Funeral for six identified Victims of the Massacre in Biljani

Funeral and burial of six victims of the massacre in Biljani, whose remains were exhumed and identified from mass graves in the past period and who were killed in a terrible crime that took place in this settlement 24 years ago, was held yesterday at the Martyrs’ Cemetery Biljani.

Survivors, families of the killed ones, citizens of Ključ and Bosanska Krajina, and representatives of religious and political life gathered in Biljani yesterday to pay the last tribute to the victims of the massacre in Biljani, when almost all residents of this village were killed.

Funeral was held for six victims: Avdić (Smajo) Sead (1970), Balagić (Refik) Samir (1974), Botonjić (Ejub) Jasmin (1974), Botonjić (Hilmo) Raif (1970), Mujezinović (Hasan) Hamdija (1933) i Avdić (Derviš) Hamzo (1971).

“Everything is said here. These tombstones tell the entire story,” said Šemsudin Džaferagić, father of four killed children.

Participants in the marking of this painful and sad day were children from the jemaat Botonjići, who passed the same route on which the residents of this village walked on July 10, 1992, as well as the members of the Cycling Club “Fantek” Ključ, who passed the route Ključ-Biljani in memory of the victims in Biljani.

Exactly 24 years ago, members of the 17^th Light Ključ Brigade and police station killed almost all residents of Omanovići, Donji Biljani, Domazeti, Džaferagići, Ćehići, Mešani and Jabukovac. On July 10, 1992, almost the entire settlement of Biljani disappeared.

There are 258 victims, men, women, children and elderly ones. Among hundreds of victims, the oldest was Bećo Ćehić and the youngest was the four-month-old baby Amila Džaferagić, who died in a pit clutching a bottle with milk, in the arms of her killed mother.

In 1996, the Court of BiH sentenced Marko Samardžija, who issued orders and participated in the massacre, to 26 years in prison. Marko was the teacher to majority of the killed ones and he taught them how to write precisely in the school where they were detained and killed.

(Source: klix.ba/photo: rtv7.ba)