KARAN PRESENTS DECORATION TO JASENOVAC CAMP SURVIVOR HEROINE JELENA BUHAČ-RADOJČIĆ

BANJA LUKA, APRIL 17 /SRNA/ – Republika Srpska President Siniša Karan has today presented in Banja Luka a decoration to Jelena Buhač - Radojčić, a surviving heroine of the Jasenovac concentration camp.

Karan presented the decoration ahead of the premiere of the documentary-historical film "The Last Witness" about Radojčić's life. Her life story also served as the basis for the screenplay of the feature film "Dara of Jasenovac". Radojčić is a witness to the ordeal and a survivor of the Stara Gradiška camp. She is one of the children saved by Diana Budisavljević. In addition to Karan, those attending the film premiere include Republika Srpska National Assembly Speaker Nenad Stevandić, the Minister of Education and Culture Borivoje Golubović, Acting Director of the Republika Srpska Research Centre of War, War Crimes and Tracing Missing Persons Viktor Nuždić, representatives of organisations stemming from the Defensive-Patriotic War, clergy of the Serbian Orthodox Church, and numerous public figures. The film premiere is being held as part of the commemoration of the Day of Remembrance for the victims of genocide against Serbs, Jews, and Roma in the NDH between 1941 and 1945. The film was directed by Nedeljko Lajšić, produced by Una Film from Belgrade, and the premiere screening is organised by the Office of the Republika Srpska President. The Republika Srpska Government has declared April 19 a Day of Mourning in the entity on the occasion of commemorating the Day of Remembrance for victims of the Ustasha genocide in the Jasenovac concentration camp and its largest execution site – Donja Gradina in the NDH between 1941 and 1945. According to data of the Donja Gradina Memorial Zone, 700,000 victims of Ustasha crimes perished in the notorious Jasenovac camp during World War II, including 500,000 Serbs, 40,000 Roma, 33,000 Jews, and 127,000 anti-fascists. Among the victims were 20,000 children.