prijava
SARAJEVO, August 12 (FENA) - Professor of philosophy and holocaust and genocide studies at the Southern Connecticut University in the USA David Pettigrew asked the High Representative Valentin Inzko to support the initiative on erection of a monument for 3.167 victims of crimes committed in Prijedor, stressing that would be a significant step towards justice and reconciliation.
In his letter to the High Representative, which is signed by 20 other people, survivors of war and international intellectuals, professor Pettigrew emphasized that crimes in Prijedor are documented in findings of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in detail, in dozens of books and reports and that numerous perpetrators of crimes in that municipalities have been convicted.
“…but criminals continue being celebrated, and one example of that is a monument erected to them next to the Trnopolje concentration camp, whereas family members have not been granted the right to erect monuments in Trnopolje, former Omarska camp or in the center of Prijedor. Local authorities in Prijedor have been successfully blocking all initiatives of this kind,” it is stated in the letter.
This is violation of human rights and Annex 7 of the Dayton Accords, which guarantees refugees’ right to return, “without risk of disturbance, intimidation, persecution or discrimination”.
Professor Pettigrew told FENA he decided to send this letter to the High Representative after recent meeting with OHR representatives, where they discussed the need for a state initiative to support the victims of sexual violence and torture. Representatives of the OHR emphasized that this institution is committed to “local reconciliation projects”.
Pettigrew pointed that erecting the monument or several monuments would be an important step towards reconciliation and sense of justice for the victims.
Pettigrew reminded that in case of Srebrenica and Prijedor posthumous remains of many victims still have not been found or identified, so the only significant opportunity for some family members in Prijedor would be erection of a monument.
“We urge you to establish cooperation with local activists and organizations and determine appropriate locations for monuments in Trnopolje, Omarska and the center of Prijedor. We find that monuments should be under jurisdiction of the state of BiH, in order to protect them from acts of vandalism and sacrilege,” it is stated in the letter.
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