Bosniaks of Stolac: They want to move the cemetery to an area near the entity line, HDZ BiH is trying to humiliate us

(Patria) - The City Council of Stolac adopted two decisions that will shape the spatial and urban development of the city in the next decade. These are the Decision on the Adoption of the Spatial Plan of the City of Stolac for the period 2024–2034 and the Decision on the Implementation of that plan.

These decisions have caused a sharp reaction from the Bosniaks of Stolac, who point out that these are illegal decisions.

"This plan, adopted solely by the will of 12 councilors from HDZ BiH and their coalition partners, was adopted without the prior consent and approval of the competent Ministry of Spatial Planning of HNK, which makes it not only irregular but also legally void. The fact that such an illegal plan envisages the relocation of the city cemetery/graveyard for the Bosniaks of Stolac to an extremely unacceptable location – an inaccessible and remote area of Dragovlje towards Ljubinje, right next to the entity demarcation line – is particularly worrying and insulting. Such a solution is offensive, discriminatory, and completely unacceptable," they stated in a press release.

They called on the competent institutions to – "finally stop this humiliation orchestrated by HDZ BiH and prosecute all those responsible for the adoption of the illegal decision by the majority in the Stolac City Council".

They also called on the Islamic Community to – "continue the initiated works on the city cemetery at the Poprati - Popržen location, in the immediate vicinity of Radimlja, without calculation and fear. The competent city service and the mayor himself have already signed a decision for this location, and its subsequent annulment has no legal validity – just like the illegally adopted Spatial Plan. The Bosniaks of Stolac will continue to firmly and with dignity insist on their right to have the city cemetery built at a legally confirmed and logical location, not in a place that is clearly imposed with the aim of further humiliation and discrimination".