ABRAMOVIĆ: THE CASE OF JELA PEJIĆ SHOWS SERBS ARE NOT WELCOME IN FBiH

BELGRADE, JUNE 30 /SRNA/ – The President of the Association of Refugees, Displaced and Settled Persons "Zavičaj" Nenad Abramović assessed for SRNA that the case of Jela Pejić /76/, a Serb returnee near Lukavac who was, by all accounts, murdered, is a classic example of intimidation targeting all Serbs who would wish to return to the Federation of BiH /FBiH/.

Abramović believes this is also a message to all Serbs in FBiH that they are not safe, that they cannot live in peace, and that they should leave the territory of that entity. "The situation becomes even more concerning because the federal authorities are now trying to change their statements. Initially, they said the elderly woman was murdered and that she was found with visible injuries, and now they are clouding the matter with claims that her death may have been from natural causes, in an attempt to minimise this terrible crime," said Abramović. He expressed hope that the authorities of Republika Srpska will respond appropriately, but stressed that this should in no way mean that Serbs become vengeful, emphasising that all members of the Muslim and Croat peoples residing in Srpska must continue to live in peace and complete protection. "We need to show the world and everyone that we are something completely different," Abramović underlined. He considers this case to be reprehensible and believes pressure must be exerted on all institutions of FBiH and the international community to investigate all details thoroughly. "Everything indicates that this was the murder of an elderly woman who was powerless and could not defend herself. This alone gives an even stronger dimension to this case. I hope such things will not be repeated. However, it is also a message to Serbs that they are not welcome in FBiH," Abramović said. Federal media reported yesterday that Jela Pejić /76/ died in the village of Rovine on Ozren from injuries sustained from a beating. The Federal Minister for Displaced Persons and Refugees Nerin Dizdar condemned the murder of the elderly Serb woman and demanded that the perpetrator be brought to justice. The Minister for Human Rights and Refugees in the Council of Ministers, Sevlid Hurtić, called on the competent institutions to urgently resolve the murder of the 76-year-old returnee. However, during his visit yesterday to the Serb returnee community near Lukavac, Hurtić changed his statement and said that "impressions regarding the circumstances of this case currently seem different from those this morning". Police reported that the coroner confirmed the death of the woman /76/ with visible injuries, while the prosecution later announced that according to preliminary autopsy results, "the death of Jela Pejić was not caused by the use of force by another person and that this was not a murder". Although reports in federal media and witnesses indicated that the body was found in the yard of her house, the cantonal Ministry of Interior stated that the body with visible injuries was found on Mount Ozren, while Jela Pejić's grandson told relatives that he found his grandmother on the firewood, completely naked. The Committee for the Protection of Serb Rights in FBiH has requested an explanation as to how Jela Pejić died a natural death on Ozren when she was found without clothing.