Croatia commemorates 35th anniversary of Četekovci massacre

A commemoration was held at the local cemetery in Četekovci to mark the 35th anniversary of the massacre of 24 Croatian civilians and defenders in the villages of Četekovci, Čojlug, and Balinci. The event, organized by the Municipality of Mikleuš, honored victims of one of the largest crimes against civilian populations in the Virovitica-Podravina County during the Homeland War.

The victims ranged in age from 18 to 93 years old. While the perpetrators of the killings, carried out by rebel Serbs and members of the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA), are known, they remain in Serbia and are currently unavailable to the Croatian judiciary.

Representatives from the Croatian Parliament, the Government, and the Ministry of Croatian Veterans attended the ceremony. Josip Đakić, an envoy of the President of the Croatian Parliament, noted that achieving justice through diplomatic means remains a difficult and currently nearly impossible task given the situation with neighboring countries.