Islamic Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina asks the Vatican to clarify Bishop Košić's presence at the welcome of war criminal Kordić

The Islamic Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina has sent a protest letter to the Vatican Embassy in Sarajevo because war criminal Dario Kordić was welcomed at Zagreb airport a few days ago by high-ranking officials of the Catholic Church in Croatia, reports the BiH news agency Patria.

Kordić was released last week from an Austrian prison, where he was serving a prison sentence as a Hague convict for genocide against the Bosniak population in central Bosnia during the aggression against BiH.

- Regarding the welcome of convicted war criminal Dario Kordić, organized by certain high-ranking officials of the Catholic Church, the Cabinet of the Reisu-l-ulema of the Islamic Community has sent a protest note to the Vatican Embassy in Sarajevo – announced the Islamic Community.

The note expresses the shock of the Islamic Community at such an action by high-ranking officials of the Catholic Church and asks for clarification of such conduct.

Dario Kordić (54) was the vice-president and member of the presidency of the Croatian Community of Herceg-Bosna, and later the Croatian Republic of Herceg-Bosna, and for a time president of the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HDZ-BiH).

Due to his responsibility during the massacre in Ahmići and the Bosniak-Croat conflict in central Bosnia, the Hague Tribunal sentenced him to 25 years in prison.

It was stated that Kordić "as a high-ranking regional politician planned and incited the crimes committed in Ahmići on April 16, 1993, and the associated hamlets of Šantići, Pirići, and Nadioci" whose goal was "ethnic cleansing of the area," and confirmed his criminal responsibility for these acts on all grounds.

It also confirmed that "Kordić's involvement in the persecution campaign" also applies to crimes committed in the municipality of Kiseljak and responsibility for the unlawful detention of civilians in detention centers in the Vitez and Kiseljak areas.

After serving two-thirds of his prison sentence, he was released, and last week he was welcomed at Zagreb airport by about 200 supporters, including the Bishop of Sisak, Vlado Košić, as well as some other high-ranking officials of the Catholic Church in Croatia, reports Patria.