Helez in Ahmići: Some have not yet come to terms with war criminals, as seen in the case of Dario Kordić

(Patria) - Minister of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina Zukan Helez is attending the commemoration of the 31st anniversary of the suffering in Ahmići today. He emphasized that such and similar crimes must not be forgotten and that they should be talked about, that fascism has not been eradicated and that the fight between anti-fascists and fascists is still ongoing.

“When it comes to remembrance, this crime caught me in a position on the front line, and it's not the only one; there were crimes in many places in Bosnia and Herzegovina – similar crimes happened. What hurts me as a person is that the consciousness of those people who should understand that the most horrific crime was committed by their own people, it still seems to me that they haven't understood. The reception of criminals and convicted war criminals like Dario Kordić by some politicians in BiH and giving importance to those politicians, it seems to me that that nation or its representatives still haven't come to terms with those crimes and haven't understood what happened in '93 in Ahmići and in some other parts of BiH,” he said.

He stressed that what Milorad Dodik is doing in this country, with the support of the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić, “doesn't smell good” and called for caution.

“Denying genocide and dragging an entire nation by calling for a rally to defend against that genocide, it seems to me that it's dragging the whole nation, which is not good. No nation can be genocidal. So we must be careful,” Helez said.

He also stated that military training should be introduced in high schools, because, as he said, children do not know how to handle weapons.

“If there had been a prepared unit here to defend this area, this would not have happened. People trusted their neighbors. Civilians were killed here. And it says special purpose unit… What kind of unit is that and what kind of special forces soldier kills a three-month-old baby? I would really like to see that person, to look him in the face. That's why we must do this and we must bring back what happened into history. Our children don't know. We must explain to children through textbooks, through lessons. There is nothing to be ashamed of. We must explain to them what happened, who did it, and for what reasons. And what is very symptomatic, I am already of a certain age. In the last two wars, World War II and this one, in some places, and this is one of them, crimes are committed by members of the same families. And this is slowly becoming a tradition, I fear even a genetic trait, because that fascism that is carried from home, for the second time in 50 years, is happening in the same areas by the same surnames, by the same inhuman beings,” he said.

Helez emphasized that it has not been eradicated and has not been defeated.

“It is an eternal struggle of normal people, anti-fascists against fascism and fascists,” he concluded.

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