SERB RETURNEES IN THE FBiH ARE COMPLETELY UNPROTECTED

DRVAR, JUNE 29 /SRNA/ - A member of the House of Peoples of the Federation of BiH /FBiH/ Parliament, Goran Broćeta, told SRNA that the murder of a Serb returnee in the village of Rovine near Lukavac once again confirmed the difficult position of Serb returnees in the FBiH, emphasizing that it is unacceptable that nearly three decades after returning to their homes, Serbs still have to fight not only for their rights but also for their very lives.

“The murder of a 76-year-old elderly woman, in a manner that goes beyond all human decency, is the ultimate proof of such neglect. There is no more cruel death than one caused by brutal beating,” Broćeta stressed, commenting on last night’s incident. He stated that regardless of the motive behind this horrific crime, the institutions must urgently find the perpetrator or perpetrators, bring them to justice, and reveal who is bothered by the presence of an elderly woman. “I call on Internal Affairs Minister Ramo Isak to show his 'muscles' by protecting returnees in the FBiH, by arresting and prosecuting this kind of monster, instead of constantly embarrassing himself in his usual manner,” Broćeta said. He pointed out that, once again, it has become clear that Serb returnees in many parts of the FBiH live completely unprotected, and that their safety is almost entirely disregarded. “After 27 years of return and continued struggle for basic human rights, we now have to fight for our very lives,” Broćeta emphasized. He recalled that he had repeatedly issued public warnings about the unequal status of Serbs in the FBiH, both in terms of political representation as a constituent people and in terms of basic rights such as personal safety. Serb returnee Jela Pejić was killed last night in the settlement of Rovine near Lukavac. The murder of the elderly woman is one in a series of attacks against Serb returnees in Lukavac. The Cantonal Court in Tuzla issued a first-instance guilty verdict in January this year against Samel Ćatić, who murdered 90-year-old Serb returnee Jovanka Đurić in the village of Tumare on July 30, 2023.