Akeljić: Glorifying a war criminal does no credit to HDZ or Dragan Čović

Glorifying a war criminal does no credit to HDZ or Dragan Čović. It is certainly not good for any party, or the president of any party, to welcome people who have been found guilty of war crimes by an official court, regardless of which ethnic group they come from, said Advan Akeljić, mayor of Vitez, for the Bosnian news agency Patria (NAP).

Commenting on the welcome given to convicted war criminal Dario Kordić in Busovača, which was also attended by Dragan Čović, the president of HDZ, he said that this is not a good message for coexistence.

- It is not good to glorify war crimes. We are talking about facts, about established circumstances under which the Hague Tribunal made its decision. Any glorification by any side, including HDZ, is certainly not good and does no credit to them or to the parties that advocate coexistence, tolerance and interpersonal relations – Akeljić stated.

He notes that on April 16, 1993, a heinous crime against the civilian population was committed in Ahmići.

- In one day, 116 residents were killed, people were expelled from their homes. There are no words to express the emotion this evokes. The Hague Tribunal has rules that allow release after serving two-thirds of the sentence for good behavior. But I wonder whether that behavior after release supports their earlier conduct. As far as I could see, there were statements that continue to provoke and offend the victims of the crime. That is certainly not good and deserves condemnation – Akeljić told Patria.