Roland Bartetzko

Roland Bartetzko (born 1970) is a former German soldier and convicted terrorist who fought with the Croatian Defence Council in the Bosnian War (1992–1995) and the Kosovo Liberation Army in the Kosovo War (1998–1999).

In 2001, Bartetzko orchestrated a car bombing outside a Yugoslav government office in Pristina, killing one Serb civilian, and injuring four others. After his fingerprint was found on the detonator, he was arrested and charged with murder, attempted murder and terrorism, becoming the first Westerner to be indicted on these charges in post-war Kosovo.

The following year, he was convicted on all counts by an international court under the supervision of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), and sentenced to 23 years' imprisonment. Bartetzko's sentence was later commuted to 20 years' imprisonment. He was released on parole in 2015. He has maintained his innocence and claims he was framed by UNMIK. He wrote a book in 2018.

Early life and the Yugoslav Wars Bartetzko was born in the town of Würselen near Aachen in 1970. He joined the Bundeswehr in 1987. By the time he was dishonorably discharged from the Bundeswehr in 1992, he had reached the rank of staff sergeant . In 1992, he travelled to the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina to fight in the Bosnian War, where he joined the Croatian Defence Council (HVO). He was assigned to the Ante "Bruno" Bušić Brigade, which fought the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ARBiH) He also fought during the Siege of Mostar. He subsequently volunteered to fight with the Croatian Army and participated in Operation Mistral 2 in the closing stages of the Bosnian War. Upon returning to Germany, Bartetzko was arrested for allegedly stealing a woman's handbag. Following the outbreak of the Kosovo War in February 1998, Bartetzko travelled to Tirana, Albania. He subsequently crossed the Albanian–Yugoslav border into Kosovo and joined the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) as a volunteer. During his time with the KLA, he assumed the nom de guerre “Shaban” which was easier to be pronounced by the KLA members. Yugoslav government official Aleksandar Petrović was later identified as the man killed in the bombing. The device used in the attack was filled with metal fragments. According to the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) spokesperson Andrea Angeli, it contained around of explosive. "For the future of Kosovo it could not be a more tragic incident," UNMIK police spokesperson Derek Chappell stated. "This is an attack against everything that people trying to build this country are working for." Bartetzko was arrested near the scene immediately after the explosion, his clothing, face and hands covered in dirt and dust. He was charged with murder, attempted murder and terrorism. He was the first Westerner to be charged with murder in post-war Kosovo.

Later life Bartetzko was released on parole in 2015. Upon his release, he relocated to Pristina and found work providing legal services to a local media company, having studied law while imprisoned. In 2018, Bartetzko published a memoir called 'The Smell of War: Lessons from the Battlefield.'

He continues to maintain that he was not responsible for the bombing of the Yugoslav passport office and has accused UNMIK of framing him.