Belgrade backs initiative to name street after Bosnian Serb

BELGRADE The City of Belgrade has supported an initiative to name a street after Bosnian Serb Srdjan Aleksic who was killed in 1993. Aleksic was killed while defending a Bosniak friend. Belgrade backs initiative to name street after Bosnian Serb Streets in Sarajevo, Novi Sad, Pancevo and Podgorica have already been named after him. An online petition can be signed at www.peticije24.com. The City of Belgrade absolutely supports the proposal to name a street after noble young man Srdjan Aleksic in the Serbian capital, reads the release. The City Commission for Monuments and Names of Streets and Squares has stated that the proposal first needs to be sent to the Commission, including an explanation and a biography of the person the street should be named after. Suzana Milosavljevic Ilijic, who launched the initiative, told reporters that Aleksic deserved to have a street named after him, not only in Belgrade but in many other towns as well, “because his name is a symbol of humanity that was rare during the war”. “He is already an unofficial hero in these parts but we should repay him in the capital by officially recognizing the importance of the values he gave his life for – bravery, solidarity, dedication, dignity and love for one another regardless of ethnicity and other differences,” she explained. A street in Sarajevo was named after Aleksic 15 years after his death. “Without people like Srdjan Aleksic and their heroic actions, a person would lose hope of humanity and our life would be meaningless without it,” the city said in its decision to change the name of the street. Memorial plaques honoring Aleksic were placed in Novi Sad and Pancevo. Aleksic was a Bosnian Serb from Trebinje who was killed by members of the Army of the Republic of Srpska for defending his fellow citizen, a Bosnian Muslim, from being beaten. Aleksic died on January 27, 1993. Aleksic was a teenage swimming star and a junior record holder in the former Yugoslavia. He was also an amateur actor and he even starred in a play in Bosnia-Herzegovina during the war. On January 21, 1993 a group of the Army of the Republic of Srpska members was checking IDs of passersby in Trebinje. They started to harass and beat Alen Glavovic after checking his ID and Aleksic tried to help him. The four soldiers then attacked the Serb and brutally beat him with their rifle butts in the middle of the street and in front of passersby and police officers. He fell into a coma and died from his injuries on January 27, 1993. Aleksic was 26 when he was killed. His father wrote “He died while doing their humane duty” in his obituary. One of the attackers was killed in the war and the others were sentenced to 28 months in prison. Glavovic lives in Sweden with his wife and two children. He visits Trebinje, Aleksic’s grave and his father every year. Srdjan Aleksic (B92, file) B92

Belgrade backs initiative to name street after Bosnian Serb

Streets in Sarajevo, Novi Sad, Pančevo and Podgorica have already been named after him. An online petition can be signed at www.peticije24.com.

The City of Belgrade absolutely supports the proposal to name a street after noble young man Srđan Aleksić in the Serbian capital, reads the release.

The City Commission for Monuments and Names of Streets and Squares has stated that the proposal first needs to be sent to the Commission, including an explanation and a biography of the person the street should be named after.

Suzana Milosavljević Ilijić, who launched the initiative, told reporters that Aleksić deserved to have a street named after him, not only in Belgrade but in many other towns as well, “because his name is a symbol of humanity that was rare during the war”.

“He is already an unofficial hero in these parts but we should repay him in the capital by officially recognizing the importance of the values he gave his life for – bravery, solidarity, dedication, dignity and love for one another regardless of ethnicity and other differences,” she explained.

A street in Sarajevo was named after Aleksić 15 years after his death. “Without people like Srđan Aleksić and their heroic actions, a person would lose hope of humanity and our life would be meaningless without it,” the city said in its decision to change the name of the street.

Memorial plaques honoring Aleksić were placed in Novi Sad and Pančevo.

Aleksić was a Bosnian Serb from Trebinje who was killed by members of the Army of the Republic of Srpska for defending his fellow citizen, a Bosnian Muslim, from being beaten. Aleksić died on January 27, 1993.

Aleksić was a teenage swimming star and a junior record holder in the former Yugoslavia. He was also an amateur actor and he even starred in a play in Bosnia-Herzegovina during the war.

On January 21, 1993 a group of the Army of the Republic of Srpska members was checking IDs of passersby in Trebinje. They started to harass and beat Alen Glavović after checking his ID and Aleksić tried to help him.

The four soldiers then attacked the Serb and brutally beat him with their rifle butts in the middle of the street and in front of passersby and police officers. He fell into a coma and died from his injuries on January 27, 1993.

Aleksić was 26 when he was killed. His father wrote “He died while doing their humane duty” in his obituary.

One of the attackers was killed in the war and the others were sentenced to 28 months in prison.

Glavović lives in Sweden with his wife and two children. He visits Trebinje, Aleksić’s grave and his father every year.