Two years since the mass murder in Dubona and Malo Orašje: "Gunshots can kill a person, but not a memory"

In Dubona, brother and sister Milan (22) and Kristina Panić (19) and Dalibor Todorović (24) were killed, in Malo Orašje Nikola Milić (14), Aleksandar Milovanović (17), Marko Mitrović (18), Lazar Milovanović (19), Nemanja Stevanović (21) and Petar Mitrović (25), who died 50 days after the crime.

Before the beginning of the commemoration program, a large number of citizens lit candles and laid wreaths and flowers at the memorial to the six victims in that village, among them the Prime Minister of Serbia Djuro Macut and the Minister of Labour, Employment, Veterans and Social Affairs Milica Djurdjević Stamenkovski, who had previously lit candles in Dubona as well.

After laying the wreaths, Macut and Djurdjević Stamenkovski spoke with the families of the victims.

At the beginning of the commemoration of the second anniversary of the mass murder, a memorial service was held for the victims, which was attended by the parents of the victims of the "Vladislav Ribnikar" primary school.

FOTO TANJUG/ MARKO ĐOKOVIĆ/bs

Also, among those gathered was the Chief Public Prosecutor of the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Smederevo, Ivan Konatar, then Andjelko and Natalija Aćimović, Dragan and Nina Kobiljski, Ivan Božović, Miljana Martinović, Biljana Paunović, Milanka Negić, the parents of the children killed in the massacre at the "Vladislav Ribnikar" elementary school.

Photographs of the victims on the stands

The former coach of the Football Club "Partizan" - Igor Duljaj - came to Malo Orašje. Football player Duško Tošić and the general secretary of the Football Association of Serbia (FSS), Branko Radujko, also arrived.

Priest Radomir Bundalo gave a speech in Malo Orašje.

"Our dearest, you have gathered us again to remember and mourn you, in the place where we met two years ago with pain. We were hoping for celebrations, joys, not crying. We realized in the hardest way that our lives are not what we plan. Sometimes our paths lead us in a different direction. Suffering is our path on the path of resurrection. You did not die for us, but you moved to where life is and where you will welcome us. In our memories, you will always be young and full of life, we promise you that," said priest Bundalo.

He added that "shots can kill a man, but not memories".

After that, the memorial program for the victims called "The Immortal" began, during which videos were played in which young people talked about their deceased friends.

After the video, the poem "Maybe she's asleep" by Vladislav Petković Dis was read, and then a minute of silence was held for the victims of the massacre.

After that, the names of those seriously injured that night were read, and at the end of the introductory program, several dozen white balloons were released into the air.

FOTO TANJUG/ MARKO ĐOKOVIĆ/bs

As part of the commemoration, a match was held on the field of FC "Ravni Gaj", where most of the victims from Malo Orašje played football.

FOTO TANJUG/ MARKO ĐOKOVIĆ/bs

This year's commemoration program will end with a memorial tournament called "You are alive", which is organized by the parents of the victims, the "Angelina" foundation and FC Ravni Gaj.

Žarko Lazetić, Duško Tošić, Igor Duljaj, Milan Lola Smiljanić, Saša Ilić also took part in the tournament...

The commemoration ceremony was also attended by the founder of the "Angelina" foundation, Andjelko Aćimović, the father of the girl Angelina, who died in the mass murder at the elementary school "Vladislav Ribnikar" on May 3, 2023.

Two years ago, Blažić blackened two villages and the whole of Serbia

Two years ago today, Uroš Blažić killed nine and seriously wounded 12 people with an automatic rifle, and was sentenced to 20 years in prison by the first-instance verdict of the Higher Court in Smederevo.

In four days, the Court of Appeal in Belgrade will hold a public session where it will decide on the appeals filed by the defendants' defense attorneys against the first-instance verdict.

As Tanjug learns, neither Uroš nor his father Radiša Blažić will attend the session.

Given that the session is public, family members of the killed and wounded, as well as journalists, will be able to attend it.

After reviewing the appeals, the Appellate Court will make a decision on the verdict, which it can confirm in its entirety, change it, or cancel it and order the trial to be repeated.

According to the Criminal Code, given that Blažić was under 21 years of age at the time of the commission of the crime, he, as a minor, could not be sentenced to the maximum sentence of life imprisonment.