Notorious paramilitary commander who terrorised Sarajevo dies in Trebinje

In the public consciousness of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Aleksic’s name remains permanently linked to the siege of the capital, where he is remembered as a symbol of sniper and military terror against civilians. Born in Bogdasici in 1956, Aleksic spent much of his life in Sarajevo as a law student and worker before joining nationalist structures in 1990.

By 1992, he took command of the "Novo Sarajevo Chetnik Detachment" based in the Grbavica neighborhood. His unit operated along the bloody frontline at the Jewish Cemetery, a strategic point used to subject the city to constant fire. Although witness testimonies frequently linked his units to attacks on civilians, Aleksic was never prosecuted by domestic or international courts.

Military activity and Russian volunteers

During the conflict, Aleksic commanded not only local forces but also a detachment of Russian volunteers in what was then called "Serbian Sarajevo." He was declared a "Chetnik Voivode" in 1993 by war criminal Vojislav Seselj and later by Momcilo Djujic. Following the Dayton Peace Agreement in 1996, he led the withdrawal of Serb forces and parts of the population from Grbavica.

After the war, Aleksic retreated to eastern Herzegovina, specifically the Bileca area. He remained active in radical and revisionist circles, frequently attending gatherings that glorified wartime events. Recently, his name resurfaced in the "Sarajevo Safari" investigation currently before judicial institutions in Milan, which examines allegations of organized sniper tourism targeting civilians during the siege.

The legacy of the 1,425-day siege

The death of Slavko Aleksic refocuses attention on the unpunished crimes committed during the 1,425-day siege of Sarajevo, the longest siege of a capital city in modern history. From April 1992 to February 1996, the city was completely encircled by the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS) and subjected to systematic terror.

Research indicates that over 11,500 civilians were killed during the siege, including more than 1,600 children. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) established in multiple verdicts that the siege was an organized campaign of terror against the civilian population. While many members of the VRS were convicted for these actions, Aleksic’s death leaves a significant chapter of legal accountability unclosed.