Divjak: I was freed by the words – Don’t shoot!

Several hundred Sarajevo residents greeted with a roaring applause retired Army of BIH general Jovan Divjak, who said that he was saved from extradition to Serbia by the words “Don’t shoot!”,which he said on May 3, 1992 in Dobrovoljacka street.

Divjak thanked several people who had helped him to be liberated and who assisted him in his time in Vienna for the past five months, during which the Serbian extradition request was being processed by the Austrian court.  

„This is a defeat of the Serbian side and the prosecution. We have never lost since April 1992when we  started to defend Sarajevo“, said Divjak.

The Austrian Court considered that there is no guarantee that Divjak would have a fair trial in Serbia. For that reason, it has rejected Serbia ’s request for his extradition as illegitimate.

„The Territorial defence had beaten on May 2 1992 the fourth biggest Army in the world, and on May 3 there was an incident. Those responsible should answer for it. If I am responsible, then I am here“, Divjak told several hundred Sarajevo residents.

Divjak is on of 18 persons under investigation by the Serbian War Crimes Prosecution, due to suspicion that they are responsible for the murder of several members of the Yugoslav National Army, JNA in Dobrovoljacka Street, Sarajevo . The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina is also conducting an investigation into this case.
 
According to Divjak “political games” are stopping the work on the Dobrovoljacka street investigation.
 
Divjak said that he owes his gratitude to Sanela Jenkins, a renowned businesswoman born in Sarajevo, and thanked Haris Hrle and Damir Arnaut, Bosnian ambassadors to Austria and Australia respectively, for their support. He also thanked lawyer Edina Residovic, Haris Silajdzic, former member of the BiH Presidency, Sarajevo Mayor Alija Behmen and Fikret Music, Prime Minister of Sarajevo Canton.

However, Divjak saved his special thanks to the citizens of Sarajevo, who had supported him.
He was joined on stage by members of the Association “Education builds BiH”, whi he founded.

Along with several hundred citizens, the gathering in the Youth center was attended by members of the academic community, as well as politicians. After Divjak’s pressconference, a musical show started.

M.T.