Amir Reko, a former Bosnian soldier who is nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize because he saved 45 Serbs from certain death during the Bosnian war, told Nova.rs that he will always continue to speak out against those who committed atrocities, no matter what consequences he might face.

Reko was the first commander of the 43rd Drina Assault Brigade of what was then the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ARBiH), and was based in the southeastern town of Gorazde during the war.

His family was at the time in the Gudelj, a village that was controlled by the opposing Army of Republika Srpska (VRS). During an ethnic cleansing campaign, Bosnian Serb soldiers killed Reko’s mother and grandfather, as well as five family members, by setting their house on fire.

While this left him devastated, Reko could bring himself to participate in what he said members of the army he belonged to were preparing to do a few days later. The ARBiH was preparing to assault the village of Bucje, which was certain to end in a massacre.

Instead of seeking revenge, Reko stopped it. He organized talks with the locals who surrendered their weapons, saving 45 local Serbs and several Bosniaks.

He told Nova that, although he is glad he was nominated for the Nobel Prize, he would have preferred it if he would never have been in that situation that led to the nomination.

“Inhumans from the ranks of the Serb people drove away my mother and the whole family and burned them alive. Three days later, in the midst of heavy fighting in 1992 in and around Gorazde, I received a difficult order to clear a Serb village, and I managed to help those people in a military but humane way,” Reko said.

He explained what it was like on the ground in eastern Bosnia at this time, in 1992 – “there were no rules.”

However, his actions, more specifically his willingness to speak about what happened, was what prompted the city council in Gorazde to declare him persona non-grata. The Declaration was supported by 15 council members, four abstained and six were not present during the vote.

It says that the decision was made because what Reko was saying was not true and is causing damage to the reputation of the RBiH members who defended the area.

“I am still dealing with these accusations. There are still people who have not been convicted of war crimes and there are people who must answer both before God and before the people. And they should not hide because of their atrocities. In Gorazde, they resented me for tarnishing the reputation of the Army of BiH,” Reko said.

He stressed that no matter which army it may be, he will speak out against any of its members who dared to “raise their hand against the weak,” regardless of their ethnic group.

“This is a shameful decision of those who are trying to cover up some things, such as the crime committed by the RBiH Army in the village of Josanica, in my neighbouring village, where 52 Serbs, 19 women and four children were killed,” Reko said.
“This nomination is for all the brave and good people who did good humane deeds in difficult times and bravely rose above what happened in that cursed war,” he added.