Israeli tourists have been left stranded in Bosnia and Herzegovina after hotel staff in Sarajevo allegedly threw away their passports, according to Israeli media outlet Ynet.
Reports say the group consists of 47 tourists. According to their account, the incident happened by accident. The tourists were supposed to return to Israel yesterday, but without their passports, they were unable to do so and had to remain at the hotel.
“After checking the security cameras, we discovered that the passports were mistakenly thrown into the trash. From the reception bin, they were taken away in garbage trucks and then to a landfill. We are forced to stay at the hotel for another 48 hours, maybe longer. We fear we could end up stuck here for more than a week,” several tourists told Ynet.
Some travelers, however, expressed doubts that it was an accident.
“This is very strange. How can someone throw away passports? Everyone is silent. We suspect the passports were thrown away because they had the Israeli emblem. We demand a clear answer, because this is a serious act that harms people. We asked how this happened, and we still haven’t received any answers,” one Israeli tourist said.
The hotel did not comment on the incident. Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the event took place and stated that it is being handled by the department for Israeli citizens abroad and the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade.
