"The actions initiated by Aleksandar Todorović will go on. We will continue our fight mostly to honour Aca's memory. We have lost a person we will always remember," Beširević said about the recently deceased Todorović, the leader of the Civil initiative. It is thanks to Todorović that the erasure became the topic of discussion, and eventually started the reparation of the injustice for 25,671 erased residents of Slovenia from the territory of ex-Yugoslavia.
"Aco was a legend"
"Aco was really a legend, he dared a lot, and we achieved a lot thanks to his stubbornness," adds Mirjana Učakar. She remembers that in 2001 he started a hunger strike in front of the Ljubljana Zoo, as he had no idea who should he contact. Only after that he started meeting other activists and members of nongovernmental organisations for protection of human rights. "He was the leading figure, the things wouldn't start unravelling without him," adds Beširević.
"In Slovenia nothing could be achieved through law"
The parting of Todorović with the lawyer, the former constitutional judge, and also a strong advocate of the Erased Matevž Krivic, was based on the activism which Todorović supported, in contrast to Krivic. "In Slovenia nothing could be achieved through law," they still today believe in the Initiative. They intend to proceed with the actions at the Strasbourg court, the number of which is almost 1,000, according to Mirjana Učakar.
Strikes, protests...
An important change was brought about also by the strike in the building at Republic square no. 3, at the headquarters of the EU representatives. Seven activists of the Erased invaded the building in order to draw the attention of EU to the severe violation of human rights committed by the Slovenian authorities. "Only three of the seven are still alive," states Cvijetin Blagojević, one of the erased who has been living in Celje since 1972. "I am married to a Slovenian, as a tradesman I had employed two foreign workers who on that account received Slovenian citizenships, and as for me – in 1995 they wanted to drive me out of Slovenia," he explains.
What's the point of proofs, when the state knows who was erased?
Another member of the Initiative (the name is known to the Editorial board) admits that, in spite of all the submitted proofs, he "was assigned the status of permanent resident through his contacts". "Why do we have to prove anything, when the state knows exactly who was erased?" wonders Beširovič.
The Administrative unit of Ljubljana, he says, has all his Ljubljana addresses by dates, and on February 26, 1992 the computer entry reads "erasure".
The procedures for status restoration should be shortened
"The procedures for status restoration should be shorter. Presently they last a year, or two. It is very difficult to gather proofs. How can you prove you tried to return to Slovenia, if the passport you had at that time is not any longer in your possession? In order to obtain a proof A, you previously need a proof B, which you don't have," Beširević describes the bureaucratic mills.

Učakar goes a step further and claims that the evidences on deportation of the erased were destroyed in 2002. Marija Rodić from Knin was unable to put her status in order for a long time, as Slovenia wouldn't acknowledge her birth certificate issued during the period when a part of Croatia was controlled by the Serbs living there. She however wonders that as an erased she got a tax ID number immediately, and without any problems.
Before erasure invited to the plebiscite
Trivo Dervinić remembers well the invitation to participate at the Slovenian plebiscite on December 23, 1990 he received, as well as all the other erased afterwards. "They should give us back all the rights from that date on, we also remained without flats, without certificates," he points at the injustice. "The Prime Minister Alenka Bratušek never even mentions us, except at occasion of the interpellation against the Minister of the Interior Gregor Virant," they express their criticism against the present authority, which however should repair the injustice caused to the erased according to the judgment of the Strasbourg Court for Human Rights.
The authorities are obstructing the Erased
"The authorities are obstructing the execution of justice. This government is the worst of all. Even when they give us back the permanent residence, we get cards which stigmatize us, as they differ from those other foreigners get," relate the Erased. Zoran Milošević shows us his card – a proof on (restored) permanent residence in Slovenia, which however does not include his address in Slovenia. All the other foreigners have such address on their cards. "I feel more and more bitterness. 22 years is a bit too long. It would be easier if we started dealing with truth, and not with lies. They can't deny the erasure any more, as it would be impossible," he adds.