Urgent removal of mural depicting war criminal Mladić requested

(Patria) - The Association of Victims and Witnesses of Genocide has sent official letters to public utility companies in Kalinovik, Foča and Nevesinje demanding the removal of murals depicting Ratko Mladić, who has been finally convicted of genocide and other war crimes.

"We are addressing you regarding the mural dedicated to Ratko Mladić, placed on a street near a school and the Foča Municipality building, in the immediate vicinity where children gather and play daily. The mural features the image of Ratko Mladić with the inscription 'Thanks to your mother', thereby glorifying a person who has been finally sentenced to life imprisonment for genocide and other crimes committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina before the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals in The Hague.

Such content creates additional insecurity, especially among Bosniak returnees to Foča, and seriously undermines citizens' sense of security and dignity.

We remind that the adoption of the Law on Amendments to the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina (the so-called Law on Prohibition of Denial of Genocide, Official Gazette of BiH 46/21) stipulates that it is a criminal offense to publicly approve, deny, grossly trivialize or attempt to justify genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. Also, Article 145a of the Criminal Code of BiH provides sanctions for glorifying war criminals.

In this regard, we demand that the public utility company 'Komunalac' a.d. Foča immediately remove the said mural, and through its actions contribute to the preservation of public order, security and respect for the laws of Bosnia and Herzegovina," the association stated.