32nd anniversary of the murder of teacher Fatima Gunić and her students marked

(Patria) - The 32nd anniversary of the murder of teacher Fatima Gunić and her students Adis Mujal, Vedad Mujkanović, and Feđa Salkić was marked in Sarajevo today in a fitting manner.

In memory of the murdered, at the massacre site on ZAVNOBIH Square, alongside family members of the victims, a delegation of Sarajevo Canton led by representative Marijela Hašimbegović, the City of Sarajevo, Novi Grad Municipality, Alipašino Polje B-1 Local Community, the Association of Parents of Murdered Children of Besieged Sarajevo 1992-1995, the Union of War Victims of KS... as well as Fatima Gunić Elementary School, whose students performed a fitting commemorative program, paid their respects and laid flowers.

Addressing the attendees, Mayor Samir Avdić reminded them on this occasion that 32 years ago, a shell was fired from VRS positions in Nedžarići, killing the teacher and three students during a lesson in the improvised premises of "Prvi maj" Elementary School, and severely or lightly wounding 23 other students.

The shell, as he recalled, landed in front of concrete slabs that protected the classroom entrance, but shrapnel penetrated through the gaps at the joints of these slabs. Just a few minutes later, another shell was fired from the same location in Nedžarići, killing three and wounding seven citizens in front of the "Jedinstvo" Local Community on Independence Square.

"By marking this sad day, we not only pay tribute to the murdered fellow citizens but also send a message that we will not forget. Places of remembrance, and we are at one of them today, are not just reminders of suffering and hardship, but also warnings for the future. It is a simple admonition: to do everything to never allow such crimes to happen again," Mayor Avdić stated.

As he stated, 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.

"During the longest encirclement of our city in modern history, more than 12,000 people were killed, including 1,601 children. These are enormous numbers that we must not utter lightly, because each of them represents a name, a face, a story, and the immeasurable grief of families," the Mayor of Sarajevo said.

As he emphasized, justice is our debt to the victims. Thanking those present for coming, he said that their presence sends a message that we persevere against hatred, that we choose solidarity, and reject oblivion.

As he concluded, these places of remembrance are also places of hope – hope that future generations will live in a BiH that respects its past, accepts the truth, and builds a common life on the foundations of justice and reconciliation.