Croatian historian, politician, and author Ivo Banac died on Tuesday after a long illness at the age of 73, his family said.

He was a history professor emeritus at Yale University, where he was Master of Pierson College in two terms.

Banac was the minister of the environment and physical planning in 2003, the president of the Liberal Party in 2003-04 and a member of parliament in 2004-07.

He was the author or editor of many books, articles, reviews, contributions, opinions and interviews.

Banac was also a president of the Croatian Helsinki Committee on Human Rights and an honorary citizen of Sarajevo since 2004.