MARKALE, BLOODY ORANGES FROM SARAJEVO

It would be bad if we don’t bring you one of the most horrific stories from the besieged Sarajevo.

The word “Markale” was known in the international media as the place where several grenade attacks led to the death of a large number of Sarajevans.

The first massacre occurred between 12:10 and 12:15 PM, on 5 February 1994, when a 120 millimeter mortar shell landed in the center of the crowded marketplace. Rescue workers and  (UN) personnel rushed to help the numerous civilian casualties, while footage of the event soon made news reports across the world.

In January 2003, the ICTY Trial Chamber in the trial against Stanislav Galić, a Serb general in the siege of Sarajevo, concluded that the massacre was committed by Serb forces around Sarajevo.

Galić was sentenced to life imprisonment for crimes against humanity during the Siege of Sarajevo.

The second massacre occurred about 18 months later, at around 11:00 AM on 28 August 1995.