Commemoration of Serb exodus from Croatia

Fifteen years since the start of the Croatian military operation that led to the exodus of over 200,000 ethic Serbs is being commemorated today. A service would be held in memory of the victims in St. Marko’s Church in Belgrade, which would be attended by President Boris Tadic. Commemoration of Serb exodus from Croatia In Croatia, August 5 is a state holiday, is celebrated as Victory Day, celebrating Operation Storm. Croats see the military and police onslaught against the Serb areas as an operation that returned parts of its territory that were under the control of ethnic Serb military units back to Croatian rule. According to existing statistics, 1,805 persons went missing after the operation, and the Croatian Helsinki Human Law Committee claims that about 700 civilians died during the operation. The Documentation-Information Center Veritas has the names of 1,960 killed and missing Serbs in its files. In Serbia the anniversary is marked by paying tribute to the Serbs that were killed and focusing attention on their mass exodus. Most of the refugees are yet to return to their homes 15 years later. President Tadic has met with officials of the Association of the Families of Victims and Missing Persons from Croatia, stating that this crime "should never be forgotten". Tadic added however that after 15 years, the focus needed to be on the future, and that the problems the refugees were facing regarding their return to Croatia needed to be discussed with Croatia. Reacting to Tadic’s statements that Storm was a crime that should never be forgotten, Croatian President Ivo Josipovic said that it was a "legal and legitimate action that led to Croatia freeing its occupied territory". Josipovic also praised those who took part in the operation, and said his compatriots remembered it with pride. Croatian PM Jadranka Kosor has supported this stance. Meanwhile at The Hague, on the eve of the anniversary, the tribunal's prosecution has asked for long prison terms for the three former Croatian generals that led the operation. If found guilty, Ante Gotovina could face 27 years in jail, while the prosecution is seeking 17 and 23 years respectively for Ivan Cermak and Mladen Markac. They were charged with war crimes committed against the Serb population of Croatia during and after Operation Storm, staged in early August 1995.

Commemoration of Serb exodus from Croatia

In Croatia, August 5 is a state holiday, is celebrated as Victory Day, celebrating Operation Storm.

Croats see the military and police onslaught against the Serb areas as an operation that returned parts of its territory that were under the control of ethnic Serb military units back to Croatian rule.

According to existing statistics, 1,805 persons went missing after the operation, and the Croatian Helsinki Human Law Committee claims that about 700 civilians died during the operation.

The Documentation-Information Center Veritas has the names of 1,960 killed and missing Serbs in its files.

In Serbia the anniversary is marked by paying tribute to the Serbs that were killed and focusing attention on their mass exodus. Most of the refugees are yet to return to their homes 15 years later.

President Tadić has met with officials of the Association of the Families of Victims and Missing Persons from Croatia, stating that this crime "should never be forgotten".

Tadić added however that after 15 years, the focus needed to be on the future, and that the problems the refugees were facing regarding their return to Croatia needed to be discussed with Croatia.

Reacting to Tadić’s statements that Storm was a crime that should never be forgotten, Croatian President Ivo Josipović said that it was a "legal and legitimate action that led to Croatia freeing its occupied territory".

Josipović also praised those who took part in the operation, and said his compatriots remembered it with pride. Croatian PM Jadranka Kosor has supported this stance.

Meanwhile at The Hague, on the eve of the anniversary, the tribunal's prosecution has asked for long prison terms for the three former Croatian generals that led the operation.

If found guilty, Ante Gotovina could face 27 years in jail, while the prosecution is seeking 17 and 23 years respectively for Ivan Čermak and Mladen Markač.

They were charged with war crimes committed against the Serb population of Croatia during and after Operation Storm, staged in early August 1995.