Bosnia Serbs honor controversial Nobel Literature winner

BANJA LUKA, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — Bosnian Serbs have honored the controversial 2019 Nobel Literature Prize winner Peter Handke, who is known for his apologist views over Serb war crimes during the 1990s’ wars in the Balkans. The Austrian novelist and screenwriter was welcomed by Bosnian Serb officials as he arrived in the northern town of Banja Luka, the main city in the Serb-run part of Bosnia. While Handke is adored by Serbs for his support of their nationalist policies, he is considered persona non grata in the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo, which is dominated by mostly Muslim Bosniaks. Bosnian officials in 2019 boycotted the Nobel awards ceremony for Handke and Sarajevo’s regional parliament also denounced the Swedish Academy for giving the award to him.