A few days before the anniversary, the Youth Initiative for Human Rights seeks Croatia’s apology to victims of the Operation “Storm”.
“National interest is an admission, and not a lie”, reads a mysterious message that a few days ago appeared on billboards at some of the busiest streets in Zagreb, reports Jutarnji List on July 30, 2016.
At the same time, on the occasion of the 21st anniversary of the military operation “Storm”, the Youth Initiative for Human Rights in Croatia has launched a petition of apology “to the innocent ones who were killed and those who lost their loved ones. With this initiative, we want to show the face of Croatia which cares about justice and expressing solidarity with the victims”. The billboards were put up by members of the association.
The text of the petition reads: “We, the undersigned citizens of Croatia, want to use this opportunity to apologize to our citizens who were victims of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during and after the military operation Storm in August 1995. We express our apology in expectation that the same will be done by the highest state institutions whose precursors planned and executed the operation.
With our signatures, we want to apologize to everyone who, during that summer 21 years ago, lost their closest relatives in crimes committed against civilians during and after the Operation Storm. We want this apology to serve as an appeal to political officials and politicians in Croatia to recognize the responsibility and do everything possible to find and identify missing persons, to allow the return of refugees, to allow a decent life to those who have returned, and to prosecute those responsible for the crimes.”
The Initiative plans to send its petition to the government. “If we celebrate the liberation of Knin, then we should also hold a memorial service for the victims of the Storm”, says Joco Glavaš, the coordinator for the reconciliation programmes at the Initiative. “No one questions the Operation Storm as the liberation of occupied parts of the country, but we should make an apology to people who were killed at the time or have fled”, he concluded.
