June is the month of remembrance for monstrous crimes in Višegrad, where 140 Bosniaks were killed in 'living bonfires'

(Patria) - The Association for Social Research and Communications (UDIK) reminds the public of the anniversaries of the Living Bonfires in Višegrad, which are commemorated every year in June. Living civilians, mostly women and children, were set on fire at several locations, notably Pionirska Street and Bikavac. On June 14, 1992, around seventy Bosniak civilians, mainly from the village of Koritnik, were burned in the house of Adem Omeragić on Pionirska Street. The youngest victim was only two days old.

Two weeks later, the scenario was repeated at Bikavac, where around seventy Bosniak civilians were burned in the house of Meho Aljić. Survivor Zehra Turjačanin testified about the horrors at Bikavac before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).

These war crimes were committed in June 1992 by members of the Osvetnici formation, led by the most brutal Višegrad criminals, Milan and Sredoje Lukić. The Hague Tribunal sentenced Milan Lukić to life imprisonment for crimes in Višegrad, including Pionirska and Bikavac. Sredoje Lukić was found guilty of beatings in the Uzamnica camp and of contributing to the deprivation of life of civilians locked in the house of Adem Omeragić. He was sentenced to 27 years in prison. In 2019, the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina issued a verdict sentencing Radomir Šušnjar to 20 years in prison for participating in the attack, inhuman treatment, and looting of property of civilians from the village of Koritnik, who were imprisoned in the house of Jusuf Memić on Pionirska Street in Višegrad. The civilians were forced to move to the house of Adem Omeragić, about thirty meters away, where they were locked on the ground floor. According to this verdict, Milan Lukić threw an incendiary explosive device, and Radomir Šušnjar a hand grenade. They shot at civilians who tried to escape.

To bring the judicially established facts closer to the public and pay tribute to the victims, UDIK actively works on documenting war crimes verdicts handed down by domestic courts. In 2017, the publication "War Crimes in Višegrad – Verdicts" was released, documenting nine cases from the Court of BiH and the Supreme Court of the FBiH that convicted Boban Šimšić, Dragan Šekarić, Miloš Pantelić, Momir Savić, Nenad Tanasković, Novo Rajak, Oliver Krsmanović, Predrag Milisavljević, Vitomir Racković, and Željko Lelek for war crimes in Višegrad. Continuing this series of verdicts, UDIK presents two new publications documenting war crimes trials in Višegrad. While one publication contains four cases from the State Court in which Mirko Tasić, Momir Tasić, Petar Kovačević, Petar Tasić, Radomir Šušnjar, and Vuk Ratković were tried, the other presents the case against Milomir Đuričić and Vukadin Spasojević, convicted for the Uzamnica camp to a total of 16 years in prison. As a special supplement to this publication, there are authorial texts by Edvin Kanka Ćudić, published in domestic and regional media. These are stories that commemorate the Višegrad victims but also appeal to the people of Višegrad not to remain silent but to speak the truth about the fates of their neighbors.

Although war crimes have been documented and the perpetrators convicted, there is still denial and relativization of the crimes. This is greatly contributed to by institutions that served as places of detention, torture, rape, and other inhuman treatment during the war, and today are places of gathering, rest, and rehabilitation.

We recall the recent initiative by the Center for Civic Education (CGO) and UDIK, in which Montenegrin institutions were called upon not to trust the rehabilitation center "Vilina Vlas" in Višegrad, known as a place of detention and rape of Bosniak women, which today operates regularly and provides spa services. On this occasion, UDIK appeals to all institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region to pay more attention to moral principles in their operations and not to cooperate with institutions that neglect and disrespect the pain and suffering of war victims.

On the occasion of the anniversary of the war crimes in Višegrad, we remember all the victims of Višegrad, especially the victims of the Living Bonfires of Pionirska and Bikavac.