Attacks on Orthodox cemeteries and Serb property in the Federation of BiH (FBiH) continue because of the lack of concrete action by the relevant judicial institutions in that entity, Đorđe Radanović, President of the Committee for the Protection of Serb Rights in FBiH, told SRNA.
Speaking about the latest incident involving damage to a canopy at the Gradina Orthodox cemetery in the village of Lozna near Banovići, which local residents had built to provide seating during cemetery visits, Radanović said the structure had been damaged with a chainsaw.
He emphasized that this was not an isolated incident, noting that Orthodox cemeteries at several locations had been damaged during the year, including Trnovac near Travnik and Vučinići near Kladanj, where gravestones had been desecrated repeatedly.
“When it comes to Orthodox cemeteries, the situation has reached a critical stage. This is nothing new; these incidents are simply being reported more frequently,” Radanović said.
Repeated destruction of gravestones
He also pointed to incidents in Ilijaš, where gravestones had been destroyed several times, eventually prompting families to abandon efforts to repair them.
“People repaired a gravestone once, only for it to be smashed again. In the end, they gave up. They no longer repair them and do not know what else to do,” Radanović explained.
He identified the failure to identify and punish perpetrators as one of the main problems and called on the relevant institutions to disclose information about cases that have resulted in prosecution.
“We call on the police authorities, the relevant cantonal prosecutors’ offices and the Federal Prosecutor’s Office to speak publicly and tell people how many individuals have been held accountable so far. The key problem is the lack of action by the competent authorities,” Radanović emphasized.
Calls for stronger police and judicial action
Radanović also recalled the case of the Lemezi Orthodox cemetery in Sarajevo, which was damaged three times by the same man.
He said the incidents occurred in February and April 2023, and again in December of that year, when the suspect was arrested.
Radanović stressed that the recurrence of such incidents requires more decisive action by the police and judiciary, although he expressed little optimism that the situation would improve without sanctions.
He noted that the Committee possesses photographs, video recordings and information documenting damage to numerous Orthodox cemeteries, from Sarajevo to Zenica, and is prepared to provide documentation and details of specific locations.
“We will continue publishing more and more information. These cases have only been discussed more intensively over the past few years because information about damage that had occurred even earlier has begun to be made public,” Radanović concluded.
Source: RTRS
