Tribute Paid to Victims of Crime in Stupni Do near Vareš

(Patria) - Minister for Veterans' Affairs of Zenica-Doboj Canton Adnan Sirovica, on behalf of the Government of Zenica-Doboj Canton, laid flowers and paid tribute to the victims of the war crime against civilians in the village of Stupni Do near Vareš.

In the attack by Croatian Defence Council (HVO) forces on Stupni Do on October 23, 1993, 38 residents were killed, including five children, and houses, with people inside, were set on fire, as was the local mosque.

The Hague Tribunal sentenced Ivica Rajić, former commander of the HVO Operational Zone in Kiseljak, to 12 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to the crimes in Stupni Do, as well as six former political and military officials of the so-called Herceg-Bosna to a total of 111 years in prison.

The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina sentenced Miroslav Anić, known as Firga, a former member of the Special Purpose Unit "Maturice" within the HVO "Ban Josip Jelačić" Brigade from Kiseljak, to 15 years in prison for crimes in the Vareš and Kiseljak areas, while cantonal court verdicts sentenced former "Maturice" member Dominik Ilijašević, known as Como, to 14 years, and former Vareš HVO member Ermin Ćurtić to five and a half years. Dominik Ilijašević took advantage of prison benefits 11 years ago and fled to Croatia.

Minister Sirovica emphasized that only a few of those responsible were punished for the crimes in Stupni Do and appealed to judicial institutions to continue prosecuting the masterminds and perpetrators of this war crime until the very last criminal is brought to justice.

- It is our responsibility to ensure that all perpetrators of this crime are discovered and prosecuted. It is important that today in Stupni Do we see members of the former warring parties paying tribute to the victims together, but also in all other places of suffering across our homeland. We must not forget what happened here, so that it does not happen again in the future - said Minister Sirovica.

After the commemoration, the Minister for Veterans' Affairs of ZDK visited Ferida Likić, who survived the HVO forces' attack on Stupni Do 31 years ago.