Tuzla remembers Kapija Massacre: 31 years since the tragedy that claimed 71 young lives

The explosion claimed 71 lives, while over 150 citizens sustained serious or minor injuries.

The brutality of this crime is further emphasized by the youth of the victims. The average age of those killed was only 24 years, while the youngest victim was just two and a half years old.

In the former state, this date was traditionally celebrated as Youth Day. Because of this, on that May evening, the center of Tuzla was packed with young women and men who wanted to take advantage of the first sunny day after a long rainy period and, for a moment, amidst the madness of war, feel a semblance of normal life.

All joy and youth were brutally cut short at 8:55 pm, when the falling shell brought indescribable sorrow and death. Those who managed to survive this tragedy still fight difficult and quiet battles today with permanent physical and psychological consequences.

The families of the victims, among whom are mostly parents who lost their children, are gathering in Tuzla again this year. Year after year, they repeat that alongside the everlasting pain, the long-standing injustice hurts them the most.

Novak Djukic, a general of the Army of Republika Srpska and the commander of the "Ozren" Tactical Group at the time, was legally held responsible for the massacre of civilians at Kapija. The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina found him guilty of ordering the shelling and sentenced him to 25 years in prison in 2009.

However, five years later, the Constitutional Court of BiH overturned this verdict due to the wrong application of the Criminal Code, after which his sentence was altered to 20 years of imprisonment. Djukic took advantage of this legal vacuum, left the territory of BiH, and went to Serbia under the pretext of needing medical treatment.

Although the Court of BiH issued an international warrant that same year, official Belgrade refused his extradition, justifying it by the fact that Djukic holds Serbian citizenship and cannot be extradited under domestic laws. He still moves freely in Serbia today.

Back in 2016, the Government of the Tuzla Canton passed an official decision permanently declaring May 25 as a Day of Mourning across the entire canton. In accordance with this, flags have been lowered to half-mast on all institutions and public bodies in the canton. All media outlets, as well as organizers of sports and cultural-entertainment events, are obliged to fully adapt their programs and content to the Day of Mourning.