Funeral held for four victims of the Zvornik crime, 'Women in Black' also attended the burial

(Patria) - The 25th collective funeral for civilians killed in the Zvornik municipality during the aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina was held today at the Gornja Kalesija Memorial Complex. Four people, whose bodies were found in 2004 in the mass graves Kamenica, Križevačke njive, and Snagovo, were buried at this cemetery today, but identification took almost two decades.

These are Izet (Ismet) Manjić, Senad (Abdurahman) Sulejmanović, Sadika (Emina) Hrbatović, and Smajo (Ibrahim) Hamzabegović.

The funeral prayer was led by the Mufti of Tuzla, dr. Vahid-ef. Fazlović, who stated that attending this cemetery is inseparable from seeking and testifying to the truth.

"Martyrs are the most steadfast witnesses of truth, but also a barrier against it being mixed with falsehood, but we must also be that. Daily. We are together with the Bosniaks of Zvornik and Podrinje. What they are going through is a great trial. Despite all the pain and trials that have no limits, the people of Zvornik and the entire Podrinje region have shown dignity, patience, and resilience. They have shown it patiently and persistently for decades," said Mufti Fazlović.

He also commented on yesterday's verdicts at the Hague Tribunal, emphasizing that highlighting the truth and verdicts for crimes is primarily a general and civilizational value.

"We must not forget our martyrs, nor their descendants. This is a great obligation in this country and an obligation to our people. Thank God that the crime has been proven and judged, and the latest verdicts prove and reveal the truth. This is hope for us, but also hope for humanity. May all of this strengthen and solidify us," said Mufti Fazlović.

The president of the Association of Families of Captured and Missing Persons of the Zvornik Municipality, Ahmet Grahić, spoke about the official data, hopes, expectations, and fears of those who survived the crimes and whose loved ones were killed.

"In Bosnia and Herzegovina, more than 7,600 people are still being searched for, missing during the aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is a shame that for almost three decades we have not managed to find the bodies of the victims so they could be buried with dignity. Unfortunately, our prosecutor's offices have completely slowed down this process, and we fear that a large number of perpetrators will go unpunished because of this," said Grahić.

We also spoke with Staša Zajović, a peace activist from the organization 'Women in Black', who said that visiting sites like this cemetery evokes a sense of shame, both because of the committed crimes and because of the glorification of criminals that is present today.

"The large number of missing persons and the small number of identified individuals indicate the immense pain with which we sympathize. The flood of violence, the celebration of war criminals, and the walls in Belgrade with their painted faces insult all responsible and conscious citizens of Serbia. I hope that current events will contribute to empathy with those against whom crimes were committed in our name," said Zajović.

To date, 1,114 bodies of murdered Zvornik residents have been identified, and the remains of 792 victims have been buried at this site, while the remaining bodies were buried in local cemeteries in the Zvornik area.

Official records of crimes by the JNA and the Serbian army indicate that more than 2,000 civilians were killed in the Zvornik area alone. Many are still missing.