A commemoration ceremony was held for 224 Bosniak and Croat civilians who were put in concentration camps during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina and were taken to the Koricanske rocks near Vlasic Mountain in the central part of the country by bus on August 21, 1992 and shot by Serbian soldiers.
In the ceremony attended by many relatives of the victims and politicians, 224 roses were thrown down the rocks to pray.
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Minister of Human Rights and Refugees, Sevlid Hurtic, in his speech at the ceremony, said, “We must remember the number 224 every day to remember 224 people. 224 people were killed and thrown into this abyss. Let’s not forget this number and tell our children.” used the phrases.
Underlining that they are “ready to defend every inch of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” Foreign Minister Elmedin Konakovic noted that there should be unity in all such sufferings.
Travnik Mufti Ahmed Adilovic said that today’s commemorations should carry a “warning” message.
“I got on the bus, a voice inside me was ‘Get off now!’ said”
Hamdija Joldic, who avoided being killed by getting off the bus at the last minute, said people thought the buses were coming to save them, and some even paid to get on the bus.
Joldic said, “I got on the bus, and a voice inside me was ‘Get off now!’ He said, and I got out through the back door. To those who asked me why I had come down, I told them I had to go back because I had food left on the stove.” said.
Bosniaks and Croats, who were taken from the Trnopolje concentration camp in Prijedor to the city of Travnik, were shot by Serbian troops on the Koricanske rocks on 21 August 1992.