Humanitarian or criminal? The name of Sekula Stanic, former director of the wartime hospital in Foca, has resurfaced following an initiative to erect a bust in his honor in Sarajevo for his alleged bravery. This initiative has sparked controversy, as Stanic’s actions have long been questioned and deemed unacceptable by many victims in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). The Sarajevo City Council is expected to discuss the matter at a session today.
For victims, erecting a bust of Dr. Stanic is degrading and tantamount to endorsing crimes, as they argue his views and actions were far from humanitarian. They aim to debunk what they see as a myth with evidence.
“Sekula Stanic was the director of the hospital in Foca at the time. He didn’t save a single Bosniak. There are even claims that he ordered technicians to go to some prison and take blood from detainees for his own wounded,” said Midheta Kaloper, president of the Foca 92-95 War Victims Association.
Thirty-two years after his death, Stanic’s actions are being brought into focus again, prompted by the initiative to honor him with a bust. Despite the backlash, the initiator remains resolute, asserting that the truth must come to light.
“In his own way, he spoke out against the terror, helping Bosniaks escape from Foca. On the other hand, in April or May 1992, in protest after the neighborhood of Stara Foca was burned – all Bosniak houses except his own – he returned two days later with gasoline, set his house on fire, and waited for it to burn down. It’s also reported that he was originally from Miljevina and set fire to his family home,” said Dragan Stevanovic, an SDP councilor in the Sarajevo City Council.
“I hope this initiative won’t even make it onto paper, let alone be discussed in the City Council,” Kaloper stated.
Who was Dr. Sekula Stanic? This question will be the subject of further investigation. For some, he was a criminal; for others, he was a humanitarian who received the Dusko Kondor Award for Civil Courage.
“He couldn’t have burned a house that didn’t exist, but everything else written in the award explanation is accurate. He did save pregnant women on the brink of giving birth because there were deranged individuals coming to the hospital intending to abuse those women,” reminded Svetlana Broz, director of the NGO Gariwo Sarajevo.
The revocation of his award is now being reconsidered. The issue of the monument’s location is also disputed.
“Some say it’s more appropriate for Foca, but you know that the successors of fascist ideologies who govern in Foca and Banja Luka, or anywhere else, hide this like snakes hide their legs,” Stevanovic remarked.
“As long as one person from Foca is alive, a monument to Sekula Stanic will not be erected – not in the center or anywhere in Sarajevo. Sekula Stanic is not a hero; he was part of a broader criminal plan aimed at creating ‘Greater Serbia.’ We will initiate and document who was responsible for what happened in the Foca hospital,” announced journalist Dzenana Karup-Drusko.
The truth about Sekula Stanic and which side of history he stood on is owed to everyone, not just the victims of the darkest wartime period in Foca. Victims’ associations have warned that building such a monument would perpetuate humiliation. How we deal with the past will determine our future.
