Madam War Criminal

Description

In 2001, Biljana Plavšić made history: she became the only female political leader ever prosecuted for mass atrocities. She was the one woman among 161 indictees at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia—and the first since Nuremberg to be convicted by an international court.

Charged with genocide and crimes against humanity, Plavšić took a plea bargain. Just one other Bosnian Serb politician at her level was sentenced: Radovan Karadžić himself, President to Plavšić’s Vice-President in the autonomous Republika Srpska. Yet before the conflict, Plavšić had been an globally renowned scientist at the University of Sarajevo, penning journal articles and serving as faculty dean.

This gripping book revolves around hundreds of hours of interviews with a stridently unrepentant war criminal—now in her 90s, and a free woman. How did this biology professor end up heading a vengeful ethno-nationalist movement that murdered tens of thousands?

Reviews

‘A fascinating, insightful and thought-provoking book which takes you into the mind of the only woman convicted by the Yugoslavia tribunal. It is beautifully written … and is an absolute must-read for anyone interested in the causes of mass violence.’ — Alette Smeulers, Professor in International Crimes, University of Groningen, and author of Perpetrators of Mass Atrocities: Terribly and Terrifyingly Normal?

‘Based on hours of candid interviews with Biljana Plavšić, Simić presents a multi-faceted and layered account of a strong woman in conflict, war, and when facing justice. This is an achievement on a par with Gita Sereny’s biography of Albert Speer, enhancing our understanding of war, violence and guilt.’ — Susanne Karstedt, Professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Griffith University

‘A complex and unsettling portrait of a convicted war criminal, challenging conventional understandings of political complicity. What distinguishes Simić’s approach is its unsettling intimacy. By constructing Plavšić’s image through personal interactions—tea, cookies and quiet conversation—the author forces readers into a shared space of contradiction and discomfort. The encounter serves as a proxy for our own moral reckoning, compelling us to confront the paradox of proximity: How do we process the humanity of those whose actions produce inhumanity?’ — Kjell Anderson, Associate Professor of Law, University of Manitoba

Author(s)

Olivera Simić is Professor at Griffith University’s Law School, specialising in transitional justice, international law, gender and crime. She has authored or co-edited twelve books. Her latest, Lola’s War: Rape Without Punishment, about sexual violence in the Yugoslav Wars, was shortlisted for the Australian Legal Research Book Award.