The Association of Victims and Witnesses of Genocide expects the company Čistoća AD Banja Luka to urgently remove the mural with the image of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić, the association announced.
“If this request is not acted upon, we will be forced to contact the competent domestic and international institutions,” the statement stated, among other things.
“We expect Čistoća AD Banja Luka, in accordance with its jurisdiction and legal obligations, to urgently remove the said mural and thus demonstrate its commitment to respecting the law, the values of living together and building a society free from hatred and intolerance,” it also stated.
A mural with the image of the finally convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić was placed in Banja Luka on the building of the “Mozaik prijateljstva” soup kitchen, within the municipal building in the Mejdan settlement.
The Association of Victims and Witnesses of Genocide emphasizes in this regard that the installation and maintenance of such murals is contrary to basic civilizational values, that it insults the victims and their families and contributes to deepening divisions and spreading hatred in society.
The glorification of war criminals seriously violates the dignity of victims and jeopardizes the processes of reconciliation and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Association states, and recalls that preventing any further glorification of convicted war criminals is a duty in accordance with the Law on the Prohibition of Genocide Denial and Glorification of War Criminals in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
