PETRONIJEVIĆ: SARAJEVO POLITICALLY STAGNANT, WHICH IS WHY IT REACTS WITH MEANINGLESS REPORTS OVER GENERAL MLADIĆ POSTS

BELGRADE, SEPTEMBER 3 /SRNA/ – Sarajevo is politically stagnant and does not understand what is happening either in the world or in this region, which is why it is hysterically reacting with meaningless reports over social media posts about General Ratko Mladić, lawyer Goran Petronijević said.

He believes that the death of General Mladić and the reaction of the Serb patriotic community to it, because of his role in preserving the Serbs in this region, are merely a pretext for an outpouring of hatred toward Republika Srpska, Serbia and Serbs in general, as well as for filing complaints. "The real reason is the continuous persecution of Serbs in all areas over a longer period of time, which has now culminated. This is being carried out by Croatia, BiH, Priština and North Macedonia. This persecution is taking place in all these areas, even here in Serbia, with an attempted `colour revolution,`" Petronijević said. He said this was organised from abroad and that neoliberal circles from Brussels are working on it. "That is why the entire reaction of the Serb people, or a large part of them, to the death of General Mladić is merely a pretext for such actions. What they are doing in Sarajevo with these reports is absolutely meaningless. It is complete nonsense and a reaction by someone who does not understand where they are or what will geopolitically happen next in this region," Petronijević said. According to him, Sarajevo is confused by all sorts of developments, from the results of the US presidential election to the rapprochement between Republika Srpska, its leadership and the United States, as well as relations with Russia and Serbia. "They are politically stagnant; they have become stagnant because the international community has spent the past 30 years providing them with financial assistance to do nothing. Nothing works there anyway; they have lived off donations, and 24,000 of their non-governmental organisations received funding, while a huge number of their people received salaries," Petronijević said. He added that, judging by their behaviour, Sarajevo and the FBiH believe that this is how things should continue today. "Part of the international community, tied to the OHR and the high representative, has spoiled them in this respect by depriving them of any effort or willingness to engage in dialogue, reach agreements and attempt to co-exist with others, including part of the Croat national community. Through their orders and other things, the international community has actually encouraged them to do so," Petronijević said. According to him, Sarajevo is now therefore completely politically incapable and unable to organise political life, particularly political life with those who think differently or belong to another nationality. "That is the disservice the international community has done them through what they call 30 years of assistance. They still do not understand what is happening, and their hysterical reaction to Mladić's death and everything that followed is precisely the result of that ignorance and lack of understanding," Petronijević said. He believes that tens of thousands of reports and hundreds of cases opened over social media posts about General Mladić, based on the imposed article of the BiH Criminal Code concerning the prevention and punishment of genocide denial, should not frighten or intimidate anyone. "Such a hysterical decision should be rendered meaningless, which can be done by having as many people as possible behave in the way that those in Sarajevo believe is punishable. They can single out 800 people and prosecute them, but let them prosecute 8,000 or 80,000 people. That would mean a collapse, but it is the only way to counter such unreasonable decisions and behaviour," Petronijević said. He stressed that the atmosphere being created in Sarajevo has led to the emergence of the first manifestations of Nazism, which can be recognized in attacks on Serb returnees in Vogošća. Regarding General Mladić, Petronijević says that everyone should, according to their own conscience, express their opinion and respect, adding that there are also those who do not respect him and have the right to that view. He pointed out that democracy means that everyone can say or do what they believe should be said or done in response to something. "Not everyone likes General Mladić, and there is nothing wrong with that. Others insult him on social media, while we will pay our respects to him, and that is it. The greater the number of people who do so, the more this will render meaningless the initiation of proceedings against such a large number of people," Petronijević said.