BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 11. The Deputy Chair of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Minister of Defense, Zukan Helez, visited the village of Mokronoge in the municipality of Tomislavgrad to mark the 32nd anniversary of the suffering of the Bosniaks from this area, Trend reports.
In the presence of the victims’ families, as well as political and religious representatives, Minister Helez laid flowers and recited the Fatiha at the memorial to Bosniak civilians who perished in this village. As part of the official program, he then delivered a commemorative speech.
Addressing those present, Minister Helez paid tribute to the innocent victims with sorrow and deep respect, recalling the gravity of the crime committed 32 years ago.
“For centuries, honest and hardworking people of different nationalities and faiths have lived in these regions, sharing both good and bad, relying on each other. Unfortunately, 32 years ago that harmony was broken. On that day, nine innocent people were brutally murdered solely because they were Bosniaks, Muslims. They were killed in their own homes, at the hands of those who should have been their neighbours,” Minister Helez stated.
He stressed that gatherings at such places carry multiple meanings — expressing respect, preserving the truth, and persistently seeking justice.
“We must never stop speaking the truth and seeking justice. We owe that to the victims, to their families, and to future generations. The road from forgetting to repeating crimes is short, and that is why we must be aware of our responsibility,” Helez said.
The Minister particularly emphasised that all crimes committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina must be acknowledged, without minimisation or justification, and that war criminals must not be glorified.
“It saddens me that even today, in some parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, war criminals are glorified and decorated. This is not the path we should take. A crime is a crime, no matter who committed it. A victim is a victim — there is no difference,” Helez said, stressing that only on the foundations of truth and justice can a better and fairer future for Bosnia and Herzegovina be built.
“May eternal mercy be upon the innocent souls whose names are engraved on the monument before us,” Minister Helez concluded.
