Exactly 31 years ago, on May 14th, 1992, the first murder of children was committed in Gorazde at the beginning of the aggression against this city, when Mirsad Culov (15) and Selvira Suljovic (16) were killed in front of the building in what was then Sandzak brigade street.
After this date, during the 1.336-day-long siege, the continuous murders of children continued, and after three decades of the terrible events in Gorazde, on the initiative of Amar Imamovic, May 14th was declared the Remembrance Day of Murdered Children, and this day is also a day of mourning in the entire canton.
The parents of the murdered children are grateful to the institutions for deciding that one day in Gorazde will be dedicated to the murdered children.
Together with numerous citizens and officials, they laid flowers at the monument and prayed, and together they attended a forum organized by the Institute for Researching Crimes Against Humanity and International Law of the University of Sarajevo (UNSA), where expert associates Muamer Dzananovic and Ermin Kuka spoke.
Crimes without punishment
“On May 14th, 1992, when the first murder of children was committed in the city, the aggressors launched a fierce offensive with the aim of “cleansing Gorazde”, as stated in the documents, and forces from the Cajnice, Foca, Rudo, and Uzice Corps participated in this. As a result of these operations, the first murder of children was committed in the city, when 15-year-old Mirsad Culov and 16-year-old Selvira Suljovic were killed. Adem Hubanic (1963) was also killed in that crime, and Selvira’s brother Saudin (1983) and her father Ibrahim (1932) were wounded. Selvira’s mother was killed during the aggression. During the attack on Lozje on May 22nd, 1992, in which 11-year-old Advira Sahman was among the dozens of victims, it is also a fact that Selvira’s uncle and cousin, Mehmed (1943) and his son Senad (1966), were killed in that crime. Selvira’s brother Saudin was transferred to Uzice where he was not adequately treated,” Dzananovic stated.
During the siege of Gorazde, at least 120 children were killed and 428 wounded. Dzananovic emphasized that it is important to point out that among the 149 children whose names are written on the memorial, there are also children who have a direct or indirect connection with Gorazde but were killed in other municipalities.
He sent the competent institutions the initiative to finally form and make the Association of Parents or Relatives of Murdered Children functional.
“In addition to the memorialization of these crimes, society would have an interest in bringing them together to more easily recognize the different needs of these families. Also, the competent representatives of the authorities should send an urgent request to the cantonal and state judicial bodies, primarily to the State Prosecutor’s Office, with the question of which investigative actions were and are currently being conducted when it comes to the crimes against more than 550 killed and wounded children in Gorazde during the siege, and why no one was held accountable for these and other crimes during the siege,” Dzananovic added, Klix.ba reports.
E.Dz.
