Franko Simatović
Franko "Frenki" Simatović (Serbian Cyrillic: Франко "Френки" Симатовић; born 1 April 1950) is a Serbian former intelligence officer and commander of the elite special forces police unit Special Operations Unit (JSO) from 1991 to 1998.
Franko Simatović | |
|---|---|
| Native name | Франко Симатовић |
| Nickname(s) | Frenki |
| Born | 1 April 1950 Belgrade, PR Serbia, FPR Yugoslavia |
| Allegiance | SFR Yugoslavia FR Yugoslavia |
| Years of service | 1978–2001 |
| Rank | Commander |
| Unit | Special Operations Unit (1991–1998) |
Simatović is, along with former head of the State Security Directorate (RDB) Jovica Stanišić being prosecuted for war crimes in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the period from 1991-95, before the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY). He was initially acquitted on 30 May 2013 by the ICTY for his role in the wars but the verdict was later overturned on 15 December 2015 after successful appeal by the prosecutors (ICTY Appeals Chamber). The retrial before the UN Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT) commenced on 13 June 2017. On 30 June 2021, he was found guilty under counts of murder, deportation, forcible transfer and persecution as crimes against humanity that occurred during the Bosanski Šamac ethnic cleansing, and sentenced to 12 years in prison. On appeal, his sentence was increased to 15 years in 2023.