NOT PUNISHING PERPETRATORS OF ATTACKS ON SERB RETURNEES IS A DANGEROUS PRACTICE

SARAJEVO, JULY 25 /SRNA/ – Staša Košarac, Deputy Chair of the Council of Ministers, told SRNA that attacks on Serb returnees in the Federation of BiH (FBiH), their property, and their holy sites are not just vile acts of vandalism but also send an extremely negative message to the Serb people that they are not welcome in the FBiH, and that it is a dangerous practice to delay finding and punishing those responsible.

Košarac stated that he is appalled by the frequent attacks on Serb returnees and their property in the Federation of BiH, as well as the continuous desecration of Orthodox holy sites in that entity. He emphasized that the situation on the ground is alarming and that authorities in the FBiH must address this pressing issue in a serious and responsible manner. He warned that in the past ten days, terrifying images of violence against Serbs, their property, and religious buildings have come from various places in the FBiH. "In Mostar, the car of the Serb returnee Čvoro family was set on fire in front of their house. A similar incident occurred last year in the same city, when the car of Serb returnee Drago Rupar was set ablaze, also in front of his home. The perpetrator was never found, nor was the case solved," Košarac noted. He reminded that in Kakanj, the chapel at the Serbian Orthodox cemetery Karaula was again targeted by vandals, and that the priest warned this was the fifth attack on Orthodox sites in the past few months. He also recalled that in mid-July, the Cathedral of the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God in Tuzla was desecrated, with perpetrators damaging the reliquary of Blessed Matrona of Moscow, breaking into the church shop, and stealing voluntary contributions from the faithful. "Unfortunately, we could endlessly list cases of attacks on the small number of Serb returnees in the FBiH and their property, as well as desecrations of Orthodox holy sites," Košarac said. He emphasized that endangering the personal safety and destroying the property of Serb returnees and the Serbian Orthodox Church is not just vile vandalism, but also sends a deeply troubling message to the Serb people that they are unwelcome in the FBiH. Such attacks, he stressed, undermine already fragile trust and further instill fear, bitterness, and anxiety among the remaining Serbs in the FBiH. Košarac underscored that it is dangerous to delay finding and adequately punishing those responsible, as it sends a message that violence is encouraged and justified, which is unacceptable. "For who knows how long, I have been appealing to the competent authorities in the cantons and the FBiH to react urgently and without delay, to bring the perpetrators of these crimes to justice, and to adequately protect all citizens and their property regardless of their national and religious affiliation," Košarac said.