32nd anniversary of the murder of nine Sarajevo citizens in Žrtava fašizma street marked

(Patria) - By laying flowers and paying tribute at the massacre site, the 32nd anniversary of the murder of nine of our fellow citizens in Žrtava fašizma street near number 12, Otoka settlement, committed by the aggressor during the siege of Sarajevo 1992-1995, was marked.

On this day, November 10, 1993, three 82 mm mortar shells were fired from the aggressor positions of the Army of Republika Srpska located in the Nedžarići area, which fell on the asphalt surface in Žrtava fašizma street near number 12 and Ilije Engela street near number 5.



From the explosions and shrapnel effect of the shells, the following were killed: Elma Geko, Slavojka Govedarica, Semir Haseta, Amina Hećo, Ajdin Hodžić, Ibrahim Huskić, Vinko Lončar, Silvijo Mačorović, and Božidar Šuko.

In this massacre, 38 more of our fellow citizens were seriously and lightly wounded.

On behalf of the Canton of Sarajevo, flowers were laid by the Minister of Science, Higher Education and Youth of KS Dušanka Bošković, who stated that by marking this sad day, we are not only paying tribute to the murdered fellow citizens, but also sending a message that we will not forget.

"Places of remembrance, and today we are at one of them, are not just reminders of suffering and agony, but also warnings for the future. It is a simple admonition: to do everything to never allow such crimes to happen again.

Sarajevo survived the longest siege of modern times, the siege by the Army of Republika Srpska, which made no distinction in killing - everyone was there, of all ages, genders, religions, or nationalities. In the longest encirclement of our city in modern history, more than 12,000 people were killed, including 1,601 children. These are huge numbers that we must not utter lightly, because each of them represents a name, a face, a story, and the immeasurable grief of families. Justice is our debt to the victims.

For the crimes committed in Sarajevo, international courts have convicted only a small number of those responsible - Stanislav Galić, Dragomir Milošević, and Ratko Mladić. Verdicts are important, but they are not enough on their own. Justice is not only in punishments, justice is also in acknowledging the truth, in fighting against denial, and in our unwavering determination to teach new generations about these events.

To speak of justice is also to speak of the future. Bosnia and Herzegovina must be built on the ideas of peace, coexistence, and mutual respect. There is no stable future without truth. Denying such crimes does not only deny the past, it sabotages the future. Therefore, we must insist on the truth, because only with truth do we build trust, and trust is the foundation of any coexistence," said Bošković.

Flowers were also laid at the massacre site by the families of the murdered, representatives of the Union of Civil War Victims of Sarajevo Canton, the Association of Parents of Murdered Children of Sarajevo Besieged 1992-1995, a delegation from the City of Sarajevo, the Otoka Local Community, and students and teachers from elementary schools "Mehmedalija Mak Dizdar" and "Čengić Vila I".