Families, former inmates, citizens and representatives of the authorities gathered on Monday at the site of the Koricani Cliffs (Koricanske Stijene), throwing down 224 roses into the abyss for 224 Bosniak and Croat war prisoners who were executed 31 years on that location.

Addressing the attendees, Human Rights an Refugees Minister Sevlid Hurtic said that this is the number that should never be forgotten and needs to be present in our mind every day.

Foreign Minister Elmedin Konakovic emphasised that the testimonies of those who committed crimes are particularly gruesome and contain all the brutality of the politics that still lives in Bosnia and Herzegovina today.

“United in the pain that we share today because of this and all other sufferings, we are always ready to defend Bosnia and Herzegovina and every inch of it,” said Konakovic.

Travnik Mufti Ahmed Adilovic noted that the commemoration and everything that had happened at this and other sites of suffering is a “warning to all of us.”

Hamdija Joldic, one of those who accidentally avoided death, had left the bus who took his fellow citizens to death 31 years ago.

He was imprisoned in three camps during the war, Keraterm, Omarska and Trnopolje.

He used to be a cook in the camp. When the inmates took the bus, little did they knew it was taking them to death, he said, adding that some even paid to get in.

“I got on one of those buses, passed through and something told me to get out so I did, taking the front exit. They asked me why I did that, and I replied that I had to finish cooking the bean soup for people in my group, so I left,” said Joldic.

The next day those who stayed were told that the bus was attacked and killed by “our people” and “ we knew it was a notorious lie.”

According to the Association of Prisoners of War in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the crime against the prisoners was committed by members of the Intervention Platoon of the Bosnian Serb police unit from Prijedor, under the pretext of “taking the prisoners for exchange.”

Upon arrival at the Koricani Cliffs, on the Vlasic Mountain in Central Bosnia, the criminals took groups of camp inmates over the abyss and ordered them to line up and kneel above the abyss. They were killed from the back with shouts of the executors tha they are exchanging here “the dead for the dead, and the living for the living.” After the fall into the abyss, they killed the survivors by throwing bombs down after them, according to the association.

Eleven convicts were sentenced a total of 200 years in prison. The search for 80 percent of the body remains of the victims, that are believed to be buried at different locations, is still ongoing.

The Hague-based UN court for war crimes in former Yugoslavia sentenced Darko Mrdja to 17, Damir Ivankovic to 14, Gordan Djuric to 8, Ljubisa Cetic to 13, Zoran Babic to 22, Milorad Skrbic to 21, Dusan Jankovic to 21, Zeljko Stojnic to 15, Sasa Zecevic to 23, Marinko Lepoja to 23 and Radoslav Knezevic to 23 years in prison.