New book by Slovenian experts documents post WWII war crimes against Croatians

The scholarly work: “The Hidden Graves of Croats in Slovenia” documents the horrific fate of Croatian civilians and soldiers in the wake of the Second World War, eight decades after the tragic events.

A scientific monograph titled: “The Hidden Graves of Croats in Slovenia” by Slovenian authors Mitja Ferenc and Uroš Košir was presented at the Zagreb Croatian National Theater, on Wednesday. Throughout the seven hundred page work; Ferenc, a historian, and Košir, an archeologist, present a comprehensive view of the mass murders committed by Yugoslav Communists and Serb Chetnik forces on the territory of Slovenia after World War II.

After presenting their work in Zagreb today, Ferenc noted that many mass graves still remain to be investigated and exhumed: “To date we have identified seven hundred and fifty locations, of which 324 have been investigated. Of that amount slightly more than half have been exhumed, while the rest are still waiting. If we're referring to so-called Croatian graves, this book describes in detail forty grave sites where we can say with one hundred percent certainty the remains of Croatian soldiers and civilians have been exhumed.”

Among those on hand for today's presentation was Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković, who noted the clear double standard in condemning the post war crimes: “In practical terms there exists a consensus in the condemnation of the Independent State of Croatia and Ustaša crimes, but when it comes to the crimes committed by communist Yugoslavia there is no unified position. Obviously, someone still wants to cover this up and keep a veil of silence over the criminal character of communist Yugoslavia, which undoubtedly existed.”

Renowned British historian and author Robin Harris also spoke at the presentation. According to Harris, the authors, under difficult conditions and despite obstacles, conscientiously, professionally and clearly described what is currently known about the mass graves of Croats killed at the end of World War II in Slovenia. Harris said that the communists built their state on the bodies of their opponents who now lie in those mass graves, calling for an official investigation of that part of Croatian history.

Source: HRT