SERB REMAINS BEING SECRETLY EXHUMED SCANDALOUS AND INHUMANE

BELGRADE, NOVEMBER 9 /SRNA/ – Chair of the Association of Serbs from the Region Miodrag Linta says that Croatian authorities secretly exhuming the remains of Serb victims from known gravesites in Knin and Daruvar during September and October, without informing either the public or the families of missing persons, is scandalous and deeply inhumane.

Linta stressed that the families had waited for years for the remains of their loved ones to be exhumed and identified, only to learn about the process indirectly, announced the Association of Serbs from the Region.

He pointed out that it is particularly hypocritical that Croatian officials continually accuse Serbia of allegedly withholding information about missing persons, while at the same time remaining silent about the fact that Serbs account for the majority of those listed as missing on Croatia's official register.

He stressed that the Government of Croatia and the Ministry of Croatian Veterans Affairs have a moral and legal obligation to urgently inform the families of all details concerning the exhumations in Knin and Daruvar, complete the identification process using DNA analysis as soon as possible, and inform the families on the results without any delay.

Linta emphasised that Croatia should put an end to the practice of selective disclosure of information and ensure that Serb victims and their families are treated with the same respect as Croat victims and their families.

“Missing Serbs are no less important than missing Croats. Their families have the same right to truth, justice and a dignified burial for their loved ones. The issue of missing persons must be a humanitarian, not a political matter, and must not depend on the victims' nationality,” Linta said.

Pointing to double standards of the Croatian authorities, Linta noted that, in cases involving the exhumation of Croat victims, the country's highest-ranking officials organise media-covered visits, make public statements and direct accusations at Serbia.

On the other hand, Linta said, when it comes to the exhumation of the Serb victims’ remains, everything is carried out in complete silence, without transparency or respect for the families who have been waiting for decades to learn the fate of their loved ones.

He recalled that, out of a total of 1,725 missing persons, at least 1,000 are Serbs, which, clearly demonstrates that the issue of missing persons in Croatia is subject to political manipulation, selective treatment and national discrimination.