] on 5 June 1981 following a jewellery store stickup. In the ensuing shootout with police he was lightly wounded, resulting in his placement in the prison hospital ward. Looser security allowed Ražnatović to escape again only four days later, on 9 June, supposedly by jumping from the window, beating up the first passerby and stealing his clothing before disappearing.<ref name="Arkanova ostavština"/> His final Western European arrest occurred in [[Basel]], Switzerland, during a routine traffic check on 15 February 1983. However, he managed to escape again within months, this time from [[Thorberg Castle|Thorberg]] prison on 27 April.

It is widely speculated that Ražnatović was closely affiliated with the [[State Security Administration (Yugoslavia)|UDBA]] throughout his criminal career abroad.<ref name="Arkanova ostavština"/> He had convictions or warrants in Belgium (bank robberies, prison escape), the Netherlands (armed robberies, prison escape), Sweden (twenty burglaries, seven bank robberies, prison escape, [[attempted murder]]),<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-03-01 |title=Aftonbladet nyheter: Kriget om Kosovo |url=http://wwwc.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/9903/31/kosovo5.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140301221147/http://wwwc.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/9903/31/kosovo5.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2014-03-01 |access-date=2024-05-20 }}</ref> West Germany (armed robberies, prison escape), Austria, Switzerland (armed robberies, prison escape), and Italy.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-10-26 |title=Vreme 993 - Deset godina od ubistva Zeljka Raznatovica: Arkanova ostavstina |url=http://www.vreme.com/cms/view.php?id=906970 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171026053638/http://www.vreme.com/cms/view.php?id=906970 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2017-10-26 |access-date=2024-05-20 }}</ref> Ražnatović had achieved the status in the Belgrade underworld of earning ''"strahopoštovanje"'', a Serbo-Croat phrase that roughly translates as being "respected for fear".{{sfn|Schlichte|2010|p=321}} ''Strahopoštovanje'' was generally achieved in the Yugoslav underworld by committing violent crimes in Western Europe, being arrested and convicted, serving a sentence in a Western European prison, and terrorizing the other inmates to such an extent that the said criminal became the most feared inmate in the prison.{{sfn|Schlichte|2010|p=321}} In the macho world of the Yugoslav underworld, having ''strahopoštovanje'' status was seen as proof of a criminal's toughness and masculinity.{{sfn|Schlichte|2010|p=321}}

===Return to Yugoslavia===
Ražnatović returned to Belgrade in May 1983, continuing his criminal career by managing a number of illegal activities. In November of that year, six months after his return, a bank in Zagreb was robbed with the thieves leaving a rose on the counter (allegedly Ražnatović's signature from his robberies in Western Europe).<ref name="Arkanova ostavština" /> Looking to question Ražnatović about his whereabouts during the robbery, two policemen, members of the Secretariat of Internal Affairs' (SUP) Tenth department from the Belgrade municipality of [[Palilula, Belgrade|Palilula]], showed up in civilian clothing at his mother's apartment on 27 March Street in Belgrade.<ref name="Arkanova ostavština" /> Ražnatović happened to not be home at the moment, so the policemen introduced themselves to his mother as "friends of her son looking to return a cash debt they owed him" and asked the woman if they could wait for him to return to the apartment. Ražnatović's mother phoned him to say that two unknown males waited for him.<ref name="Arkanova ostavština" /> Ražnatović showed up with a [[revolver]] and proceeded to shoot and wound both policemen. He was detained immediately; however, barely 48 hours later, he was released. The occurrence made it clear to all observers, especially his criminal rivals, that he enjoyed protection from the highest echelons of the Yugoslav state security establishment.

Ražnatović spent the mid-1980s running the Amadeus [[discothèque]] together with Žika Živac and Tapi Malešević. Located in the [[Tašmajdan]] neighbourhood, the nightclub was reportedly another perk of their contractual work for the UDBA.<ref name="Arkanova ostavština" /> Moreover, Ražnatović could be seen driving around Belgrade in a pink [[Cadillac]] and gambling on [[roulette]] in casinos all over the country, from Belgrade (Hotel "Slavija") and nearby [[Pančevo]] to [[Sveti Stefan]] (Hotel Maestral on the [[Budva Riviera#Miločer|Miločer]] beach) and [[Portorož]] (Hotel Metropol).<ref name="Arkanova ostavština" />

An avid gambler, following a private game of [[poker]] in an apartment at Ive Lole Ribara Street in Belgrade, Ražnatović got into an elevator altercation with a tenant from the apartment building, reportedly breaking the man's arm after beating him with a gun. Ražnatović could not avoid being charged this time and the trial saw a notable exchange between him and the judge; during the pre-session identification, Ražnatović stated he was an employee of the Secretariat of Internal Affairs (SUP). When this was challenged by the [[prosecutor]], Ražnatović produced a document summarizing a mortgage loan he obtained from the UDBA for his house at Ljutice Bogdana Street. He ended up receiving a six-month sentence, which he served at the Belgrade Central Prison.<ref name="Arkanova ostavština" /> In the late 1980s, a [[football hooligan]] subculture had emerged in Yugoslavia and the unruly and rowdy fans of the Red Star Belgrade football team were seen as a major social problem.{{sfn|Schlichte|2010|p=319}} At the request of the Ministry of the Interior, Ražnatović took over the ''Delije'' ("Heroes") fan club of Red Star Belgrade in an attempt to impose some control on the hooligans.{{sfn|Schlichte|2010|p=319}} Ražnatović quickly became a hero to the ''Delije'' club by his ability to arrange for them to go to Western Europe whenever Red Star Belgrade played a game in a Western European city.{{sfn|Schlichte|2010|p=319}}

==Yugoslav Wars==
===Early===
Only days after the [[Croatian parliamentary election, 1990|1990 Croatian multi-party election]], Ražnatović, who was the leader of the ''[[Delije]]'' ([[football hooliganism|hooligan]] supporters of the football club [[Red Star Belgrade]]), was present at the away game against Croatian side [[Dinamo Zagreb]] at [[Stadion Maksimir]] on 13 May, a match that ended in the infamous [[Dinamo–Red Star riot]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dalje.com/en-sports/video--day-when-maksimir-stadium-went-up-in-flames/257791 |title=VIDEO: Day When Maksimir Stadium Went up in Flames |publisher=Dalje.com |date=13 May 2009 |access-date=1 March 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140301221046/http://dalje.com/en-sports/video--day-when-maksimir-stadium-went-up-in-flames/257791 |archive-date=1 March 2014 }}</ref> Ražnatović and the Delije, consisting of 1,500 people, were involved in a massive fight with the [[Bad Blue Boys|home team's football hooligans]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tol.org/client/article/5707-football-is-war.html|title=Football is War|date=15 March 1999 |publisher=Tol.org|access-date=1 March 2014}}</ref> On 11 October 1990, as the political situation in Yugoslavia [[Log Revolution|became tense]], Ražnatović created a [[paramilitary]] group named the [[Serb Volunteer Guard]]. Ražnatović was the supreme commander of the unit, which was primarily made up of members of the ''Delije'' and his personal friends.<ref>{{cite book|title=Football Hooligans, and War|author=Ivan Čolović|publisher=Central European University Press|year=2000}}</ref><ref>Nebojsa Popov, Drinka Gojkovic; (1999) ''The Road to War in Serbia: Trauma and Catharsis'' p. 388; Central European University Press, {{ISBN|9639116564}}</ref><ref>Michael A. Innes; (2006) ''Bosnian Security after Dayton: New Perspectives (Contemporary Security Studies)'' p. 75; Routledge, {{ISBN|041565369X}}</ref>

In late October 1990, Ražnatović traveled to [[Knin]] to meet representatives of the [[SAO Krajina]], a Serb break-away region that sought to remain in FR Yugoslavia, as opposed to the Croatian government that seceded. On 29 November, Croatian police arrested him at the Croatian-Bosnian border crossing [[Dvor na Uni]] along with local Dušan Carić and Belgraders Dušan Bandić and Zoran Stevanović. Ražnatović's entourage was sent to [[Sisak]] and was charged with conspiracy to overthrow the newly formed Croatian state. Ražnatović was sentenced to twenty months in jail. He was released from Zagreb's [[Remetinec prison]] on 14 June 1991. It has been claimed that the Croatian and Serbian governments agreed on a [[Deutsche Mark|DM]]1 million settlement for his release.<ref>{{cite web|title=Hrvatska za Arkana dobila milion maraka|url=http://arhiva.glas-javnosti.rs/arhiva/2000/01/18/srpski/H00011704.shtm|work=Glas-javnosti|publisher=Arhiva.glas-javnosti.rs|access-date=1 March 2014}} (in Serbian)</ref>

In July 1991, Ražnatović stayed for some time at the [[Cetinje monastery]], with Metropolitan [[Amfilohije Radović]]. His group of men, fully armed, were allowed to enter the monastery, where they served as security.<ref name=ENOVINE>{{cite web|url=http://www.e-novine.com/srbija/srbija-licnosti/32577-Zvijer-bezdana.html|title=Zvijer iz bezdana |publisher=e-novine.com|access-date=1 March 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blic.rs/Vesti/Drustvo/74645/Kozaci-ne-obezbedjuju-manastir|title=Kozaci ne obezbeđuju manastir|date=17 January 2009 |publisher=Blic.rs|access-date=1 March 2014}}</ref> Ražnatović's group traveled from Cetinje to the [[Siege of Dubrovnik]]. On his return from Dubrovnik, he was again a guest at Cetinje.<ref name=ENOVINE/>

===War===
The Serb Volunteer Guard, also known as "Arkan's Tigers", was organized as an elite paramilitary force supporting the Serb armies, set up in a former military facility in [[Erdut]]. The force, led by Ražnatović and [[Milorad Ulemek]],<ref name="BI">{{cite news |last1=Ristic |first1=Marija |last2=Dragojlo |first2=Sasa |date=31 May 2016 |title=Legija: Killer Kingpin in Serbia's Courtroom Dramas |url=https://balkaninsight.com/2016/05/31/legija-killer-kingpin-in-serbia-s-courtroom-dramas-05-31-2016/ |work=Balkan Insight}}</ref> consisted of a core of 600 men and perhaps totaled more than 5,000 soldiers,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Stojanovic |first=Milica |date=23 March 2023 |title=Serbia Urged to Prosecute Arkan's Paramilitaries for War Crimes |url=https://balkaninsight.com/2023/03/23/serbia-urged-to-prosecute-arkans-paramilitaries-for-war-crimes/ |work=[[Balkan Insight]]}}</ref> and it was much feared by the public.<ref>Vasic, "Yugoslav Army" p. 134; UN experts ''Final Report'' par. 92, 139</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Mueller |first=John |date=2000-06-22 |title=The Banality of &quot;Ethnic War&quot; |url=https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=AONE&sw=w&issn=01622889&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA65142948&sid=googleScholar&linkaccess=abs |journal=International Security |language=English |volume=25 |issue=1 |pages=42|doi=10.1162/016228800560381 |url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last1=Dzidic |first1=Denis |last2=Ristic |first2=Marija |last3=Domanovic |first3=Milka |last4=Çollaku |first4=Petrit |last5=Milekic |first5=Sven |date=8 December 2014 |title=Arkan's Paramilitaries: Tigers Who Escaped Justice |url=https://balkaninsight.com/2014/12/08/arkan-s-paramilitaries-tigers-who-escaped-justice/ |work=[[Balkan Insight]]}}</ref> Under Arkan's command the SDG massacred hundreds of people in eastern Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.<ref>Tony Judt; (2006) ''Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945'', chapter XXI; Penguin Books, {{ISBN| 0143037757}}</ref> It saw action from mid-1991 until late 1995, and was supplied and equipped privately, by the reserves of the Serbian police force or through capturing enemy arms.

When the [[Croatian War of Independence]] broke out in 1991, the SDG was active in the [[Vukovar]] region, committing crimes against Croat and Hungarian civilians in [[Dalj massacre|Dalj]], [[Erdut killings|Erdut]], [[Tenja massacre|Tenja]] and other areas. After the [[Bosnian War]] broke out in April 1992, the unit moved between the Croatian and Bosnian fronts, engaging in multiple instances of [[ethnic cleansing]] by killing and forcefully deporting mostly [[Bosniaks|Bosniak]] civilians. In Croatia, it fought in various areas in [[SAO Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia]]. Ražnatović, reportedly, had a dispute over military operations with Krajina leader [[Milan Martić]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scc.rutgers.edu/serbian_digest/108/t108-4.htm|title=Vreme News Digest Agency No 108|publisher=Scc.rutgers.edu|date=18 October 1993|access-date=1 March 2014|archive-date=22 June 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080622034236/http://www.scc.rutgers.edu/serbian_digest/108/t108-4.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> In Bosnia, the SDG notably fought in battles in and around [[Zvornik massacre|Zvornik]], [[Bijeljina massacre|Bijeljina]] and [[Brčko (city)|Brčko]], mostly against Bosniak and Bosnian Croat paramilitary groups, including killings of civilians.

Ražnatović was favored by the Serbian authorities because as a gangster and a football hooligan he seemed to have no political ambitions and hence posed no threat to the regime of [[Slobodan Milošević]].{{sfn|Schlichte|2010|p=317-319}} However, he started to show signs of wanting to move beyond organised crime, founding his own political party, the Party for Serbian Unity, in 1992.{{sfn|Schlichte|2010|p=320}} He also became the owner of the casino in the [[Hotel Jugoslavija]] along with a radio station, a shipping company and a brand of wine named Erdut after the base of the Tiger militia.{{sfn|Schlichte|2010|p=320}} The SDG served as much of a criminal organisation as a para-military group, and was involved in smuggling petrol into Serbia from Romania and Bulgaria in defiance of the United Nations sanctions imposed on Serbia in May 1992.{{sfn|Schlichte|2010|p=320}} Ražnatović's petrol smuggling brought him into conflict with [[Marko Milošević]], the son of Slobodan, who from 1994 onwards was said to be trying to monopolise the petrol smuggling.{{sfn|Schlichte|2010|p=320}} In the summer of 1995, the Serbian state curtailed the supply of arms to the SDG, which was said to have been a punishment for competing with Marko Milošević.{{sfn|Schlichte|2010|p=320}}  

In late 1995, Ražnatović's troops fought in the area of [[Banja Luka]], [[Sanski Most]] and [[Prijedor]]. In October 1995, he left Sanski Most as the [[Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina]] reclaimed the city.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.angelfire.com/vt2/sanskimost/u_spomen_/u_spomen_na_ubijene_sanjane.htm|title=U spomen na ubijene Sanjane|publisher=Angelfire.com|access-date=1 March 2014}}</ref> Ražnatović personally led most of the operations, and rewarded his most efficient officers and soldiers with ranks, medals and eventually looted goods. Several younger soldiers were rewarded for their actions in and around [[Kopački Rit]] and [[Bijelo Brdo, Croatia|Bijelo Brdo]]. Ražnatović reportedly sent one of his most trusted men, Radovan Stanišić, to Italy to start a relationship with [[Camorra]] boss [[Francesco Schiavone]]. According to [[Roberto Saviano]], Schiavone eased [[arms smuggling]] to Serbia by stopping the [[Albanian mafia|Albanian mobsters]]' blocking of weapons routes, and helped money transfer into Serbia in the form of humanitarian aid [[Sanctions against Yugoslavia|amid the international sanctions]]. In exchange, the Camorra acquired companies, enterprises, shops and farms in Serbia at optimal prices.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.giugenna.com/2003/07/13/roberto-saviano-scampia-erzegovina|title=Roberto Saviano. "Scampia-Erzegovina"|author=Giuseppe Genna|date=13 July 2003 |publisher=Giugenna.com|access-date=1 March 2014}}</ref>

Ražnatović has been accused of kidnapping Serb refugees who had fled to Serbia from Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina and forcing them into conscription.<ref name="Grihovic">{{cite web |last1=Grihovic |first1=Marina |title=Serbia: Refugee conscripts fight for justice |url=https://reliefweb.int/report/bosnia-and-herzegovina/serbia-refugee-conscripts-fight-justice |website=Relief Web |publisher=Institute for War and Peace Reporting |access-date=3 January 2022 |date=October 2001}}</ref> After [[Operation Storm]] in Croatia resulted in the collapse of the Republic of Serbian Krajina and exodus of Serb refugees fleeing to Serbia, the [[Ministry of Internal Affairs (Serbia)|Serbian Interior Ministry]] rounded up over 5,000 refugees to conscript into the SDG.<ref name="RUS">{{cite web |title=Forcible mobilisation in Serbia |url=https://ratusrbiji.rs/en/forcible-mobilisation-in-serbia/ |website=Rat u Srbiji|date=7 April 2020 }}</ref> Military-aged men were forcibly rounded up after arriving in Serbia by local police and then sent to detention camp in Erdut against their will and without informing their families.<ref name="detektor">{{cite web |title=Serbia Sent Refugees from Croatia, Bosnia to Frontlines: Report |url=https://detektor.ba/2019/11/13/serbia-sent-refugees-from-croatia-bosnia-to-frontlines-report/?lang=en |website=Detektor |publisher=BIRN |access-date=3 January 2022 |date=13 November 2019}}</ref> Once in Erdut, the refugees' heads were shaved and all valuables were confiscated. The men were then subjected to days of physical and psychological torture from the SDG guards, which included extreme physical exercises, routine beatings, and often being subjected to humiliating acts.<ref name="HLC">{{cite web |title=Dossier: Forcible Mobilisation of Refugees |url=http://www.hlc-rdc.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Dossier_Forcible_Mobilisation_of_Refugees.pdf |publisher=Humanitarian Law Center |date=2019}}</ref> Ražnatović had been giving speeches accusing the refugees of being cowards and traitors, blaming them for the loss of RSK.<ref name="HLC" /> Belgrade's [[Humanitarian Law Center]] has represented over 100 people suing the state of Serbia for forced mobilisation.<ref name="Stojanovic">{{cite web |last1=Stojanovic |first1=Milica |title=Serbia Sent Refugees from Croatia, Bosnia to Frontlines: Report |url=https://balkaninsight.com/2019/11/13/serbia-sent-refugees-from-croatia-bosnia-to-frontlines-report/ |website=Balkan Insight |date=13 November 2019 |publisher=BIRN |access-date=3 January 2022}}</ref>

==Post-war fame==
Ražnatović came to serve as a popular icon for both Serbs and their enemies. For some Serbs he was a patriot and [[folk hero]], while serving as an object of hatred and fear to Croats and Bosniaks. In the postwar period after the [[Dayton Agreement]] was signed,<ref>{{cite news |date=14 December 2010 |title=15 years ago, Dayton Peace Accords: a milestone for NATO and the Balkans |url=http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/news_69290.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200217163011/https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/news_69290.htm |archive-date=17 February 2020 |access-date=18 July 2015 |publisher=NATO}}</ref> Ražnatović returned to his interests in sport and private business. The SDG was officially disbanded in April 1996, with the threat of being reactivated in case of war. In June of that year he took over a second division football team, [[FK Obilić]], which he soon turned into a top caliber club, even winning the [[First League of FR Yugoslavia 1997-98|1997–98 FR Yugoslav League]] championship.

According to [[Franklin Foer]], in his book ''[[How Soccer Explains the World]]'', Ražnatović threatened players on opposing teams if they scored against Obilić.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Foer|first=Franklin|title=How soccer explains the world|publisher=[[HarperCollins]]|year=2004|isbn=978-0-06-621234-0|location=New York|pages=26–27}}</ref> This threat was underlined by the thousands of SDG veterans that filled his team's home field, chanting threats, and on occasion pointing pistols at opposing players during matches. One player told the British football magazine ''[[FourFourTwo]]'' that he was locked in a garage when his team played Obilić. Europe's football governing body, the [[Union of European Football Associations]] (UEFA), considered prohibiting Obilić from participation in continental competitions because of its connections to Ražnatović. In response to this, Ražnatović stepped away from the position of president and gave his seat to his wife [[Ceca (singer)|Svetlana]]. In a 2006 interview, [[Dragoslav Šekularac]] (who was coach of Obilić while Ražnatović was with the club) said claims that Ražnatović verbally and physically assaulted Obilić players were false.<ref name="Sekularac UBC interview">{{cite web |url=http://www.urbanbookcircle.com/get-out-of-here-i-am-sekularac-by-prvoslav-vujcic.html |last=Vujcic|first=Prvoslav|authorlink=Prvoslav Vujcic|agency=Urban Book Circle |title=Get Out of Here, I am Sekularac |access-date=2024-12-21 |date=2006-06-06 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329002626/http://www.urbanbookcircle.com/get-out-of-here-i-am-sekularac-by-prvoslav-vujcic.html |archive-date=29 March 2024 |url-status=}}</ref> Ražnatović was a chairman of the Yugoslav Kickboxing Association.<ref name=":1" />

Many of the former members of "Arkan Tigers" are prominent figures in Serbia, maintaining close ties between each other and with Russian nationalist organisations. Jugoslav Simić and Svetozar Pejović posed with Russian [[Night Wolves]], [[Ceca (singer)|Ceca]] performed for Vladimir Putin during his visit in Serbia, Srđan Golubović is a popular trance performer known as "DJ Max" and was identified by [[Rolling Stone]] as the SDG soldier kicking dead bodies of a Bosniak family in [[Bijeljina]] on a photo from 1992.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The DJ and the War Crimes — Rolling Stone |url=https://investigation.rollingstone.com/ |access-date=2023-01-20 |website=investigation.rollingstone.com}}</ref> Ražnatović came to take on the attributes of a ''[[hajduk]]'' (the term for a Serb bandit during the Ottoman empire), and he was celebrated in "militaristic nationalist circles" for his criminal-military exploits.{{sfn|Schlichte|2010|p=321}} The German political [[Klaus Schlichte]] wrote that Ražnatović was the "most military" of the various Serb para-military leaders in the Bosnian war, and that his primary motive in the war was greed as he seemed all too interested in looting.{{sfn|Schlichte|2010|p=320-321}} However, Schlichte noted that Ražnatović's attempts at political career and his frequent appearances to the Serb media suggest he had wider ambitions beyond greed.{{sfn|Schlichte|2010|p=321}}

==Kosovo War and NATO bombing==
According to chief judge [[Richard May (judge)|Richard May]] from the United Kingdom, the [[International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia]] issued an indictment against Ražnatović on 30 September 1997 for war crimes of [[genocide]] or [[massacre]] against the [[Bosniaks|Bosniak]] population, [[crimes against humanity]] and grave breaches of the [[Geneva Conventions]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Tribunal against Željko Ražnatović also known as "Arkan" - INDICTMENT |first=Louise (Prosecutor) |last=Arbour |date=23 September 1997 |publisher=[[International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia]] |location=[[The Hague]] |url=https://www.un.org/icty/indictment/english/ark-ii970930e.htm |access-date=1 March 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041205143944/https://www.un.org/icty/indictment/english/ark-ii970930e.htm |archive-date=5 December 2004}}</ref> The warrant was not made public until 31 March 1999, a week after the [[NATO bombing of Yugoslavia]] had begun, as intervention in the [[Kosovo War]]. Ražnatović's indictment was made public by the UN court's chief prosecutor [[Louise Arbour]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Indictments {{!}} International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia |url=http://www.icty.org/en/content/indictments |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170204015544/http://www.icty.org/en/content/indictments |archive-date=2017-02-04 |access-date=2017-01-25 |website=Icty.org |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-02-11 |title=BBC News {{!}} Europe {{!}} Arkan wanted by UN tribunal |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/308876.stm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150211144437/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/308876.stm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2015-02-11 |access-date=2024-05-20 }}</ref> In the week before the start of NATO bombing, as the [[Rambouillet Agreement|Rambouillet talks]] collapsed, Ražnatović appeared at the [[Hyatt|Hyatt hotel]] in Belgrade, where most Western journalists were staying, and ordered all of them to leave Serbia.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Karon|first=Tony|url=http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,22121,00.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121209020810/http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,22121,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=9 December 2012|title=Serbs Unplug CNN|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date=25 March 1999|access-date=1 March 2014}}</ref>

During the NATO bombing, Ražnatović denied the war crime charges against him in interviews he gave to foreign reporters. Ražnatović accused NATO of bombing civilians and creating refugees of all ethnicities, and stated that he would deploy his troops only in the case of a direct NATO ground invasion. After the [[United States bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade]], which killed three journalists and led to a diplomatic row between the United States and the [[China]], ''[[The Observer]]'' and ''[[Politiken]]'' newspapers claimed the building might have been targeted because the office of the Chinese [[military attaché]] was being used by Ražnatović to communicate and transmit messages to his paramilitary group in Kosovo. As neither paper offered any proof for this claim it was largely ignored by the media.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nato.int/koSovo/press/b990508a.htm|title=Morning Briefing|access-date=25 October 2009|date=8 May 1999|publisher=NATO Press Office}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2009-07-24 |title=NATO Speech: Briefing Shea - 8 May 1999 |url=http://www.nato.int/kosovo/press/b990508a.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090724081720/http://www.nato.int/kosovo/press/b990508a.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2009-07-24 |access-date=2024-05-20 }}</ref>

During an interview with Western journalists, while the three-month period of the NATO bombing was ongoing, Ražnatović showed a small rubber part of the [[1999 F-117A shootdown|F-117A downed by the Yugoslav army]] (one of only five NATO aircraft destroyed on 38,000 sorties),<ref>{{Cite report |title=NATO's Air War for Kosovo: A Strategic and Operational Assessment |first=Benjamin S. |last=Lambeth |publisher=[[RAND Corporation]] |location=[[Santa Monica]] |year=2001 |chapter=Chapter Three: The Air War Unfolds |chapter-url=https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/monograph_reports/MR1365/MR1365.ch3.pdf |page=61 |url=https://www.rand.org/pubs/monograph_reports/MR1365.html |access-date=2 January 2021 |isbn=0-8330-3050-7}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-12-26 |title=MOGU DA POLOMIM F-117A: Evo kako je ARKAN uništio ponos Amerike i "nevidljivi" bombarder! (VIDEO) {{!}} Telegraf – Najnovije vesti |url=http://www.telegraf.rs/vesti/politika/1496575-mogu-da-polomim-f-117a-evo-kako-je-arkan-unistio-ponos-amerike-i-nevidljivi-bombarder-video |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151226141031/http://www.telegraf.rs/vesti/politika/1496575-mogu-da-polomim-f-117a-evo-kako-je-arkan-unistio-ponos-amerike-i-nevidljivi-bombarder-video |url-status=dead |archive-date=2015-12-26 |access-date=2024-05-20 }}</ref> which he had taken as "a souvenir"; Yugoslav media falsely proclaimed that Ražnatović had downed the stealth fighter.<ref>{{Cite news |title=MOGU DA POLOMIM F-117A: Evo kako je ARKAN uništio ponos Amerike i "nevidljivi" bombarder! |language=bs |trans-title=I CAN BREAK THE F-117A: Here's how the ARCAN destroyed America's pride and the "invisible" bomber! |date=27 March 2015 |newspaper=Telegraf |url=http://www.telegraf.rs/vesti/politika/1496575-mogu-da-polomim-f-117a-evo-kako-je-arkan-unistio-ponos-amerike-i-nevidljivi-bombarder-video |access-date=25 December 2015}}</ref>

==ICTY indictment and proceedings ==
In March 1999, the Prosecutor of the [[International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia]] (ICTY) announced that Ražnatović had been indicted by the Tribunal, although the indictment was only made public after his assassination. According to the indictment, Ražnatović was to have been prosecuted on 24 charges of [[crimes against humanity]] (Art. 5 ICTY Statute), grave breaches of the [[Geneva Conventions]] (Art. 2 ICTY Statute) and violations of the [[laws of war]] (Art. 3 ICTY Statute), for the following acts:<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=http://www.icty.org/x/cases/zeljko_raznjatovic/ind/en/ark-ii970930e.pdf|title=Ražnatović: Initial Indictment|access-date=1 March 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=23 September 1997 |title=THE PROSECUTOR OF THE TRIBUNAL AGAINST ZELJKO RAZNJATOVIC also known as "ARKAN" |url=http://www.icty.org/x/cases/zeljko_raznjatovic/ind/en/ark-ii970930e.pdf}}</ref>

*Forcibly detaining approximately thirty non-Serb men and one woman, without food or water, in an inadequately ventilated boiler room of approximately {{convert|5|m2|spell=in}} in size.
*Transporting twelve non-Serb men from [[Sanski Most]] to an isolated location in the village of [[Trnova, Ugljevik|Trnova]] and shooting them, where they shot and killed eleven of the men and critically wounded the twelfth.
*Transporting approximately sixty-seven Bosniak men from Sanski Most, Šehovci, and Pobriježe to an isolated location in the village of Sasina, and shooting them, killing sixty-five of the captives and wounding two survivors.
*Forcibly detaining approximately thirty-five Muslim Bosnian men in an inadequately ventilated room of about {{convert|5|m2|spell=in}} in size, withholding from them food and water, resulting in the deaths of two men.<ref name=":0" />
*The rape of a Muslim woman on a bus outside the Hotel Sanus in Sanski Most.

Following Ražnatović's assassination in 2000, ICTY Prosecutor [[Carla del Ponte]] said she was "confident, however, that other persons who shared responsibility with [him] for his crimes will ultimately be brought to justice."<ref>{{cite web |title=Statement by Madame Carla Del Ponte Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia following Reports of the Death of "Arkan". {{!}} International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia |url=https://www.icty.org/en/sid/7909 |website=www.icty.org |publisher=International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia |date=17 January 2000 |access-date=13 April 2024}}</ref>

==Assassination==
[[File:Continental Hotel Belgrade.jpg|thumb|Hotel InterContinental]]
In the late 1990s, Ražnatović became an isolated figure in Belgrade who rarely went outside without his bodyguards.{{sfn|Schlichte|2010|p=320}} Between 1995-2000, there were over 500 gangland murders in Belgrade, virtually none of which were solved by the police.{{sfn|Schlichte|2010|p=320}} A number of the gangsters killed were associates of Ražnatović, which was seen as a sign that he had lost his political protection.{{sfn|Schlichte|2010|p=320}} Together with his wife, Ražnatović virtually lived in the lounges of international hotels in Belgrade, apparently out of the hope he would not be killed in a place where so many foreign journalists were present.{{sfn|Schlichte|2010|p=320}} 

Ražnatović was assassinated, 15 January 2000, 17:05 [[Greenwich Mean Time|GMT]], in the lobby of the [[Crowne Plaza Belgrade|Hotel InterContinental]] in [[New Belgrade]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=BELGRADE: WARLORD ARKAN SHOT & KILLED {{!}} AP Archive |url=http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/4e860b366cca2bdb2a1c30441b5e1fdd |access-date=2022-11-08 |website=www.aparchive.com}}</ref> in a location where he was surrounded by other hotel guests. The killer, Dobrosav Gavrić, a 23-year-old junior police mobile brigade member, had ties to the underworld and was on sick leave at the time.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Three Serbs Arrested in Slaying of Arkan |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPcap/2000-01/23/092r-012300-idx.html |access-date=2022-11-08 |website=www.washingtonpost.com}}</ref> He walked up alone toward his target from behind. Ražnatović was sitting and chatting with two friends and, according to [[BBC Radio]], was filling out a betting slip. Gavrić waited for a few minutes, calmly walked up behind the party, and rapidly fired a succession of bullets from his [[CZ99]] pistol. Ražnatović was hit in his left eye and became unconscious on the spot.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://archives.cnn.com/2000/WORLD/europe/01/17/arkan.killing|title=Breaking, World, Business, Sports, Entertainment and Video News|publisher=Archives.cnn.com|access-date=1 March 2014|archive-date=18 December 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081218185524/http://archives.cnn.com/2000/WORLD/europe/01/17/arkan.killing/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=bbc>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/605172.stm|title=Serbian warlord shot dead|work=BBC News|date=15 January 2000|access-date=1 March 2014}}</ref> His bodyguard Zvonko Mateović put him into a car, and rushed him to a hospital; he died on the way.<ref name="npr.org">{{Cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1069219|title=Arkan Dead|publisher=NPR|date=15 January 2000|access-date=1 March 2014}}</ref>

According to his widow Svetlana, Ražnatović died in her arms as they were driving to the hospital. His companions Milenko Mandić, a business manager, and Dragan Garić, a police inspector, were also shot dead by Gavrić, who in turn was shot and wounded by Mateović. A female bystander was also seriously wounded in the shootout. After complicated surgery, Gavrić survived, but was disabled from the waist down and confined to a wheelchair.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Gall |first=Carlotta |date=2001-03-07 |title=Serbian Pop Star Faces Suspected Killer of Her Warlord Husband |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/07/world/serbian-pop-star-faces-suspected-killer-of-her-warlord-husband.html |access-date=2022-11-08 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
[[File:Arkanov grob.jpg|thumb|right|Ražnatović's grave]]
A memorial ceremony in Ražnatović's honour was held on 19 January 2000, with writer [[Branislav Crnčević]], [[Yugoslav Left]] official [[Aleksandar Vulin]], singers [[Oliver Mandić]], [[Toni Montano]], and [[Zoran Kalezić]], along with the entire first team of [[FK Obilić]], including club director Dragoslav Šekularac, in attendance.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-01-02 |title=Šta je ostalo od Arkanove garde - Kriminal - Nedeljnik Vreme |url=https://www.vreme.com/vreme/sta-je-ostalo-od-arkanove-garde/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220102203338/https://www.vreme.com/vreme/sta-je-ostalo-od-arkanove-garde/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=2022-01-02 |access-date=2024-05-20 }}</ref> Ražnatović was buried at the [[Belgrade New Cemetery]] with military honours by his volunteers<ref>{{Cite web |title=Arkan Buried in Belgrade |url=https://apnews.com/article/ff90b8421c9842bd22f92956bb29652a |access-date=2022-11-07 |website=AP NEWS |language=en}}</ref> and with [[funeral rite]]s on 20 January 2000. Sources dispute the number of people that attended, but most sources state between 2,000<ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-07-08 |title=BBC News {{!}} EUROPE {{!}} In pictures: Arkan is buried |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/612295.stm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070708124334/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/612295.stm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2007-07-08 |access-date=2024-05-20 }}</ref> to 10,000 people attended the funeral.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Warlord, Now a Serbian Patriot, Is Buried |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/world/europe/012100serbia-arkan.html |access-date=2022-11-07 |website=archive.nytimes.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2000-01-21 |title=Arkan buried: 'Tigers' militia salute Serb warlord |url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2000/jan/21/balkans |access-date=2022-11-08 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}</ref>

===Trials===
Dobrosav Gavrić pleaded not guilty but was convicted and sentenced to 19 years in prison. His accomplices received from 3 to 15 years each, after a year-long trial in 2002. However, the district court verdict was overturned by the Supreme Court because of "lack of evidence and vagueness of the first trial process". A new trial was conducted in 2006, ending on 9 October 2006 with guilty verdicts upheld for Gavrić as well as his accomplices, Milan Đuričić and Dragan Nikolić. Gavrić was sentenced to 30 years in prison, as well as Đuričić and Nikolić, for murder in complicity.<ref>[http://mondo.rs/a47127/Info/Srbija/Sedam-godina-od-ubistva-Arkana.html Sedam godina od ubistva Arkana]; mondo.rs, 15 January 2007.</ref>

Prior to carrying out his sentence, however, Gavrić obtained a passport from Bosnia and Herzegovina under the name Saša Kovačević and fled Serbia. In March 2011, he was driving a crime boss, Cyril Beeka, in Cape Town, South Africa when a gunman on a motorbike opened fire on them, killing Beeka and wounding Gavrić. Cocaine was found in the vehicle they were in, leading to Gavrić being fingerprinted and his true identity discovered. Since that time, he has been incarcerated in South Africa and fighting his extradition to Serbia where his 2006 sentence awaits him. {{As of|February 2021}}, he is still fighting his extradition to Serbia in South African courts.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dolley |first=Caryn |date=2021-02-10 |title=UNDERWORLD SAGA: A jailed Serbian assassin's 10-year battle against extradition from SA – and his failed bids for freedom |url=https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-02-10-a-jailed-serbian-assassins-10-year-battle-against-extradition-from-sa-and-his-failed-bids-for-freedom/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221219164414/https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-02-10-a-jailed-serbian-assassins-10-year-battle-against-extradition-from-sa-and-his-failed-bids-for-freedom/ |archive-date=2022-12-19 |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=Daily Maverick |language=en}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Ražnatović fathered nine children by five different women.<ref>{{Cite web|author=Tomislav Nikolić|url=http://www.kurir-info.rs/clanak/crna-hronika/kurir-29-06-2008/ameri|title=Ameri - Kurir|publisher=Kurir-info.rs|access-date=1 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090207131354/http://kurir-info.rs/clanak/crna-hronika/kurir-29-06-2008/ameri|archive-date=7 February 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> His eldest son Mihajlo was born in [[Gothenburg]], in 1975, from a relationship with a Swedish woman. In 1992, 17-year-old Mihajlo decided to move to Serbia to live with his father. During this time the teenager was photographed wearing the uniform of his father's paramilitary unit during the Yugoslav Wars and according to a Swedish tabloid report the youngster participated in combat operations in [[Srebrenica]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.expressen.se/nyheter/de-skulle-avratta-srebrenica-fangar|title=De skulle avrätta Srebrenica-fångar|publisher=Expressen.se|date=11 July 2005|access-date=1 March 2014}}</ref> Mihajlo has since lived in Belgrade where he played for the [[SKHL Crvena zvezda|Red Star Belgrade ice-hockey club]] off and on between 2000 and 2009, also representing Serbia-Montenegro on the national team level between 2002 and 2004.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?statsleague=NLA&player=69700&team=&year=&status=&leagueid=&season=|title=Mihajlo Raznatovic|publisher=Eliteprospects.com|date=10 March 1975|access-date=1 March 2014}}</ref> During this time he also ran a sushi restaurant in Belgrade called Iki Bar and dated Macedonian pop singer [[Karolina Gočeva]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.blic.rs/stara_arhiva/zabava/57157/Srecan-sam-sa-Karolinom|title=Stara arhiva|publisher=Blic.rs|access-date=1 March 2014}}</ref> He left Serbia after that. In 2013 he was in the news in Serbia again following the conclusion of a court case that had dragged on since 2005 over Ražnatović's failure to meet the repayment terms on a [[Serbian dinar|RSD]]1.1 million [[car loan]] he took out in 2002 from [[Komercijalna banka|Komercijalna Banka]]. After continually failing to meet his monthly payments, the bank wanted the loan paid off in full in August 2005, and two years later took him to court. In June 2010 he was ordered to pay RSD3.3 million based upon the interest on the original loan.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.alo.rs/vesti/51754/Sud_jurio_Arkanovog_sina_u_Cecinoj_vili |title=Stari ALO! - Sud jurio Arkanovog sina u Cecinoj vili! |publisher=Alo.rs |date=24 July 2012 |access-date=1 March 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120825222656/http://www.alo.rs/vesti/51754/Sud_jurio_Arkanovog_sina_u_Cecinoj_vili |archive-date=25 August 2012 }}</ref> In the end, the verdict stated he owed the bank RSD2.9 million.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.alo.rs/vesti/aktuelno/arkanov-sin-mora-da-vrati-tri-miliona-dinara/15286|title=Arkanov sin mora da vrati tri miliona dinara!|publisher=Alo.rs|access-date=1 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203173225/http://www.alo.rs/vesti/aktuelno/arkanov-sin-mora-da-vrati-tri-miliona-dinara/15286|archive-date=3 February 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In June 1994, sometime after her separation from Ražnatović, Natalija Martinović and their four children left Serbia and moved to [[Athens]], where he bought them an apartment in the suburb of [[Glyfada]]. After his assassination, Martinović disputed his [[Will and testament|will]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://arhiva.glas-javnosti.rs/arhiva/2000/11/30/srpski/R00112702.shtm|title=Glas-javnosti (30 November 2000), a|publisher=Arhiva.glas-javnosti.rs|access-date=1 March 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://arhiva.glas-javnosti.rs/arhiva/2000/12/02/srpski/R00120101.shtm|title=Glas-javnosti (2 December 2000)|publisher=Arhiva.glas-javnosti.rs|access-date=1 March 2014}}</ref> claiming that Svetlana doctored it. In May 2000, she sued Svetlana over Ražnatović's assets, including the villa at Ljutice Bogdana Street in which he and Svetlana lived, claiming it was built with funds from a bank loan Martinović and Ražnatović took out in 1985.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://arhiva.glas-javnosti.rs/arhiva/2000/11/30/srpski/R00112701.shtm|title=Glas-javnosti (30 November 2000), b|publisher=Arhiva.glas-javnosti.rs|access-date=1 March 2014}}</ref> The court eventually ruled against Martinović.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.vreme.com/cms/view.php?id=416198|title=Portret savremenika - Svetlana Ceca Raznatovic: Zitije sa pevanjem i pucanjem|date=18 May 2005 |publisher=Vreme.com|access-date=1 March 2014}}</ref> The court agreed with her assertions that the villa was built with money from a 1985 bank loan taken out by her and Ražnatović, but ruled she had forfeited any rights in future division of that asset when she signed the property over to Ražnatović in 1994 before moving to Greece.{{Citation needed|date=May 2015}}

In 2012, Ražnatović's son Vojin Martinović again accused Svetlana of falsifying his father's will.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.alo.rs/vesti/44988/Ceca_je_lazirala_Arkanov_testament |title=Stari ALO! - Ceca je lažirala Arkanov testament! |publisher=Alo.rs |access-date=1 March 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120622075756/http://www.alo.rs/vesti/44988/Ceca_je_lazirala_Arkanov_testament |archive-date=22 June 2012 }}</ref> In response, Ražnatović's former associate [[Borislav Pelević]] said that the villa at Ljutice Bogdana Street was not mentioned in the will as he had already signed it over to his second wife.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vesti-online.com/Vesti/Hronika/192456/Cecine-vile-nema-u-Arkanovom-testamentu|title=Cecine vile nema u Arkanovom testamentu!|publisher=Vesti-online.com|access-date=1 March 2014}}</ref> Ražnatović and Ceca have a daughter and a son. Their daughter [[Anastasija Ražnatović]] sings on her mother's label, and publishes the songs on YouTube.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www-telegraf-rs.translate.goog/jetset/vesti-jetset/3403039-anastasija-za-tri-godine-zaradila-500000-evra-za-7-pesama-inkasirala-bogatstvo?_x_tr_sl=sr&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp | title=Anastasija za tri godine zaradila 500.000 evra - za 7 pesama inkasirala bogatstvo | date=12 October 2021 }}</ref>

==In popular culture==
* In October 1992, Arkan was confronted by [[Roger Cook (journalist)|Roger Cook]] for a special edition of ITV's [[The Cook Report]]. 
*The [[History Channel]]'s 2003 documentary ''Targeted'' includes a part on Željko Ražnatović, ''Baby Face Psycho''.<ref>{{cite book|title=Targeted|year=2003|publisher=WorldCat|oclc=54754817}}</ref>
*In the 2008 Serbian film ''[[The Tour (film)|The Tour]]'', a group of Serbian actors go on a tour in war-torn Bosnia. Among other factions, they meet an unnamed paramilitary unit wearing insignia similar to those of the Serb Volunteer Guard. The unit's commander, played by [[Sergej Trifunović]], is possibly based on Željko Ražnatović.{{Citation needed|date=June 2020}}
*In the 2012 Japanese anime ''[[Jormungand (manga)|Jormungand]]'', one of the antagonists is Dragan Nikolaevich, commander of the Balkan Dragons. His looks and even his biography bear resounding resemblance to those of Arkan.
*In the 2014 Serbian docu-drama series ''Dosije: Beogradski klanovi'', one of the episodes tells the story of Željko Ražnatović.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTWSZoDlE2I |title=Dosije:Beogradski Klanovi 1.deo (Arkan i Giska) |date=2019-07-23 |last=Dosije |access-date=2024-05-20 |via=YouTube}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Biographies==
*{{cite journal |last1=Schlichte |first1=Klaus |title=Na krilima patriotisma—On the Wings of Patriotism: Delegated and Spin-Off Violence in Serbia |journal=Armed Forces & Society |date=January 2010 |volume=36 |issue=2 |pages=310-326}}
*{{Cite book|author=Stewart, Christopher S.|title=Hunting the Tiger: The Fast Life and Violent Death of the Balkans' Most Dangerous Man |publisher=Thomas Dunne Books|date=8 January 2008|isbn=978-0-312-35606-4 }}
*{{Cite book|author=Vojin Ražnatović|title=Stories About My Father: An Intimate Portrayal Of Europe's Most Controversial Paramilitary Commander |publisher= CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform|date=4 July 2014|isbn=978-1494311209}}
*{{Cite book|author=Marko Lopušina|title=Komandant Arkan|year=2001|publisher=Legenda|oclc=48273593|location=Čačak|language=sr}}
*{{Cite book|author=Živorad Lazić|title=Arkane, Srbine!|publisher=Grafiprof|location=Belgrade|language=sr}}
*{{Cite book|author=Vladan Dinić|title=Arkan, ni živ ni mrtav|location=Belgrade|language=sr}}

==Interviews==
*Interview with Jim Laurie, 23 December 1991.<!-- {{Cite web|author=Jim Laurie|title=Serbia's Commander Arkan Dec. 23, 1991|date=|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yq3kaOBTLUE}}--> {{YouTube|Yq3kaOBTLUE|Video}}
*Interview with local Bosnian Serb TV after takeover of Bijeljina, 1992. {{YouTube|N4md5ru6Q4U|Video}} {{In lang|sr}}
*Interview with RTV BK, 20 July 1997.<!--{{Cite web|title=Interview in RTV BK|date=20 July 1997|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3zhA6LyEHQ|publisher=RTV BK Telecom}}.--> {{YouTube|g3zhA6LyEHQ|Video}} {{In lang|sr}}
*Interview with BBC, 1999. {{YouTube|BhjH6TOW2jk|Video}} {{In lang|de|sr}}
*Interview with ABC, 6 April 1999.<!--{{Citation|title=Zeljko Raznatovic (a.k.a. "Arkan") talks about NATO bombing on U.S. television|work=Morning News|publisher=ABC-TV|date=6 April 1999|oclc=277178283}}--> 
*Interview with British reporter John Simpson, March 1999.<!--{{Cite web|title=British reporter John Simpson interviews Željko "Arkan" Ražnatović in Belgrade, March 1999|date=March 1999|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYaC09xdC38}}.--> {{YouTube|lYaC09xdC38|Video}} 
*Interview during NATO bombings, 1999. {{YouTube|LzmLtrlNXpY|Video}} {{In lang|sr}}
*Interview with [[B92]], April 1999. {{YouTube|LzmLtrlNXpY|Video}} {{In lang|sr}}

==Further reading==
*{{Cite book|last=Tufegdžić|first=Vojislav|title=Vidimo se u čitulji - 20 godina posle|publisher=Oberon media|year=2015|isbn=978-86-80310-00-8|language=sr}}
*{{Cite book|last=Lobby|first=Marc|editor=Pavlović, Milica|title=Tajne službe Srbije, 1945-2005|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NJ3aAAAAMAAJ|year=2006|publisher=Политика|language=sr|isbn=9788633127493}}
*{{Cite journal|last=Čolović|first=Ivan|title=Od Delija do Tigrova|journal=Erasmus – časopis za kulturu demokracije|volume=10|year=1995|pages=60–62|language=sh}}
*{{Cite thesis|last=Mahkovic|first=Teja|title=Sodelovanje obveščevalno-varnostnih služb s kriminalci: študija primera Arkan|journal=Diss.|publisher=University of Maribor, Faculty of Criminal Justice and Security|year=2016|url=https://dk.um.si/IzpisGradiva.php?id=62908&lang=eng&prip=dkum:9119458:r1|type=thesis |language=sl}}
*Todorovic, Alex, and Kevin Whitelaw. "A mobster, a robber, a Serbian hero." U.S. News & World Report 31 January 2000.

==External links==
{{Commons category|Željko Ražnatović}}
* [http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/arkan-s-paramilitaries-tigers-who-escaped-justice 'Arkan's Paramilitaries: Tigers Who Escaped Justice'] – Balkan Insight, 8 December 2014
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/605266.stm 'Gangster's life of Serb warlord'] – BBC News, 15 January 2000
* [https://www.theguardian.com/Kosovo/Story/0,,193497,00.html 'Arkan: Underworld boss of Milošević's murder squad'] – The Guardian, 19 January 2000
* [https://www.npr.org/programs/morning/features/2001/feb/010222.haviv.html 'Blood and Honey – A Balkan War Journal'] – NPR, February 2001
* [http://www.vreme.com/arhiva_html/472/05.html 'Dosije Arkan'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130318191843/http://www.vreme.com/arhiva_html/472/05.html |date=18 March 2013 }} – ''Vreme'', November 2008

{{Yugoslav Wars}}
{{Authority control}}

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