Serbian parliament speaker condemns ultra-nationalist tweet

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Condemnation of the offensive tweet by an ultra-nationalist Serbian MP came from Parliament Speaker Maja Gojkovic on Wednesday.

Gojkovic said she condemns what she called a horrible and impermissible tweet by Serbian Radical Party (SRS) MP and Deputy Parliament Speaker Vjerica Radeta. Gojkovic is a former member of the SRS which is headed by convicted war criminal Vojislav Seselj.

Radeta on Tuesday published a tweet following the death of the head of the Mothers of Srebrenica association which rallies the families of victims of the 1995 Srebrenica genocide. “I read that Hatidza Mehmedovic from the association of Srebrenica businesswomen has died. Who is going to bury her? The husband or her sons?” Mehmedovic lost her husband and two sons in Srebrenica. Radeta deleted the tweet following a public outcry in Serbia.  

“I most sharply condemn the horrible and impermissible insults by the MP which are inappropriate for anyone who is a member of the National Assembly and harm its dignity,” Gojkovic said.  

She added that the views expressed by Radeta are unacceptable and do not reflect the views and values advocated by parliament. “The assembly is a representative body of civilized and decent people as the citizens of Serbia are. On behalf of the National Assembly and myself I would like to express condolences over the death of Hatidza Mehmedovic,” a statement from the speaker’s cabinet said.