33 years ago in Višegrad one of the most monstrous crimes was committed: 70 people trapped and burned alive in a house

(Patria) - The Association "Woman – Victim of War" will mark the anniversary of one of the most horrific crimes committed during the aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina – the Live Bonfires in Pionirska Street in Višegrad – on Saturday, 14 June 2025, starting at 11:30 AM.

On that day, 14 June 1992, members of Serbian military units locked more than 70 civilians of Bosniak nationality – women, children and the elderly – in the house of Sumbula Zebe née Omeragić (Adem) and then burned them alive. Among the killed was a baby only two days old, which testifies to the brutality and inhumanity of this crime. Only eight people survived this monstrous act.

To this day, the bones of the victims who were burned alive in that house have still not been found, which further aggravates the pain of the families and represents a serious failure in the processes of searching for truth and justice.

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) has finally qualified this event as a crime against humanity, in the form of murder, cruel and inhuman treatment and extermination, committed with premeditation.

For this crime, Milan Lukić was sentenced to life imprisonment, while Sredoje Lukić and Radomir Šušnjar alias "Lalco" were sentenced to 27 and 20 years in prison respectively.

The commemoration will be held in Pionirska Street in Višegrad, at the authentic crime scene, together with surviving victims and family members of the killed civilians.

At tomorrow's anniversary commemoration, the Association "Woman – Victim of War" will send a clear message to the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina – the legislative and executive authorities, as well as the Prosecutor's Office of BiH – that justice for victims is not only a matter of the past, but also a foundation for a future without unpunished crimes.