The Humanitarian Law Fund (HLF) has called on Serbia to take action against the officers of the former JNA who were involved in the crime at Ovčara near Vukovar. The organization also urged the institutions to stop supporting war criminals and to help more decisively in the search for missing persons. The HLC asked for an end to the multi-year search for the remains of victims and for the creation of a culture of memory that honors their memory.
Despite being found guilty, JNA Major Veselin Šljivančanin, a member of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party, has not faced any consequences and has even appeared in the media as an analyst. The Fund highlighted the need for Serbia to acknowledge and pay tribute to the victims of Ovčara and their families. The HLC suggested that Serbia begin by mapping out camps for civilians and Croatian forces, participating in commemorative events, and opening up archives from JNA officials to gather information about what happened at Ovčara.
Following the final verdict in Serbia’s trial, HLC filed lawsuits on behalf of Ovčara victims’ families seeking compensation for their loved ones’ deaths. Over several years, these efforts resulted in 11 proceedings being concluded in favor of plaintiffs. However, despite these successes, HLC emphasized that there are still significant obstacles preventing decisive actions from being taken to establish full responsibility for Ovčara crimes, find missing people and support victims.