BiH Lets Osmanović and Mujanović Rot in Serbian Prisons, Those Close to Authorities Get Protection

By Ernad Metaj

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The prison days in Serbia for BiH citizens Osman Osmanović and Husein Mujanović are being extended as hearings that should finally conclude the proceedings on charges of alleged war crimes are being postponed.

- In Osmanović's case, closing arguments were supposed to be made tomorrow, but it is uncertain when that will happen. One judge is still on sick leave, and even if he weren't, as his defense counsel, I cannot attend hearings due to the lawyers' strike, attorney Đorđe Dozet told Patria.

Osmanović has been in custody for two years, one year less than Mujanović, whose 10-year prison sentence was overturned by the Court of Appeals due to numerous irregularities and illogicalities found in the court proceedings.

- The proceedings are nearing their end; two witnesses still need to be heard and documentation presented, but we are facing numerous problems. The continuation of the trial is uncertain due to the judge's illness and the lawyers' strike, but I must say that we have had problems securing witnesses because no one from BiH wanted to come to court in Belgrade. Allegedly, some also have indictments against them, and it is also a fact that not all witnesses appeared even before the court in BiH, which provided assistance in this case, Dule Ignjatović, Husein Mujanović's attorney, told Patria.

What certainly pains the family is the lawyers' opinion that the chance to try Mujanović in BiH, with guarantees that our country could issue to Serbia, was missed. The situation is similar in Osmanović's case. The two of them are living proof that officials in BiH institutions have double standards, as was shown after the arrest of Edin Vranjo.

- The arrest and the way Vranjo was charged are almost identical to my father's and Mujanović's cases. Unlike the two of them, diplomacy was mobilized in BiH for Vranjo, lawyers from BiH got involved, and media pressure was applied. All actions expected in protecting one's citizens were taken, which was absent in my father's and Mujanović's cases. It is obvious that not everyone in BiH is equal, and if you don't have anyone, or you are not someone's protégé, the state will do nothing for you, Osmanović's daughter Anesa Osmanović Imamović told Patria.

That politics has an influence was shown by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, who publicly addressed the media and announced Vranjo's release from custody. At that time, the final transfer of the case from one country to another was also announced, and Vranjo returned to BiH as a free citizen, although it was expected that he would be handed over to the competent services in BiH at the border between the two countries with handcuffs on his wrists. At that moment, the news spread that Mujanović and Osmanović would follow Vranjo to BiH, which proved to be untrue. The two of them were quickly forgotten again, left to fight their battle mostly alone with their families.

- So far, the proceedings against my father have cost us about 30,000 euros. My mother received about 3,500 euros from the competent institutions. A bigger problem than money is the attitude of the authorities. We were received by Minister Turković, and we were also received at the BiH Prosecutor's Office, but no one offered anything concrete. What pains us is that no one listened to our pleas for the BiH Prosecutor's Office to invoke the signed protocol with Serbia to transfer the trial to BiH. Ambassador Aida Smajić has not contacted us since our meeting; only Consul Mirsad Muhović has always been helpful, and he is most responsible for my father and Mujanović receiving decent treatment in custody, says Anesa.

Slightly more money arrived as support for Mujanović's wife, who could not finance the lawyers' costs alone.

- Apart from Mr. Muhović, no one from the competent BiH institutions informs me about anything. The state should have shown more understanding for my husband, especially after a series of procedural flaws that violated his right to a fair trial were established. I would be optimistic about the final verdict if everything were legal, Mujanović's wife Mirsada told us.

Unfortunately, BiH institutions did not even try to provide the necessary documentation for Mujanović's defense. His lawyer did not want to speculate about the verdict but believes that the defense is in a better position than before.

Osmanović's lawyer, by nature, is a pessimist and does not want to comment on anything until a verdict is delivered. The fact that he has claimed from the beginning that the Serbian Prosecutor's Office has no case in Osmanović's matter does not mean much to him, as he is aware of the society we live in.

The Osmanović and Mujanović families did not expect much from Serbia but are disappointed with the society they live in within BiH. More than the state institutions, which serve personal and party interests, they are hurt by the passivity and fear of public exposure from Osmanović and Mujanović's friends and comrades. As Anesa says, many called her privately to offer support, but they do not want to go public for fear of offending someone. While state institutions do not do their job and citizens remain silent, Mujanović and Osmanović are fighting their battle in Serbian prison, reminding us that someone else could be in a similar situation tomorrow.