Today marks the 29th anniversary of the Tuzla Gate massacre. A grenade fired from Ozren Mountain, from the position of the then Army of Republika Srpska, killed 71 and wounded more than 200 young people.
The average age of those killed was 21 years, and the youngest victim was two-and-a-half-year-old Sandro Kalesić.
RS Army General Novak Đukić, who was the commander of Tactical Group Ozren, was sentenced to 20 years in prison by the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina for the crime at the Tuzla Gate. However, since 2014, he has not responded to the execution of the sentence under the pretext that he is undergoing treatment in Serbia.
Although a warrant was issued for him, he was not extradited to Bosnia and Herzegovina because he has Serbian citizenship.
At the Tuzla Gate on May 25, 1995, the following were killed: Suzan Abdulismail, Edina Ahmetašević, Elvis Alagić Enko, Admir Alispahić, Lejla Atiković, Asmir Bakalović, Adnan Beganović, Damir Bojkić, Indira Borić, Ivana Bošnjaković, Elma Brguljak, Lejla Bučuk, Sanja Čajić . Hasan Hrustanović, Adnan Hujdurović, Elvira Hurić, Almir Jahić, Azur Jogunčić, Sandro Kalesić, Franc Kantor, Damir Kurbašić, Vanja Kurbegović, Vesna Kurtalić, Sulejman Mehanović, Pera Marinović, Nenad Marković, Amira Mehinović, Edin Mehmedović, Edisa Memic, Adrijana Milić . Sarajlić, Jasminka Sarajlić, Aim Slijepčević, Savo Stjepanović, Jelena Stojičić, Ilinka Tadić, Azur Vantić, Mustafa Vuković and Adnan Zaimović.
In memory of the tragedy and the suffering of civilians on May 25, 1995 at the Tuzla Gate, as well as all civilian victims of the war in Tuzla and Bosnia and Herzegovina, in 2003, the Tuzla Municipal Council passed a Decision on the commemoration of May 25 in the area of Tuzla.
In 2016, the Government of the Tuzla Canton passed the Decision on declaring May 25 a day of mourning in the Tuzla Canton.
Accordingly, on May 25, all authorities and institutions in the area of Tuzla Canton should fly their flags at half-mast.
The decision obliges media houses, as well as event organizers in the area of Tuzla Canton, to adapt their program content to the day of mourning, and this also applies to the owners of catering facilities, associations and organizations.
For all citizens of Tuzla, today is a day of mourning, a pain that never ends, since May 25, 1995. Since 1995, the citizens of Tuzla and the City of Tuzla, in a dignified way, by commemorating May 25, cherish the memory of the innocent victims of war crimes at the Gate and all civilian victims of the war in Tuzla and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Photo: Fena/archive
