DAY OF MOURNING IN TK 31 years ago, Serb forces shelled Kapija: The day Tuzla's youth was killed

(Patria) - On the occasion of the 31st anniversary of the Kapija massacre, today is a Day of Mourning in the Tuzla Canton. In memory of the innocent victims and all civilian victims of the war, the commemorative marking begins at 10:00 AM with the laying of wreaths and flowers at the memorial to civilian victims of the war on Aleja mladosti, Slana Banja, and at 12:00 PM, a commemoration and laying of flowers at Kapija will follow. Members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Željko Komšić and Denis Bećirović, will attend the anniversary commemoration.

Exactly at 8:55 PM, a siren will sound in memory of the exact moment of the tragedy, as a symbol of eternal respect and remembrance.

The Kapija massacre, also known as the Crime against Tuzla's Youth, is one of the most severe crimes committed against the civilians of Tuzla, which occurred on May 25, 1995. On that day, at 8:55 PM, Serb forces fired a shell from Ozren at a gathering place for young people known as Kapija in the center of Tuzla.

The shell killed 71 citizens of Tuzla and wounded 170. The average age of the killed was 23, and the youngest victim, Sandro Kalesić, was only two years old.

General Novak Đukić of the former Army of Republika Srpska (VRS) was found guilty of the Tuzla Kapija massacre, as he, as commander of the Ozren Tactical Group (VRS), ordered the artillery unit to shell Tuzla on May 25, 1995. In June 2014, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison, however, under the pretext of treatment, he evaded serving his sentence and is currently in Serbia.

The central commemoration will be held on Sunday, May 25. The commemoration will begin with the laying of wreaths and flowers at Slana Banja, in sign of respect for all civilian victims of the war, followed by a commemoration at Kapija – the site where Tuzla's youth perished. Exactly at 8:55 PM, at the moment the fatal shell was fired in 1995, a siren will sound.

The Kapija Memorial Center (ul. Patriotske lige 5) will be open to visitors today from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM.

The following perished at Tuzla Kapija: Razija Dedović, Alma Brguljak, Senada Hasanović, Fahrudin Ramić, Pera Marinović, Šaban Mustačević, Edhem Sarajlić, Adnan Beganović, Asmir Bakalović, Suzana Dušić, Almasa Ćerimović, Amir Dapa, Amir Đuzel, Vesna Kurtalić, Edisa Memić, Sanja Ćajić, Nedim Rekić, Mustafa Vuković, Adnan Hujdurović, Edina Ahmetašević, Amira Mehinović, Franc Kantor, Asim Slijepčević, Sandro Kalesić, Edin Hodžić, Indira Borić, Sulejman Mehanović, Damir Kurbašić, Ilinka Tadić, Selma Nuhanović, Edin Mehmedović, Nihad Šišić, Amir Čekić, Indira Okanović, Ilvana Bošnjaković, Admir Alispahić, Jasenko Rosić, Damir Bojkić, Samir Mujić, Rajif Rahmani, Almir Jahić, Lejla Bučuk, Azur Mujabašić, Azur Vantić, Suzana Abuismail, Šemsa Hasičić, Senahid Salamović, Nenad Marković, Hamdija Hakić, Petar Stjepanović, Elvis Alagić, Lejla Atiković, Armin Šišić, Rusmir Ponjavić, Alem Hidanović, Zada Dedić, Vanja Kurbegović, Jelena Stojičić, Hasa Hrustanović, Ago Hadžić, Selma Čaušević, Nešet Mujanović, Adrijana Milić, Samir Čirak, Muri Fatušić, Elvir Murselović, Adnan Saimović, Jasminka Sarajlić, and four other unidentified persons.