On the 35th anniversary of the abduction of Croatian physician and peacemaker Dr. Ivan Šreter, Petar Škorić and Zorica Gregurić, in separate statements, demand answers from Milorad Pupovac about his fate.
Today, August 18, 2026, marks the 35th anniversary of the capture of Dr. Ivan Šreter, a physician and Croatian peacemaker whose remains have not been found even decades after the Homeland War. On the occasion of this anniversary, Petar Škorić and Zorica Gregurić, president of the Association of Zagreb Volunteers Defenders of Vukovar, addressed the public in separate statements, both directing accusations at SDSS president Milorad Pupovac.
Dr. Ivan Šreter was captured on August 18, 1991, at the barricades in Kukunjevac. At the time, he held the positions of president of the Crisis Headquarters for Western Slavonia, director of the hospital in Lipik, and president of the local HDZ branch. In his statement, Škorić emphasized that Šreter was a physician, a humanitarian, and a true advocate for peace who, despite the growing tensions in the early 1990s, advocated for coexistence between Croats and Serbs and called for dialogue.
Škorić began his statement with a direct question: "Milorad, where is Dr. Šreter?" He then accused Pupovac, claiming that he had mediated in the prisoner exchange and that, according to testimonies of former officials, he had information about Šreter's fate.
"It is known that Milorad Pupovac mediated in the prisoner exchange and, according to testimonies of former officials, possessed information about his tragic fate, about which he has remained silent all these years," wrote Škorić.
He then publicly posed a series of questions to Pupovac: "Milorad, where is Dr. Šreter? Why is there still silence about his fate? Why have his torturers and murderers never been held accountable?"
According to Zorica Gregurić's statement, as reported by Nacionalno Plus, after his abduction, Dr. Šreter was held captive in an abandoned house in the village of Branešci, where he was brutally tortured. He was then taken to the Bučje death camp. He was last seen alive on August 29, 1991.
The last person to see Dr. Šreter alive and to be held captive with him was Dr. Vladimir Solar. Recalling that moment, Solar stated: "He had a fracture of the left forearm, left shoulder blade, and was completely bruised." In her statement, Gregurić calls Dr. Šreter the "Croatian Gandhi," questioning whether it will ever be known where his body lies.
Škorić also reminded that the Croatian Parliament declared August 18 as the National Day of Peacemaking in memory of Ivan Šreter and his contribution to promoting peace. He believes that Šreter's role in Croatian history deserves significantly more attention and proposed that his life story be brought to the big screen.
He concluded his statement with a message: "As long as Croatia lives, the name of Dr. Ivan Šreter must not and will not be forgotten. May he have eternal glory and gratitude."
