Marathon cyclists from Vienna set off for Srebrenica, bid farewell by Ambassador Kozarić and Wolfgang Petritsch

VIENNA, (Patria) - Ten members of the Cycling Club „Sabahudin Duzić Tetak“ from Donji Vakuf today embarked on a 1,098-kilometer cycling marathon in memory of the victims of the genocide in Srebrenica, who will cycle from Vienna to Srebrenica this year, reports the Patria News Agency.

The members of this club from Donji Vakuf decided this year to start the marathon from a European city, in order to spread the message of remembrance of the Srebrenica victims through as many cities across Europe as possible. 

They were seen off today in front of the City Hall in Vienna by the Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Austria, Kemal Kozarić, former High Representative of the International Community in BiH, Wolfgang Petritsch, as well as numerous friends. 

The cyclists will ride from Vienna to Bihać in BiH, from where the traditional cycling marathon „Da se nikad ne zaboravi i ne ponovi“ (So that it is never forgotten and never repeated) starts on July 8th, in memory of the genocide in Srebrenica. 

The participants in the marathon are: Admir Vrebac Beba, Samir Zahirović Pajo, Mirsad Kosovac, Semir Kapić, Ernest Abdagić, Eldin Žerić, Haris Hadžić, Esad Turanović, Adin Kovač, and Fahrudin Velić.

Support for the cyclists was provided by the Municipality of Donji Vakuf, the Sports Association of Donji Vakuf, as well as several businessmen from Donji Vakuf. One of the main financiers of this demanding cycling marathon are Sabini and Rijad Halilović, businessmen from Austria who are originally from Donji Vakuf.

For the collective funeral in the Memorial Center in Potočari in July this year, the remains of 35 victims of the genocide are currently ready. This number is not final and could be higher by the funeral itself.
The youngest victim to be buried this year is Vesid (Hasan) Ibrić, born in 1979. He was 16 years old at the time of his death. Besides him, three more minors will be buried at this year's funeral in Potočari. The oldest victim to be buried this year is Šahin (Šaban) Halilović, born in 1924. He was 71 years old at the time of his death. 

During the genocide in Srebrenica, Serbian forces killed more than 8,000 Bosniaks. So far, 6,575 victims have been buried in the cemetery of the Srebrenica-Potočari Memorial Center, while the search for other murdered individuals is still ongoing, or only parts of their remains have been found.