By sacrificing his own, he saved life of another person

There has been enough evil and twisted time, so I hope that those who respect my Srdjan will carry kindness and beauty on their backs in order for this country to move towards happiness and love, Srdjan’s father Rade Aleksic (right) said while receiving the principal award of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina . (05-JUL-07)

This text was made available to www.humanrightshouse.org  through Journal of the BH Helsinki Committee. The text is written  by Sanja Hodzic, journalist. It has been translated for publication here by HRH / Mirsad Pandzic. Photos: Didier Torshe (except Srdjan`s photo)

“The true people care for people like Srdjan. There has been enough evil and twisted time, so I hope that those who respect my Srdjan will carry kindness and beauty on their backs in order for this country to move towards happiness and love. Srdjan was killed, but he still lives within the hearts of good people”, this is how Rade Aleksic, the father of Srdjan Aleksic, who was awarded the Charter of the Helsinki Committee for extraordinary contribution to protection and promotion of human rights, spoke before a full conference hall on 20 June 2007.

The principal award of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina was posthumously awarded to a young man who at the age of 27 sacrificed his own life on 21 January of the wartime 1993 in order to protect the life on another man. The Charter was handed over by the Helsinki Committee Chairman Srdjan Dizdarevic to the father of this brave man from Trebinje – Rade Aleksic.

Rationale
The ceremony was held at the beginning of the regular Electoral Assembly of the Helsinki Committee on 20 June 2007 in Sarajevo, and it was attended by membership of the oldest non-governmental organization in Bosnia and Herzegovina working on protection and promotion of human rights, a great number of guests and representatives of media. The awarding ceremony was preceded by screening of a distressing documentary film “Srdjo” (left – scene from the film), produced by Sanja Dragicevic, after which Sinan Alic read the rationale behind the unanimous decision of the Committee’s Steering Board about this award.

“Twenty-seven years’ old Srdjan Aleksic was a model sportsman and theatre-lover before the war”, it said at the beginning of the rationale. “In the war, he was the first and only soldier who was appalled by what he had seen on the Dubrovnik battle front in the winter of 1992 after conscription, which led him to ostentatiously throw away his gun in front of the Trebinje Municipality building. After that, Srdjan caught attention of his fellow townspeople by protecting his Bosniak neighbours on a number of occasions.

In the difficult times of draconian nationalism, Srdjan Aleksic confirmed his faith in people, regardless of their ethnicity or faith, once again in January 1993. In the centre of the town, very close to the police station, a group of uniformed, drunken and armed people were apprehending and harassing his fellow citizen Alen Glavovic. When one of the people took out a knife in front of astonished and frozen passers-by in order to kill the unfortunate Glavovic, Srdjan Aleksic jumped in. As a sportsman, he managed to stop the frenzied people in their intentions, while Glavovic used the commotion to escape. He is married now and lives happily with his family in Sweden. Aleksic saved his life by sacrificing his own. The quazi-patriots then took out their outrage and uncontrolled madness on Srdjan Aleksic. They hit him with knuckle-dusters, pistol-whips, kicked him with boots … He was transferred to the Trebinje hospital, where a great human heart, after a seven-day coma, did not survive.

A proper human being
By his deed, Srdjan showed that one could remain a proper human being even in the worst of times. In essence, this young man could not have acted differently in the critical moment. His family had built his love for others. This was traced in his obituary. His father Rade wrote simply, but infinitely disturbingly: “He died performing the duty of a human being”.

For a long time, the courageous act of the young man from Trebinje had been covered by a veil of silence. The “black cavalry” had considered him a traitor. Today, Srdjan is spoken of as a hero, as he had, with his act, saved the dignity of the town where he grew up and the people he belonged to.

On the B92 web site, the following thoughts of a young man from Trebinje can be found: “I was in primary school when the tragic, but at the same time gloriously heroic act took place at the Trebinje market. I am adult now and I carry a part of human value that he had left us. Thank you Srdjan, on behalf of young and healthy generations of the town of Trebinje and wider.”

With this in mind, particularly the fact that Srdjan’s act has positively affected the younger generations, raising high on the pedestal the human being’s right to life and difference, the Steering Board decided to posthumously award Srdjan Aleksic with the top recognition of the Helsinki Committee – the Human Rights Charter – Sinan Alic read the rationale behind the decision through tears.

“Srdjan did not die in vain”
This was followed, as planned, by Srdjan Dizdarevic’s handing over the Charter to Rade Aleksic (right). The audience stood up and applauded this act. Then the Father wanted to express his thanks. His words are the best clarification of why the Son had had to be the person he was:

“As a parent, I believe that the circumstances, the damn war, the evil that had been imposed on this people, and the hatred against someone of a different faith or name, are the murderers of my son. I don’t think they wanted to beat my son to death, but it happened that way. What is sad is that they had wanted to kill a man only because his was of different religion, because he was a Muslim, and Srdjan only wanted to defend him from them.

Srdjan did not die in vain. That is why I said at his funeral that the body goes down to the ground, but my son has left the soul and nobleness to me, his Trebinje, and all people on the planet. I am glad that these awards did not come from the authorities, or were a result of some political decision. I am, of course, unhappy. My son, my heir is gone, and nothing can replace the pain and physical loss. But, I am still happy in a way, as I feel that everywhere I go my Srdjan has entered so many hearts and all those that are living with him now in that way are my children too. My Srdjan …”

The emotions came out. Hardly anyone in the hall could hold their tears. A ten-minute break was allowed before the continuation of the Assembly session of the Helsinki Committee. During the break, there was an overwhelming feeling that the working part of the Assembly session should be postponed for some other day.

Previously published text: Srdjan Aleksic posthumously awarded