UDIK Udruženje za društvena istraživanja i komunikacije
The Association for Social Research and Communication (UDIK) reminds the public of the 28th anniversary of the Kazani pit killings.
Although 28 years have passed since the monstrous crimes at Kazani pit on Mountain Trebević, we still testify that the crimes committed by the forces of Mušan Topalović (nicknamed „Caco“), commander of the 10th Mountain Brigade of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, still divide the public. For some, Topalović is a criminal, for others a hero, and for some both.
In 2014, UDIK marked the anniversary of the Kazani pit killings for the first time. Thus, UDIK became the first NGO to organize a public commemoration of this anniversary. The following year, the anniversary was marked in the same way in front of the Sarajevo Cathedral and in 2016 the publication “War Crimes at Kazani – Verdicts” was published. During the next three years, UDIK urged the City of Sarajevo to erect a monument at the site of the massacres, but also in the center of Sarajevo. Also, it was urged the removal of the memorial plaque dedicated to Mušan Topalović, which is located on the wall of the Elementary School Edhem Mulabdić in the Sarajevo neighborhood of Bistrik.
Last year, a joint commemoration was organized with individuals and civil society organizations in front of the Eternal Flame in Sarajevo. Once again, it was demanded that the monument to the killed victims of Kazani should be erected not only at the site of the mass executions but also in the center of Sarajevo, because the victims were the citizens of Sarajevo. In the same year, and due to greater public interest, the second edition of the book about Kazani was published. In this way, an effort was made to inform the citizens about this topic, but also to encourage the City Council to erect a monument to the victims of Kazani.
In 2021, the City of Sarajevo issued a call for a conceptual design for the monument to the victims of Kazani, but it was later annulled. In the end, a decision was made to erect a memorial plaque. UDIK supported the idea, but did not agree with the current mayor on the message and the number of victims that should be engraved on the plaque. The number of victims is not final. Also, out of respect for the victims, it must be stated who killed those citizens during 1992 and 1993. This is not only a political issue, but also an ethical one. The Kazani case represents Sarajevo’s struggle for the truth, for its multicultural, multi-confessional and anti-fascist past and future. On that path, Sarajevo chooses the side of good or evil.
