Anniversary of the Crime in Stupni Do Marked: Once Again Warned About Pervasive Revisionism

(Patria) - In Stupni Do near Vareš, the 32nd anniversary of the crime against Bosniak civilians killed on 23 October 1993 by members of the Croatian Defence Council (HVO) was marked today.

The remembrance programme began with the Peace March "Route of Salvation", followed by a visit to the graves, recitation of prayers, and laying of flowers at the memorial.

Chief Imam of the Majlis of the Islamic Community (MIZ) Vareš, Ramiz-ef. Zubača, recalled that the victims of the crime were buried in several cemeteries in surrounding villages, as the village was then destroyed and occupied.

- We visited all the cemeteries where our fellow citizens, our congregation members who perished at that time, are buried. In that period, it was not possible for them to be buried here; this place was destroyed and occupied by the HVO army, so they were buried in nearby villages, both in MIZ Breza and in other places where they had family.

Thus, we have burials in Pomenići, Dabravine, Hodžići, Budoželj. And, here, today, this year's remembrance concludes here, God willing, with recitation, midday prayer, and a prayer for all those killed in Stupni Do and Vareš - said ef. Zubača.

Director of the Institute for Research of Crimes Against Humanity and International Law at the University of Sarajevo, Muamer Džananović, emphasised that the crimes in Stupni Do and Vareš have been adjudicated before international and domestic courts, but many perpetrators have still not been held accountable.

- Numerous direct perpetrators of the crime have not been brought to justice. We also have a situation where one convicted war criminal lives freely in Croatia. Revisionist content is being promoted, attempting to present this and other crimes in Bosnia and Herzegovina in a different light.

The political-military leadership, which was aligned with the Greater Croatia policy and committed this crime, also devised a revisionist narrative for Stupni Do, and that pattern continues to this day.

All this is a warning that expansionist policies still have many followers, but also a call for us to work institutionally on a culture of remembrance and to pass on the truth about the suffering in Stupni Do to the young - said Džananović.

On behalf of the Sarajevo Muftiship, Samed Omerdić addressed the gathering, and as the envoy of the member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Željko Komšić, Sifet Podžić attended, who in his address called - not to allow ourselves to be pacified and have our compassion broken.

Those present were also addressed by Adnan Sirovica, Minister for Veterans' Affairs of the Zenica-Doboj Canton, Nedžad Lokmić, Federal Minister for Veterans' and Disabled Veterans' Affairs of the Defence-Liberation War, then Deputy Mayor of Vareš Municipality Emin Musa, and President of the Association of Concentration Camp Prisoners in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Seid Omerović.

President of the Local Community Stupni Do and the Organisational Committee for the commemoration, Bajro Likić, said that this year's programme began a few days earlier with an academy at the Cultural Centre in Vareš, followed by a march of former camp prisoners and a visit to the martyrs' cemeteries.

- This morning, the "Route of Salvation" March was also held, which, in terms of the number of participants, was the largest so far, and with a large number of people visiting, we held the central ceremony and laid flowers at the memorial - said Likić.

Chief guide of the march, Admir Čizmo, said that this year's march gathered a record number of participants.

- We set out on this sad journey 146 of us, and along the way, two more people joined us, so a total of 148 people completed this route. Everything went smoothly. I am glad there were many young people, that is, young people who actually came to see this route.

As for preparations, the trail has been re-marked, secured, cleared, and is usable for these marches. I hope that in the coming years there will be even more participants - added Čizmo.

The war crime in Stupni Do was committed on 23 October 1993, when members of the HVO killed several dozen Bosniak civilians, including women, children, and the elderly, and burned and destroyed the village.

For these crimes, the Hague Tribunal and domestic courts sentenced several HVO members to multi-year prison terms.