Image:
A satirical poster by a unknown artist showing the erasing of the word “Genocide” from the Visegrad memorial in the Straziste victim cemetery.
The slogan reads “Keep our town clean” and also contains the logo of the Visegrad Tourism Board.
Note: This poster was found on Facebook and VGM does not own the copyright to this photo.
Image: Worker erasing the word genocide from the memorial in Visegrad. At least 100 members of the Republika Srpska Special police forces backed the Visegrad authorities in its desecration of the Islamic cemetery in Visegrad.
Bosnian Serb authorities backed by police officials have removed the word “genocide” from a memorial plaque erected in the eastern Bosnian town of Visegrad for the Bosniaks killed during the 1992-1995 war.
The mayor of Visegrad, Slavisa Miskovic, said the word genocide was offensive to local people because there “is no proof of verdict about genocide in Visegrad”.
The Bosnian town is the site of one of the most horrendous war atrocities committed by Serb paramilitaries, led by Milan and Sredoje Lukic in 1992. Fifty-nine Bosniak elderly and women were detained in a house, along with 17 children, and burnt alive.
The memorial, erected in the Straziste Muslim cemetery, reads: “To all killed and missing Bosniaks, children, women and men, victims of genocide in Visegrad”.
However, authorities described the memorial as “illegally erected” and previously attempted to remove the word “genocide” last December. The move was postponed after Bosniaks’ protests.
A 1991 census showed that the population of the town was 25,000 – 63% were Bosnian Muslims.
According to documents of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), some 3,000 Bosniaks were murdered during the 1992-1995 violence, including 600 women and 119 children.
Visegrad was subjected to “one of the most comprehensive and ruthless campaigns of ethnic cleansing in the Bosnian conflict”, according to the ICTY.
Read more: Ibtimes.com
VGM warned about the possibilities of the memorial to be demolished.
Read also: Letter of support: Responsibility to protect genocide memorial in Visegrad
Photo: Nazija (Osman) Avdic 1939-1992
Photo: Rahima (Mujo Hajdarevic) Begovic “Begovka”. 1913-1992
Photo: Almas (Sahin) Begic 1936-1992
Photo: Dzenana (Meho) Gacka. 1969-1992
Photo: Fahrudin (Meho) Gacka. 1963-1992 (first from right), in company with Dzevad Kustura and Senad Muhic. All three worked in Terpentin factory.
Photo: Meho (Bekto) Gacka. 1928-1992 (first from right)
Photo: Hamsa (Redzo Kasapovic) Gacka. 1930-1992 (third woman from left)
During the trial of Milan and Sredoje Lukic, VG-115 testified about the murder of the Gacka family. NOTE: The witness mistakenly called the victim Amela instead of Dzenana. All other information about the victim – place of residence, parents name, place and circumstance of death match. Full transcript can be found here.
He needed fuel, and he said to me, Turn around and look out the window, that’s my girlfriend Amela Gacka from Dobrun, the village of Dobrun.
Q. Did you ever see this woman sitting in a car driven by Milan Lukic?
A. I noticed that woman in the Passat vehicle, but that was in late autumn, not on that day but in late autumn, a couple of months thereafter.
Q. After you met her, did you learn what happened to her?
A. I also had occasion to see her walking with Milan Lukic’s mother. They would be carrying some groceries that they had bought at the green market, and I could notice that Amela Gacka was pregnant.
Q. Is she alive today?
A. Amela Gacka is no longer alive.
Could you tell us in which conditions she died, if you know?
A. I was returning from the centre of town, from the public accountancy service (redacted) Amela Gacka was sitting by Milan in a car. He took her out and to the bridge, to the bridge over the Drina River. I remember, it had to be sometime around or before, rather, 1.00 p.m., during the day that is. She was the last victim that I know of in the city of Visegrad and this happened in autumn, in late autumn, it was cold. Actually, from what I learned Milan had her returned, had her specifically returned from Belgrade in order to cut short her young life. Amela Gacka had a father and a brother,Meho Gacka was the father and I forgot the name of the brother (redacted)
Q. You say that he made her come back so that he would end her life. What do you mean by that?
A. What I mean is that Gojko Lukic, his older brother, actually gave all that up and he was no longer noticed — his presence was no longer noticed in these last months in Visegrad. He left the town together with Amela Gacka to build a future somewhere else with her and live with her somewhere else and she was also pregnant. Before giving birth and giving — bringing a new life into this world, he brought her back to the Bosnian city of Visegrad and took her life. Otherwise Amela Gacka would also be a witness here today and she would have many a thing to tell about what Milan Lukic did. I’m very sorry for her and for her parents — parent and her brother, whom I knew well, although I do not know where they are today nor whether they are still alive. I have no information whatsoever about them.
