The monument to the victims, located in the Šarampov settlement, near the Lim River, was erected on 27 February 2009, on the sixteenth anniversary of the kidnapping of passengers from a train travelling from Belgrade to Bar. On 27 February 1993, members of the Army of Republika Srpska took 20 non-Serb passengers off the train at the railway station in Štrpci (BiH) and then killed them. Nineteen citizens of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia were kidnapped and killed – eighteen Bosniaks, a citizen of the FRY originally from Croatia, as well as one person whose identity has not been established to this day. The victims lived in Belgrade, Prijepolje, Bijelo Polje and Podgorica. So far, 14 people in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia have been convicted for this crime, 10 of whom have been sentenced by final judgment. To date, the remains of only four victims have been found in Lake Perućac.
Although 20 people were abducted and later tortured and killed on February 27, 1993, the monument in Prijepolje bears the names of only nine victims – citizens of Prijepolje. As the monument in Prijepolje is the only material reminder of this crime in Serbia, we believe that adding the names of the remaining eleven victims (10 identified and one unknown victim) would contribute to an inclusive culture of remembrance in Serbia, a more just commemoration of this event, as well as acknowledging the suffering of the families of the victims. We also believe that all victims should be treated equally, regardless of nationality, religion or place of residence.
We believe that such a step, 33 years after the event, would contribute to understanding, respect, solidarity and facing the past – not only in the local community but also in the entire Serbia and the region.
The organizations/individuals that supported this request are:
- Youth Initiative for Human Rights (Serbia)
- Youth Initiative for Human Rights (Montenegro)
- NGO “Štrpci – Against Oblivion”
- Humanitarian Law Centre (HLC)
- Association of War Victims Foča 92-95
- Senna Šimek
- Civic Alliance
- Association “Kosmet Victims”
- Boban Skerlić
- Nina Radojčić
- Women in Black, Belgrade
- Association for Social Research and Communications (UDIK)
- Center for Nonviolent Action Sarajevo|Belgrade (CNA)
- Dr. Muamer Džananović, Director of the Institute for Research of Crimes against Humanity and International Law, University of Sarajevo
- Women of Polimlje, Prijepolje
- Association Svetionik, Novi Pazar
- Civic Initiatives
