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Jusuf "Juka" Prazina (; 7 September 1962 – 4 December 1993) was a Bosnian 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. By the 1980s he had become involved in organized crime, eventually heading his own racketeering gang based around his home in the city's Centar municipality. With the onset of the Siege of Sarajevo in 1992 Prazina expanded his gang into an effective paramilitary fighting force. This force was central in the effort against the besieging Army of Republika Srpska (VRS), and he was rewarded for his contribution to the city's defense by appointment to the head of the government's special forces. Prazina proved problematic for Bosnian authorities (gen. Sefer Halilović - which had been charged but subsequently acquitted by UN war crimes tribunal) due to his independence of central command, continued involvement in criminal activity, and perpetration of war crimes. Following a warrant for his arrest in October, Juka stationed himself on Mt. Igman and coordinated attacks against ARBiH forces until his eventual defeat and expulsion in January of the following year. Prazina moved to Herzegovina where he joined forces with the Croatian Defence Council and committed numerous crimes against civilians in the region. He left Bosnia and Herzegovina a few months later for Croatia, and lived on the Dalmatian coast before traveling through a number of European countries and finally relocating to Belgium. He was found dead in a canal near the German border by two hitch-hikers on New Year's Eve. In 2001, documents detailing war-time conversations between then president of Croatia Franjo Tuđman and president of the Croatian parliament Stjepan Mesić were declassified. In one part of these documents, Mesić revealed his suspicions that Bosnian Croat extremists were to blame for Prazina’s death.〔 The most concrete links came from an unsuccessful six-year investigation by the Bavarian Criminal Police.〔Selimbegović, Vildana. "(Osuđen na smrt )." ''Dani, No. 262.'' June 21, 2002.〕〔"(Special Forces in Bosnia, Croatia )". United Nations. 1994.〕 ==Early life in Sarajevo== Prazina had two siblings: sister Vasvija and brother Mustafa.〔Selimbegović, Vildana. "(Bacio je samo jednog snajperistu )." ''Dani, No. 259.'' 31 May 2002.〕 Growing up, he was known to his educators as a troublemaker and problematic student, spending time in a number of correctional facilities.〔 It was also around this time that he became involved with a local gang on his home street of Sutjeska.〔 As a teenager, he enrolled in a streamlined secondary school focusing on commerce, which perhaps contributed to his eventual involvement in racketeering.〔 For the time being though, his early transgressions were limited to bullying and street brawls.〔 Shortly before the war he established and registered a firm for debt collection. His preferred methods, however, were hardly legal. Prazina would first demand some form of authorization, then threaten a payer and, if he received a negative response, would use various forms of violence to force payment. In all this, Prazina developed a sophisticated network of around 300 armed "collectors" under his control.〔"(Juka of Sarajevo )." (January 10, 1994). Vreme News Digest Agency, No. 120.〕 He wielded great power through this enterprise: in early 1992, after being shot during a pit-bull fight, doctors at Koševo hospital were hesitant to perform the necessary operation due to the great risk involved. In response, Juka's small army besieged the hospital and forced the surgeons to attempt the job.〔 Although a bullet remained (causing him to have a limp and reduced range of motion on his left hand for the rest of his life), Prazina ultimately survived and continued his activities.〔 By the time the Yugoslav crisis was underway, Prazina had been arrested and jailed five times, and was a well-known figure in Sarajevo's underworld.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Jusuf Prazina」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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