20th collective funeral held in Vlasenica

(Patria) - The 20th collective funeral for the victims of the aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina from the Vlasenica area was held today at the Rakita Martyrs' Cemetery in Vlasenica.

Ahmo Kavazović was buried at this collective funeral, and the funeral prayer was led by the Tuzla Mufti, dr. Vahid-ef. Fazlović.

Mufti Fazlović stated on this occasion that preserving the memory of the martyrs is an obligation towards them, their families, and the Bosniaks from this region.

"We come here every year, we gather in a large community, we come in devotion and with great respect for all our martyrs, their families, and we leave with a lesson.

Martyrs are in a high and honorable place with the Lord because of their great sacrifice, because of their deeds. They gave the most a human being can give for values, defending the lives of the innocent, their homes and homeland, honor and freedom, their faith.

That is an eternal lesson. We learn, we must continue to preserve the values for which they fought," said Mufti Fazlović.

He stated that every gathering at this place is a new, strong call to institutions to perform their duties.



"We still have a large number of missing persons, whose whereabouts we do not know, martyrs for whom we have not held funerals. That is our great sorrow.

Therefore, we appeal to the institutions, but this is also a call to all those in whose name genocide and crimes were committed, to be clear in acknowledging the genocide and to be clear in condemning the genocide and crimes against Bosniaks," said the Mufti.

Ahmo Kavazović was 44 years old when he was killed in the Vlasenica area in 1992. He was first captured in the hangars of the Sušica camp, from which he was taken and liquidated at the end of May along with a larger group of prisoners.

His remains were exhumed from a mass grave at the Sušica site, which was discovered in September 2000.

"Today we are burying my uncle. He was killed after being a prisoner of the Sušica camp. He was taken from his home, with the statement that they were only taking him to give a statement. After that, all trace of him was lost.

What happened happened in 1992, part of the family could not leave this area, they survived the worst ordeals that occurred during that period. It is very difficult to speak today because we are reminded that this man is no longer here.

We hoped that we would find his bones and that he would find peace. It is important to remember, and to leave the legacy of remembrance to new generations," said Lejla Kavazović.

The day before, a tevhid was recited for the souls of the martyrs in all mosques of the Vlasenica Islamic Community, and a promotion of the book "And They Were Only Children" by dr. Husejin Omerović was held.

For crimes in the area of the Vlasenica municipality, Dragan Nikolić Jenki was finally sentenced to 20 years by the Hague Tribunal, and Predrag Bastah Car to 22 years and Goran Višković Vjetar to 18 years in prison by the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.