Massacre at Kapija: The Day Tuzla's Youth Was Murdered

(Patria) - The Massacre at Kapija, also known as the Crime against Tuzla's Youth, is one of the most severe crimes committed against the civilians of Tuzla, which occurred on May 25, 1995. On that day, Serb forces fired a shell from Ozren at a youth gathering spot known as Kapija at 8:55 PM, writes the Patria News Agency.

The shell killed 71 citizens of Tuzla and wounded 150. The average age of the killed was 23, and the youngest victim was only two years old.

For the massacre at Tuzla's Kapija, former Army of Republika Srpska (VRS) General Novak Đukić was found guilty, as he, as commander of the Ozren Tactical Group (VRS), ordered the artillery unit to shell Tuzla on May 25, 1995.

In June 2014, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison; however, under the pretext of medical treatment, he evaded serving his sentence and is currently in Serbia.

May 25 is declared a Day of Mourning in the Tuzla Canton, and during the day, a commemorative ceremony will be held in remembrance of the victims of the tragedy at Kapija and all civilian victims of the war.

The commemorative ceremony on May 25, the Day of Remembrance for the victims of the crime at Kapija and all civilian victims of the war, will proceed according to the following protocol:

9:30 AM – Paying respects and laying flowers at the memorial to civilian victims of the war (Aleja mladosti, Slana Banja)

11:00 AM – Commemoration in remembrance of the victims of the crime at Kapija and all civilian victims of the war, and laying flowers at the site where Tuzla's youth perished (Kapija)

8:55 PM – Siren sounding, in remembrance of the moment when on May 25, 1995, a shell from Ozren took 71 young lives at Kapija.

The Kapija Memorial Center (Patriotske lige 5) will be open to visitors on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM.

The following individuals lost their lives at Tuzla's Kapija: Razija Dedović, Alma Brguljak, Senada Hasanović, Fahrudin Ramić, Pera Marinović, Šaban Mustačević, Edhem Sarajlić, Adnan Beganović, Asmir Bakalović, Suzana Dušić, Almasa Ćerimović, Amir Dapa, Amir Đuzel, Vesna Kurtalić, Edisa Memić, Sanja Ćajić, Nedim Rekić, Mustafa Vuković, Adnan Hujdurović, Edina Ahmetašević, Amira Mehinović, Franc Kantor, Asim Slijepčević, Sandro Kalesić, Edin Hodžić, Indira Borić, Sulejman Mehanović, Damir Kurbašić, Ilinka Tadić, Selma Nuhanović, Edin Mehmedović, Nihad Šišić, Amir Čekić, Indira Okanović, Ilvana Bošnjaković, Admir Alispahić, Jasenko Rosić, Damir Bojkić, Samir Mujić, Rajif Rahmani, Almir Jahić, Lejla Bučuk, Azur Mujabašić, Azur Vantić, Suzana Abuismail, Šemsa Hasičić, Senahid Salamović, Nenad Marković, Hamdija Hakić, Petar Stjepanović, Elvis Alagić, Lejla Atiković, Armin Šišić, Rusmir Ponjavić, Alem Hidanović, Zada Dedić, Vanja Kurbegović, Jelena Stojičić, Hasa Hrustanović, Ago Hadžić, Selma Čaušević, Nešet Mujanović, Adrijana Milić, Samir Čirak, Muri Fatušić, Elvir Murselović, Adnan Saimović, Jasminka Sarajlić, and four other unidentified individuals.