Goli Otok/Barren Island
Political horror prison in
Croatia during communist regime
Photo: Caters News Agency
Last week, 23 August 2017 was a very significant day for the free world; it was the Black Ribbon Day, the Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Totalitarian Regimes in Europe. The profoundest of human sufferings caused by totalitarian regimes has for years been remembered on a global scale particularly to do with the persecution and mass murders of Jewish people. The other side of the terrible human suffering caused by the communist regimes has not been exposed to the equal extent and as such, this fact suggests that those associated in any way in protecting the communist totalitarian regime from being exposed for its horrors have “friends” in “high places”. I say this because the communist regime has not been deservedly, justly and absolutely rejected, particularly in Croatia that has so far evaded lustration. The sheer enormity of the number of victims of communist crimes, awaiting justice in the background in Croatia, make the rather frequent celebrations in public of that regime enough to make blood boil.
The horror and terror of the communist totalitarian regime in Croatia over decades can, among multitudes of mass graves and pits, be demonstrated through considering the cruel and fearsome prison island of “Goli Otok” (Barren Island), where according to Amnesty International, 50,000 of political prisoners were held, 600 of which died a horrible death there, often caused by the consequences of prisoners being forced to beat each other “to a pulp”.
Inside Goli Otok prison today
Photo: Caters News Agency
“Goli Otok” has been likened by some to Alkatraz and branded “Croatian Alkatraz” and one wonders why this is so? Is it for the reason of trying to make Goli Otok into what it was not – a maximum security prison for those convicted of having committed real criminal offences. Prisoners of “Goli Otok” were political prisoners, prisoners of conscience. While not being politically inclined towards the communist party was not a real crime it was made so by the communist totalitarian regime. It is in this branding of Goli Otok as Croatian Alcatraz that one can see a yet another malicious attempt to “soften” the horror communist Yugoslavia dished out to people of differing political inclinations.
In the 40 years it was open from 1949, Goli Otok served as example of the ultimate horror of the communist totalitarian regime.
Inside Goli Otok prison today
Photo: Caters News Agency
Prisoner accounts described the place as a ‘living hell’ of torture of innocent people. Despite being abandoned for 28 years now, the haunting history of Goli Otok can still be felt there. The history of the horrible and oppressive communist regime in Croatia makes Goli Otok a chilling place to be in, to remember. Much like the Gulags in Russia only forced hard labour being a minor aspect of Goli Otok compared to tortures and persecutions and horrible deaths. Goli Otok equals in its entirety to crimes against humanity. Goli Otok was the only Gulag-like site in Europe and that in itself demonstrates the horror of the communist regime in Croatia that was not different to Stalin’s Gulags which saw many millions perish in communist purges.
Zelimir Kuzatko at Goli Otok
23 August 2017
Photo: Facebook
Eighty two year old Zelimir Kuzatko, Goli Otok survivor, visits the former communist prison site every year and he was there last week. “We all received the same indictment, acts against the nation and the state, we all received the same accusations and the same sentences, from five years to death,” he said last week while laying down a wreath in remembrance of victims.
Chilling horror runs though the Goli Otok prison survivors as they remember.
”The six of us received 33 years of prison in total,” said another survivor, Zeljko Crnogorac.
“If you came to Goli Otok and said you were not guilty, that you are innocent, then you could not survive,” said Tadija Zubak, a former political prisoner there.
In remembrance for the victims of the communist totalitarian regime – Ina Vukic.
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Informative article that should be published in major news
Papers. The world is oblivious to the atrocities committed by
communists and their evil ideology. Tito established himself in
Serbia so he can use the hatred of the Serbs towards
The Catholics Jews and other dissidents. In these days
Jasenovac is mentioned often for its cruelty and rightfully
but the world does not remember or even never knew
about the evil regime and the atrocities in Goli Otok. In
my interviews with Holocaust survivors I also heard
about the inhumanity of the jailers in this camp. I’ll never
forget the testimony of a precious lady Eva Nahir and
about hers and her husband’s suffering in Goli Otok. As
a child in Sarajevo my parents and grandparents, who
survived WWII were whispering and when I asked why
can we talk normal I was told that there were ears in the walls
I was looking for ears but only now I understand the new
fear experienced by those who didn’t recover from one evil
regime just to experience another evil that was so called liberator.
Yes, people’re silent about the misery of communism
‘S
Let’s hope Esther that the future will bring just deserves to all totalitarian regimes and, given the victim remembrances so far, the communist one needs extra help for swift reckoning. Thank you
Thanks for letting me know about your true story of sorrow and pain of your people. God be with you all!!
Much appreciate feedback, felicitaswalker
Reblogged this on Ace News Desk.
Great post on the victims of communist rule … I was watching a programme the other night about Stalin and how the UK did a deal to repatriate it’s Russian soldiers that fought against his regime … They sent them back to be killed in there thousands .. Whist the government stood by and let it happen … We need to highlight these incidents … Not hide their dirty secrets ..
The same happened with Croatians, Ian, they fled as WWII ended mostly on foot, reached Austria expecting to be taken to Italy etc as refugees, as they were promised, then within days repatriation to communist Yugoslavia deal occurred, hundreds of thousands murdered on that route back to Yugoslavia, Every Year this is commemorated on 15 May in Bleiburg Austria…the West has much to answer for, it knew they were sending these refugees back to a sure death…
Totally agree … I live in Britain but dislike the Brits and class myself as an Englishman … Preferred the common man as he was called before class got in the way .. And people even middle class thought we rule over those worst off .., but going back to your comment … Youngsters go out and fight for their country … They become cannon-fodder … If they survive and they are in the wrong country … They are sent back to suffer the fate as many have done so over years … Deals are done for money or trade one and the same in my opinion and they are just a commodity to be bought and sold … As Hebrew slaves were bought and sold by Egyptians and so on and so on … But l shall 🙏 for justice that one day God will bring about ..
For all victims deserve justice, Ian. Thank you
Oddly or not many of the early prisoners were communists who Tito purged during the Stalin showdown.
Nothing odd about Tito there, kolpa, anyone that didn’t agree with his political stance stood to lose his/her head.