Source: https://www.dnevnik.ba/vijesti/reakcija ... va-2634772

Translation courtesy of Google...

Reaction of the Department for HVO Veterans and the Homeland War: This is not just a vandal act of destroying someone else's property, this is much more than that, this is a blow to coexistence with a demonstration of savagery

The Department for Defenders of the HVO and the Homeland War of the Croatian National Parliament strongly condemns the act of vandalism and cowardice by which the Croatian flag was removed from the monument to the fallen members of the Croatian Defense Council at the Catholic cemetery in Jelah a few days ago. 05/27/2022 as well as the destruction of wreaths laid on the occasion of marking the 30th anniversary of the HVO King Tvrtko Brigade in Sarajevo.

Members of the 110th HVO Usora Brigade were the first to defend both Usora and the entire Tešanj region, and the erection of this monument was only a small sign of attention to the sacrifice of Croatian defenders, who defended Usora and the Tešanj region with their selfless sacrifice and heroic struggle. , and the destruction of the Croatian flag as part of the monument, once again showed disrespect and devaluation of Croatian victims in the last Homeland War.

This is not just a vandal act of destroying someone else's property as prescribed by the FBiH Criminal Code, this is much more than that, this is a blow to coexistence with demonstrations of savagery, intolerance and incitement to national and religious intolerance and disrespect for the other and different, and ultimately, intimidation of the Croatian people with the message that it is no longer desirable, not only in Jelah, Tešanj, Maglaj, Bihać, Sarajevo, but also in other places in Bosnia and Herzegovina where the majority Bosniak people. This is not an isolated case, because the same thing happened before with the removal and destruction of the flag of the Croatian people in Fojnica near Maglaj, Selište near Žepče and in the churchyard in Vareš. In previous similar cases, prosecutors in the Cantonal Prosecutor's Office of Zenica-Doboj County rejected the report and issued a Decision not to conduct an investigation, specifically Prosecutor Adin Karadz, and later the Chief Prosecutor Vesna Kaknjo on appeal, because "they did not find a criminal offense." If not because of inciting national and religious hatred and intolerance, which is obviously the case here, they did not find it appropriate to initiate proceedings to determine responsibility for destroying other people's property, because both are recognized as criminal offenses in the Criminal Code of the Federation of BiH.

For over 100 killed Croatian sons and daughters of the Croatian people of the HVO Brigade King Tvrtko who were the first to defend Sarajevo, they are not enough signs of attention and respect for so many victims, but destroying freshly placed wreaths message that they are not desirable and that there is no more place for Croats in Sarajevo.

It is inadmissible to desecrate the dignity and sacrifice of Croatian veterans, because they laid down their lives in defense of the sovereignty and integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina and therefore should be considered historically significant people, because their lives are embedded in the foundations of the country we live. Disrespecting the memory of Croatian heroes and all those who are most deserving of defending and creating an independent Bosnia and Herzegovina, of those who in that historical time put their country and their people before their own interests and even their own lives, is an expression of disrespect for their own country and her identity. Because of all this, these two acts deserve the full attention of the public and the reaction of the rule of law and its institutions in finding and punishing the perpetrators of these crimes.

We ask the question to everyone in Bosnia and Herzegovina, is it allowed only because it is about the Croatian people and their symbols and shrines, and whether in this case in Jelah and Sarajevo will repeat the same scenario and actions of the competent prosecutor's offices, because as before and this time they found no elements of a crime.
The complete silence of the representatives of the international community on the intimidation of the Croatian people and the destruction of their symbols and shrines is also worrying, so we ask the High Representative in BiH, Mr. Cristijan Scmidt, Head of the EU Delegation to BiH Mr. Johann Sattler, US Ambassador to BiH Mr. Michael J. Murphy, Ambassador of the United Kingdom to BiH Mr. Matthew Field, but also all other representatives of the international community, is it possible that in none of these cases did you find it appropriate to address the public, strongly condemn cases of inciting national and religious intolerance and disrespect for the second and different, in this case the smallest Croatian people in Bosnia and Herzegovina. What would be the reaction of the rule of law you come from to such cases of provoking criminal acts on religious and national grounds ???

Does your silence mean approving these cases of collapsing coexistence and tolerance and intimidating the Croatian people, and do you agree with those who are sending us as Croats the message that there is no place for us in Bosnia and Herzegovina?

The Croatian people have survived many humiliations, oppressions and injustices throughout history, so they will survive those to whom they are increasingly exposed, without any real reaction from the competent judicial bodies, political representatives of the Bosniak people, and here you are from the International Community. Those who do such things to the Croatian people, as well as those who remain silent on them without any condemning reaction, do not wish well not only to the Croatian people, but also do not wish well to Bosnia and Herzegovina, because without the Croatian people there will be no Bosnia and Herzegovina , at least as she is today. Croatian defenders and the Croatian people set out with their bare hands to defend their Homeland of Bosnia and Herzegovina, their families and their saints, and did not allow themselves to be intimidated in the Homeland War, so they will not be intimidated even today. That is why the message to our Croatian people in BiH, united by the full unity of the Croatian people, we can resist all new insults, humiliations and temptations put before us by our former partners in the defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina, members of the Bosniak people. This is obviously the time of survival of the Croatian people in BiH, so let's suppress all our political differences and let it be true, "For the Croatian people everything, the Croatian people for nothing", because if we are together, there is no enemy who will make us a constituent and equal people be able to remove from Bosnia and Herzegovina, no matter how hard they try to intimidate us and send us messages that we are no longer wanted here.