Zijad Memišević

NURSING HOME UNDER BLOCKADE

We might take 4-5 hours for that short distance from where we were, from Nedjarici, to the tram. We would spend 5 hours in groups of 10 to 15, as we happened to meet on the way home from work, we were afraid and hid from building to building. Once, it was in fact the last time I was on duty, they told me by phone, the phones still worked then, it was no longer safe for me to got to work because of those unknown people. I must admit that those who were already down there, who were already known as Serb Democratic Party members, for example the butcher, the greengrocer that they did try to help in a way. But when you see chetniks walking about the Nursing Home with their beards to their stomach, with cockades like it was Ash-Wednesday on their heads, with all kinds of weapons, it’s not very pleasant. But I was still trustful, as a Muslim I had a fairly responsible job. My director was a Serbian woman and most of the heads of departments were Serbs. I had very correct relations with them, and I believed that they wouldn’t tolerate any kind of incident. But when they themselves suggested that I should not come, that meant that it was a serious situation. Talking to people who have survived, which means they were in the Nursing Home in Nedjarici the whole time. A considerable number of Serbs, Muslims and Croats suffered in an almost inexplicable way. So did people who lived near and who remained there, I don’t know why. It seems that some people were wounded in a very mysterious way, especially in ’92 and ’93. There was no logic in it either by room or place in a room. It simply couldn’t have happened, from our side, that any sniper could have hit those old people. According to the wounded there were all kinds of lists and investigations.