Komšić tells Čović: Stop hugging war criminals before talking about hate speech

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - A man who hugs convicted war criminals and glorifies them wherever and whenever he can speaks about hate speech, said the candidate for the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Željko Komšić in a message addressed to HDZ President Dragan Čović.

- A man who is on the other side of civilization and a man whom the United Nations international court declared criminal after that court delivered a guilty verdict for the criminals he glorifies. It would be good if Čović first stopped glorifying convicted war criminals, and then he could give someone lessons on hate speech - said today the President of DF and candidate for the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Željko Komšić, reacting to the statements of Dragan Čović made in an interview with Deutsche Welle.

Komšić also commented on the accusations of nationalism.

- As for the accusations of nationalism, I must say that these are theses originally advocated by certain circles in Sarajevo who obviously agree with Čović. Their problem is not Čović but me. When we say that glorifying criminals is an expression of hatred, then they tell us that we are the same as Čović, that condemning crimes and glorifying them is the same, that bowing to the victims in Grabovica is the same as hugging Dario Kordić and glorifying Slobodan Praljak..

I am not surprised by Čović, but I am by these others who draw an impossible parallel between the two. However, that is to their credit - said Komšić.

He added that Čović is the one who scares Croats with Croats.

- The only one who fears Croats is Čović, and the only one who scares with Croats is him. Čović is the one who is afraid of Croats who are not like him, Croats who do not glorify war criminals. For him, such Croats are traitors, and he is the one who scares his voters with Croats - said Komšić.