As long as this regime rules Banja Luka and Republika Srpska – the truth will not be known or justice will not happen for David. Everything is left to the ravages of time to do their thing, but we will not allow that, said Ozren Perduv.
As long as this regime rules in Banja Luka and Republika Srpska – the truth will not be known or justice will not happen for David. Everything is left to the ravages of time to do their thing, but we will not allow that, said Ozren Perduv.
Ozren Perduv, president of the Justice Movement, a political party that “by force of circumstances” emerged from the informal group Justice for David and which is participating in the upcoming local elections in an interview with Fokus.ba, says that the engagement through the political organization shows that they have not given up their fight for the truth.
It was Perduv, as an activist of the group “Justice for David”, who felt the repression and the “police state” the most on his skin. He was arrested several times for his civil activism and seeking justice for the murdered David Dragičević, and in the meantime his family house was robbed.
What are the expectations in Banja Luka and other areas where you participate in the elections?
We participate in the elections only in Banja Luka – in the city where everything happened and where it all started. None of us has political experience and for us this is all something new. That is one of the reasons why we did not manage to organize ourselves to participate in the elections in other local communities as well. We were forced to turn to the establishment of a political organization, because here, unfortunately, nothing can be done without politics. And we are fighting against that, among other things. For several days now, we have been standing on the central Banja Luka square with David’s character, singing David’s song The Kid from the Ghetto, without anyone forcing us, arresting us, depriving us of our liberty, inviting us for informative talks, all that happened in the previous period.
But what was the precondition for something like that? Establishing a political organization, applying to participate in the elections and waiting for the election campaign to begin. These were all conditions for our freedom, that is. for respect for the rights and freedoms granted by the Constitution. Is that normal? Of course it is not. And we are fighting against that.
We want our voice to be heard in the local parliament as well. So far he has been heard on the street, the police station, the courtroom, the TV studio. The time has come for our voice to be heard in the assembly benches that belong to all the citizens of Banja Luka. We expect that. And we are sure that will happen.
But on what basis do you base your hopes and expectations that changes could take place, if we at least take into account information about major frauds, identity theft, etc.?
We are based primarily on the results of the general elections in 2018. in Banja Luka. The regime then lost Banja Luka. They did not manage to steal Banja Luka then, because the votes are still kept in Banja Luka and there is the greatest control. It is true that there are serious problems such as misuse of personal data, but it is also true that the new composition of the Central Election Commission is doing everything to identify and sanction it.
For the first time this year, the Central Election Commission publicly announced the list of allegedly registered people for voting from abroad, and thus enabled all of us to check whether by any chance we or someone of ours is on that list. Unfortunately, many found themselves, but many also reacted to the Central Election Commission, so I believe that the Central Election Commission will prevent this type of abuse this time. The opposition in Banja Luka is seriously working on mobilizing observers, so I am sure that it will not be easy to steal in Banja Luka.
We are slowly approaching the end of 2020 and there is still no justice for David. Your fight has not yet yielded the desired results, and that is to get justice for the murder of David Dragičević. Your comment?
Nothing unexpected. As long as this regime rules Banja Luka and Republika Srpska – the truth will not be known or justice will not happen for David. Everything is left to the ravages of time to do their thing, but we will not allow it. The regime is bothered by every spark of the struggle that is smoldering and lasting, and that is why they are settling accounts with us in all possible ways. I guess by now they realized we weren’t going to give up. They can’t scare us. They can only physically get rid of us. It wouldn’t be their first time.
Are you in contact with Davor Dragicevic? He was elected honorary president of the Movement.
Of course. We are in contact with Davor every day. Davor is fine, if good in this situation can be. Davor follows everything and is in progress. He did not give up the fight, because that would mean that he gave up his murdered child. For us in Banja Luka, the most important thing is that Davor is safe and that he is not threatened by a staged accident or suicide.
At our Founding Assembly of the Movement, which was held in December last year, Davor was elected honorary president by the wish of all of us, because if he were not there, none of this would have happened today, not even this interview. We can only be grateful to Davor for everything he has done. Not only for his son, but for our entire society. He opened the eyes of many, and it is not easy.
How do you view the fact that, despite pressure from the international community, the police or government structures in Republic of Srpska have not deviated from what you have accused them of from the beginning?
That is a very good question and we are all right to ask it. My impression is that those reactions and those pressures are not sincere, they are just placed for the sake of order. Also, I am of the opinion that the Dragičević, Memić and other accidents and tragedies in our society are only traded well with the aim of realizing someone’s interests. As long as the regime is obedient to the international community, which takes care of its interests, “our people” can do whatever they want to us.
Interview for Fokus.ba
Writes: A. DUČIĆ