The Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) formed the case due to the announcement of the event of “Marking the Day of Russian Volunteers” in Visegrad, and after receiving the report from the association “Women-Victims of War”.
“Marking the Day of Russian Volunteers” in Visegrad was announced on April 12th this year, and the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH has formed a case which was assigned to the acting prosecutor, as was stated in the announcement.
The Day of Russian Volunteer Fighters is marked on April 12th, the day when three Russian soldiers were killed and several were wounded near Visegrad in 1993. These were soldiers from the Russian Federation who fought on the side of the Army of the Republika Srpska (VRS) in the wider area of the mentioned city during the war in BiH from 1992 to 1995.
As the representatives of the victims’ association are concerned, this is a day that represents a provocation for Bosniaks.
About 3.000 Bosniaks were killed in Visegrad during the war, including about 600 women and more than a hundred children.
Some of the most serious crimes in Visegrad were committed in settlements Bikavac and Pionirska Street when more than 60 Bosniak civilians were detained in July 1992, including women and children, who were burned alive. Milan Lukic was sentenced to life imprisonment for these crimes at the Hague Tribunal. His cousin Sredoje Lukic was sentenced to 27 years in prison for the same crime.
According to the data of the RS Government, about 700 Russian citizens fought in the RS Army from 1992 to 1995.
Despite numerous public condemnations for honoring the Russian volunteer fighters on the Visegrad hill, ”Grad na Bikavcu”, a memorial cross was set on April 12th, 2017, which is 5.5 meters high and has weight about 400 kg, on which the names of seven Russian volunteers who died on the battlefields around Visegrad were engraved. The monument was set with the funds of donors from Russia and the Government of the RS, in an organization by the association of citizens of the Serbian-Russian community ”Zavet” from Bijeljina.
Also, one street in Visegrad is called “Kozacka Street”.
