Delegations from Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Republika Srpska (RS) entity paid tribute to the killed members of the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) in the former Dobrovoljacka street in Sarajevo.

In the former Dobrovoljacka Street, today Hamdije Kresevljakovica Street, delegations from the RS commemorated the fallen members of the former Yugoslav People's Army who were killed in the convoy that was leaving the city on May 3, 1992. This year, the anniversary is celebrated a few days earlier, due to an Orthodox Christian holiday.

With police securing the area, the event was attended by families of the victims, political officials and representatives of veterans’ organizations of Republika Srpska, who laid flowers at the site and prayed for the victims.

On May 3, 1992, 32 years ago, JNA soldiers from the Bistrik Barracks were supposed to be exchanged for the President of the BiH Presidency, Alija Izetbegovic, who was captured by the JNA at the airport the day before. Shortly after departure, the JNA members were cut off and stopped in Dobrovoljacka Street.

There is still conflicting information on the exact number of those killed. However, according to the data of the Prosecutor's Office of BiH, eight people were killed, while 24 people were wounded.

Those gathered pointed out that it seems that the case before the court will never come to an end.

“We do not have hope that the judicial institutions will do their work as they should,” said Viktor Nuzdic, director of the Republic Center for Crime Research of the RS.
Branimir Kojic, president of the Organization of Families of Captured and Killed Fighters and Missing Civilians of Srebrenica, said that no one was held responsible for the suffering of the members of the JNA.

“I live and work with Bosniaks, they are safe, a hair has never been missing from their head and never will. What leaves a terrible impression on us is the fact that there is such a large number of police officers in Sarajevo, which means that we are not safe,” Kojic said.

The Hague Tribunal previously found that the JNA column in Dobrovoljacka Street was a “legitimate military target”.