31st Anniversary of the Death of Ramiz Salčin, 'Golden Lily' and Hero of the Defence of Sarajevo and BiH

(Patria) - With a commemorative program and paying due tribute in the area of the Saraj-Polje Local Community, the 31st anniversary of the death of the commander of the Novi Grad Territorial Defence, Brigadier of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina and holder of the highest war decoration “Golden Lily” Ramiz Salčin was marked today.

Family, friends, comrades-in-arms, as well as representatives of cantonal and municipal authorities and veterans' associations, once again, 31 years later, with great sorrow remembered the hero of the defence of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who made an immeasurable contribution to the defence of the homeland, especially at the time when the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina was being established.

On behalf of the Sarajevo Canton, flowers were laid today at the site of his death by the President of the Assembly of the Sarajevo Canton Elvedin Okerić, Assembly representative Jasmin Šaljić and Minister for Veterans' Affairs Omer Osmanović.

"Ramiz Salčin was an active participant in the preparation and organisation of the defence of Sarajevo, as well as the rest of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was born on 13 May 1954 in the village of Gornji Igri near Gacko. He played an important role in organising the defence in the area of the Sarajevo municipality of Novi Grad, and served as the first commander of the Municipal Staff of the Territorial Defence of Novi Grad. 31 years ago, Ramiz Salčin was killed by a sniper bullet fired by the aggressor from Nedžarići. He was posthumously awarded the highest war decoration of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the 'Golden Lily', and as a member of the armed forces of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina who, in the fight against the enemy, performed deeds in which his personal courage was strongly expressed, he was also awarded the 'Order of the Golden Coat of Arms with Swords'. In his honour, a square and a street in Sarajevo bear the name Ramiz Salčin," stated President Okerić, in remembrance of the hero of the defence of Sarajevo and BiH.

Minister Osmanović, on this occasion, emphasised the price of freedom, for which the soldiers of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina gave their lives, and which we still pay today. He stressed that we must not forget the sacrifice of our soldiers, and that we must resist the injustice that is happening to them, as well as to all of us.

“While we stand here today and celebrate the name of the hero Ramiz Salčin, we are witnesses of attacks on our honourable defenders, and these days we cannot help but ask ourselves, whether our heroes laid down their lives in vain and what was the price of the freedom we paid then. At the same time, we must daily remind of the importance of defending Bosnia and Herzegovina, which, as we see, continues today. A visionary, I will call the late Ramiz Salčin that, he recognised the danger then, was a driving force in those years, and defended the people who trusted him. Therefore, today, 31 years later, we must be that same driving force that resists the injustice that is happening to us. We need a little of the fearlessness that our greatest heroes had then, let us not allow oblivion to overcome us, and let us be permanent transmitters of the truth to our generations. Finally, I would call on everyone to jointly engage in strengthening the culture of remembrance, but also strengthening institutions, in order to stop this kind of exodus of our honourable sons, who did not seek war, did not seek aggression, and who only defended their and our lives. Our heroes and their names are pure and exalted, without a stain in history,” said Minister Osmanović.

Today's commemoration continued with the laying of flowers at the Kovači martyrs' cemetery, where Ramiz Salčin is also buried, while in the multimedia hall of the Novi Grad municipality, the documentary film by Avdo Huseinović “Fateful 8 June – 30 Years Later” will be premiered tonight.