Sulejman Pačariz

Sulejman Hafiz Pačariz was an Islamic cleric and commander of the detachment of Muslim militia from Hisardžik (Prijepolje, modern-day Serbia) during the Second World War. When Germans took over control over Sandžak in 1943 Pačariz was appointed as commander of Police Self-Defense Regiment Sandjak. Forces under his command were referred to as Pačarizovci (as belonging to Pačariz). He allegedly led his forces while riding a black horse. In 1945 Pačariz was captured, put on trial, found guilty for massacres of civilians and executed as war criminal.

World War II


At the beginning of the Second World War in Yugoslavia Ustaše forces of the Independent State of Croatia occupied Sandžak and appointed Pačariz, together with some other Muslim notables from Sandžak, on paid positions of military officers of Muslim militia. They were initially given the ranks of Majors and engaged against Serbs. By September 1941 Ustaše handed the control over Sandžak to Italians. At the end of the autumn Montenegrin communists negotiated with Pačariz but failed to convince him and his subordinated officer to join Partisans. Pačariz mobilized Muslims who lived in Prijepolje, on the right bank of Lim and former municipalities Velika Župa and Seljašnica. He received arms and military equipment from Ustaše and later from Italians.

In mid November 1941 Chetnik unit of 40 men went to Kosatica trying to disarm Muslim militia commanded by Sulejman Pačariz. Militiamen refused to surrender their arms and in subsequent struggle two of them were killed while one Chetnik was wounded. To revenge death of his two men, Muslim militia under command of Pačariz attacked part of Kosatica populated by Serbs and captured, brutally tortured and killed seven Serbs from Kosatica.

On 22 December 1941 forces of Muslim militia from Hisardžik, commanded by Pačariz, and from Sjenica successfully repelled the attack of Partisans who tried to capture Sjenica. In February 1942 Pačariz was engaged by the command of Italian forces in Prijepolje to go to Sjenica and escort 18 Partisans who were captured on 22 December 1941. Italians intended to exchange captured Partisans for captured Italians. He escorted 13 Partisans to Prijepolje, leaving 5 wounded Partisans in Sjenica. All Partisans Pačariz brought to Italians were shot in Purića stream, below Srijetež.

Pačariz established so called flying platoon of his most loyal men. He used it to forcefully mobilize people and to force wealthier Muslims to buy arms from him. Those who opposed to him were brutally beaten and terrorized.

Following his appointment to the post of Höhere SS-und Polizeiführer Sandschak (Higher SS and Police Leader Sanjak) in September 1943, Karl von Krempler came to be known as the "Sanjak Prince" after his relatively successful formation of the Police Self-Defense Regiment Sandjak. He went to the Sanjak region in October and took over the local volunteer militia of around 5,000 anti-communist, anti-Serb Muslim men headquartered in Sjenica. This formation was sometimes thereafter called the Kampfgruppe Krempler or more derisively the "Muselmanengruppe von Krempler". As the senior Waffen SS officer Karl von Krempler appointed Pačariz as the formal commander of the unit, but as the key military trainer and contact person with German arms and munitions, remained effectively in control.

In November 1944 Pačariz together with his units retreated to Sarajevo where Police Self-Defense Regiment Sandjak was put under command of Ustaše General Maks Luburić. Pačariz was promoted to the rank of Ustaše Colonel.

Death
In 1945 Pačariz was captured near Banja Luka, put on trial and found guilty for massacres of civilians. He was executed as a war criminal.

Pačariz is also commemorated in a song.