UDIK Udruženje za društvena istraživanja i komunikacije
The Association for Social Research and Communication (UDIK) reminds the public that today is the 28th anniversary of the war crime in Pionirska Street in Višegrad.
In the Pionirska Street fire, on 14 June 1992, a group of Bosniak civilians were locked en masse in the house of Adem Omeragić in Višegrad. The house was set ablaze and the occupants were left to burn to death. About 70 Bosniak women, children and elderly men, most of them from the village of Koritnik, were confined in a house in Pionirska Street by cousins Milan and Sredoje Lukić, leaders of the paramilitary unit called Avengers. The youngest victim was two days old.
On this occasion, UDIK’s President Edvin Kanka Ćudić pointed out: „The Hague Tribunal has proved that one of the most monstrous campaigns of ethnic cleansing was conducted in Višegrad during the war against Bosnia and Herzegovina. This tells us that this city is one of the largest execution sites in Europe after World War II. The fact that in Višegrad there are almost no Bosniak population shows us what crimes were committed in the area of this municipality. We are afraid that the situation will not improve. Because of the continued denial of the truth about the events that took place in that city, our memories of the victims must be even stronger.”
For this crime ICTY sentenced Milan Lukić to life imprisonment and Sredoje Lukić to 27 years in prison. Alleged participant, Radomir Šušnjar, was arrested in France on 4 April 2014. He was later released and placed under court surveillance. He was extradited to Bosnia and Herzegovina in June 2018 to face charges. The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina sentenced Šušnjar to 20 years in prison.
Three years ago, UDIK presented the publication War crimes in Višegrad – verdicts. The publication included nine convictions for war crimes committed in Višegrad, issued by the State Court and the Supreme Court of the Federation. They were sentenced Boban Šimšić, Dragan Šekarić, Miloš Pantelić, Momir Savić, Nenad Tanasković, Novo Rajak, Oliver Krsmanović, Predrag Milisavljević, Vitomir Racković and Željko Lelek.
