High Representative Christian Schmidt visited Ahmići and paid respect to the victims of war crimes committed in April 1993.
“Reconciliation requires the effort of the entire society to respect the victims and acknowledge the truth of what happened. Everyone has to come to terms with the past. Those people who were convicted and have served their prison sentences should remain publicly silent except when talking about redress and showing respect for the victims. Denying or belittling war crimes, represents a clear insult to the victims and survivors.
We all must do our best to make sure the horrific crimes are never repeated, and that no one is given the opportunity to repeat them. In that respect, I wish to say clearly that the recent remarks by Dario Kordić, the convicted war criminal and the person responsible for the events in Ahmići, are deplorable.
Successful reconciliation, where victims and survivors are respected and not forgotten, is essential for opening an unburdened path towards a better future. For these efforts to bear fruit, those who deny genocide or war crimes, as well as those who glorify war criminals, must be sanctioned to the full extent of the law. I underline the importance of respecting the law for those who it may concern. I see there is an urgent need to include war criminals convicted in The Hague in the criminal register of BiH,” said the High Representative Schmidt.
