Pecki suffering and Tuđman’s visit commemorated

A memorial plaque was unveiled in the town of Pecki near Petrinja to commemorate August 25th 1991, and serve as a permanent reminder of those difficult days during the height of the Serbian and Yugoslav People's Army aggression and Croatia's fight for independence, but also in memory of all dead and missing Croatian soldiers and civilians.

August 25th is also the anniversary of the first Croatian president Franjo Tuđman's unannounced visit to the area, where he tried to provide support in extremely difficult circumstances to Croatian soldiers defending Petrinja and the Banovina region. Deputy Prime Minister and Veterans' Affairs Minister Tomo Medved: “I am happy to see a large number of Croatia veterans here from throughout the country. They have all come here to pay their respects and give thanks to the sacrifices made, but also to preserve the strength we built up during the Homeland War. I am proud of all Croatian veterans. I am proud that together we continue to build on and contribute to the preservation of the values we share.”

The massacre in Pecki, a hamlet of Bjelovac, a Croatian village south of the Petrinja-Glina road, was committed at the beginning of the Homeland War on August 16th, 1991. It was committed by Serbian Chetniks from the neighboring village.

The massacre happened when Serb rebels captured four Croats: Stjepan Horvat, Đuro Horvat, Mato Horvat and Ivan Bugarin. All four were killed. Forensic examinations revealed that they were first wounded by gunfire, then tortured and finally executed with axes. Ivan Bugarin, Mato and Đuro Horvat were reserve Croatian police officers in Petrinja, while Stjepan Horvat was a civilian. He was killed in the basement, in front of his daughter, who miraculously survived. Mato Horvat, Đuro Horvat and lvan Bugarin were killed and mutilated in Milan Horvat's house. They were tortured in an unprecedentedly brutal and ritualistic way. Half of Mati Horvat's face was cut off with an axe, Đuro Horvat's nose and the fingers of one hand were cut off, while Ivan Bugarin's hand was cut off and his heart carved out of his chest.

Two days earlier, on August 14th, 1991, Serbian rebels attacked the nearby residents of Kraljevo, where they killed and massacred ten locals in a similar way, including five elderly residents who remained in the village to look after the livestock and houses.

Source: HRT