IMPORTANT FOR THE VOICES OF SERB WOMEN WAR VICTIMS TO BE HEARD

LAKTAŠI, JUNE 27 /SRNA/ – Serb women who were victims of the war crime of rape are neither recognized nor acknowledged outside the territory of Republika Srpska, and it is very important that their voices are heard and the truth revealed about the torture they endured during the war in BiH, it was said at the panel discussion entitled “We Remember for Peace” in Laktaši.

The President of the Association of Women War Victims of Republika Srpska, Božica Rajilić Živković, thanked the institutions of Republika Srpska for supporting the project.

“This is a day of remembrance for the victims of the Defensive-Patriotic War in Republika Srpska. We survived evil during the war and we do not want it to ever happen again to anyone, anywhere,” Živković told reporters after the panel discussion organized by the Centre for Gender Equality of the Government of Republika Srpska in cooperation with this association and the Republic Centre for War Research, War Crimes and Missing Persons.

Živković emphasized that the association wants to pass on their experiences to younger generations so they know what happened to them and ensure it never happens again, preserving the memory of all victims.

The Director of the Centre for Gender Equality of the Government of Republika Srpska, Maja Vekić, stated that Serb women, victims of the war crime of rape, are not recognized and acknowledged outside the territory of Republika Srpska.

“The turbulent global situation brings additional fear and insecurity, which is why we decided the panel discussion should be titled ‘We Remember for Peace’, as we believe that only through a culture of remembrance can we raise future generations for peace,” emphasized nVekić.

The Acting Director of the Republic Centre for War Research, War Crimes and Missing Persons, Viktor Nuždić, stated that this is one of many joint projects between the Association of Women War Victims and the institutions of Srpska.

“We have already worked on a large project ‘Our Testimony’, and we hope to soon have the second volume of the book, which we will present to the world public. It is extremely important that the voices of our victims from Republika Srpska are heard, not only of the women,” said Nuždić.

He pointed out that women and children are among the most vulnerable categories, often marginalised by others being mentioned more.

“Women bore great suffering, and they were not only victims with negative experiences – many were mothers, sisters, who had their own children and parents, which further worsened their position in captivity. According to our data, almost 3,500 women were killed in the Defensive-Patriotic War, and at least 2,500 went through torture in camps throughout BiH,” Nuždić said.

He stressed that many survived unimaginable torture, and many of them have never even spoken about it, although the Association of War Victims has made an immeasurable contribution in conveying the truth about wartime events and what happened to Serbs in these areas.

Nuždić stressed that the Ministry of Internal Affairs has done a huge job and all crimes against women have been documented.

“The other side of the story is the inaction of judicial institutions, which should deal with law and justice. The Association of War Victims also contributed greatly, and many women testified. However, the real question for the Court and Prosecutor’s Office of BiH is why these processes have not been completed, and many, such as the one in Posavina, ended with shameful verdicts and extremely low sentences, despite unambiguous evidence of what happened in the camps,” Nuždić emphasized.

The panel discussion was organized within the program of spa rehabilitation for women war victims, implemented under the auspices of the Office of the President of Republika Srpska.