UDIK Udruženje za društvena istraživanja i komunikacije
The Association for Social Research and Communication (UDIK) reminds the public of the war crimes committed in the Bugojno municipality, where armed conflicts took place primarily among the Bosniak and Croat population, but a certain number of persons of Serbian ethnicity were also killed in that area. July 1993 was a particularly difficult period for the local population. The most monstrous crimes took place in the camp for Croats formed at the Iskrastadium, under the control of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ARBIH), as well as in Vrbanja and neighboring settlements where members of the Croatian Defense Council (HVO) killed Bosniak civilians.
According to the Institute for Missing Persons of Bosnia and Herzegovina, about fifty exhumations were carried out in the area of Bugojno. Mostly in the period from 1996 to 2000. The youngest person who disappeared in the area of Bugojno is 19-year-old Jozo Lučić, while the oldest victim is Sekula Nikšić, who was eighty-seven years old at the time of the murder. Their remains have not yet been found.
In a series of three publications, UDIK documented cases of war crimes committed in the area of Bugojno. The first publication includes four cases conducted before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which sentenced Alija Osmić to three years in prison for war crimes against prisoners of war, and Osman Šega to five years in prison for war crimes against civilians. After consideration and acceptance of the plea agreement, Enes Handžić was sentenced to eight years in prison, and Slavko Šakić to eight years and six months in prison. Šakić is the only person convicted for the massacre in Vrbanja. The other two publications document the trial that took place from 2008 to 2014 before the State Court against Nisvet Gasal, Senad Dautović and Musajb Kukavica. Gasal and Kukavica were sentenced to four years in prison each, and Senad Dautović was sentenced to seven years in prison. The publications also include a list of verified missing persons from the Bugojno area provided by the Institute for Missing Persons of B&H.
In April 2024, the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina started the trial against the former president of the War Presidency of Bugojno Dževad Mlaćo and the ex-commander of the Operative Group West of the ARBIHSelmo Cikotić. Mlaćo is accused of ordering the murder of Croatian prisoners, while Cikotić is accused of not preventing the commission of criminal offenses by subordinate members of the Military Police of the 307th Brigade.
On the occasion of the anniversary, we remember all the war victims of Bugojno.
