Final farewell to French hero and Vukovar defender Jean-Michel Nicolier

Young French volunteer Jean-Michel Nicolier, after 34 years, was buried, according to his family's wishes, at the Memorial Cemetery of Homeland War Victims in Vukovar. Thousands of citizens from all over Croatia came to his final farewell. Rivers of people poured into Vukovar today to pay respects to Jean-Michel Nicolier. 

Deputy Prime Minister and Croatian veterans Minister, Tomo Medved, noted that French volunteer Jean-Michel Nicolier weaved his name into the foundation of Croatian freedom with his life.

“In the name of the government of the Republic of Croatia, Croatian defenders and the Croatian people, thank you. Thank you for raising a son who showed the world what honor, courage and love mean. Croatia will forever be grateful to you dear Jean-Michel. Your sacrifice obliges us, your name will be written in our history and remains in our hearts,” said Medved.

During the final farewell, Branko Borković, the commander of Vukovar defense addressed those gathered. He said the Nicolier did not die in defense of Vukovar, but was forcibly taken from the Vukovar hospital and brutally killed at Ovčara, by Serbian and Yugo-communist forces.

“At this opportunity I would like to especially thank his mother for deciding that her son remains here, and is built into the foundations of the head stone of the Croatian state; to be placed among the martyrs for the Homeland, Croatia. Jean - rest in peace,” said Borković.

During the funeral his brothers in arms and commanders addressed those in attendance: Igor Široki, Zvonko Ćurković and Damir Radnić. In their addresses they remembered the days of defending Vukovar together, pointing out Nicolier's courage, humanity and selfless love towards Croatia.

Many people came from throughout Croatia.

“When someone else from a far off country comes and bows down to everything the Croatian people did in 1991, and stays here, and decides to rather choose death than life without certain ideals, what should the rest of us wait for,” said one attendee.

No one has been held accountable for the crime and Chief State Attorney, Ivan Turudić, said ahead of the funeral of Jean-Michel Nicolier, that the investigation into his murder was halted in 2019 due to a lack of cooperation from Serbia, and it has now been taken over by French institutions.

Source: HRT