Medak Pocket: Commemorations mark 33 years since killings of Serbs

Commemorations were held in Belgrade to mark the 33rd anniversary of the Medak Pocket operation, a 1993 military action by Croatian forces that resulted in the deaths of approximately 87 to 88 Serbs. The victims included 35 to 36 civilians, among them 17 women, from the villages of Divoselo, Čitluk, and Počitelj.

Documentation from the Veritas center indicates that the operation involved the systematic liquidation of prisoners and the use of scorched-earth tactics, leaving the villages looted and destroyed. UNPROFOR commander General Jean Cot reportedly noted the total devastation of the area during the withdrawal of Croatian forces.

Critics and representatives of the Alliance of Serbs from the Region have expressed dissatisfaction with the legal outcomes. They noted that while the ICTY transferred the Adem/Norac case to the Croatian judiciary, the resulting sentences were minimal. Croatian General Mirko Norac was sentenced to six years, while other soldiers received sentences between three and five years. Miodrag Linta emphasized that the families of the victims deserve full truth and justice.