BIRN BiH Presents Database of Missing Children and Documentary Film 'Born, But Do Not Exist'

(Patria) - Balkan Investigative Reporting Network of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIRN) BiH presented the Database of children still missing after the war, as well as the documentary film "Born, But Do Not Exist" which tells the story of three families whose newborn babies disappeared without a trace.

With the Database of Missing Children, BIRN BiH aims to draw public and institutional attention to this particularly vulnerable group and their fate, and to assist in the search for nearly 400 minors that families are still looking for. According to data from the Institute for Missing Persons, 1,297 minors disappeared from the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina during the war.

Denis Džidić, Director of BIRN BiH, stated that this project is the essence and heart of what this organization does – telling the stories of people who are not sufficiently visible in society.

"In Bosnia and Herzegovina, there is insufficient discussion about trauma, the search for missing persons, and those who have the most horrific stories, which are the parents whose children have disappeared," said Džidić, adding that he sincerely hopes this project will awaken the conscience of those who have information about the graves.

For the purposes of the Database, 35 profiles of missing children were recorded, i.e., testimonies from family members about them, their wishes that they unfortunately never fulfilled.

Aida Laković Hošo, Head of the Effective Governance Sector at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in BiH, emphasized that the Database of Missing Children is a shining example of how investigative journalism, empathy, and technology can contribute to justice, remembrance, and reconciliation.

"In Bosnia and Herzegovina, nearly 400 children missing during the war are still being searched for. This database puts a human face to the numbers. It reminds us that every missing person has a name, a family, memories, and a life that was cut short.

And it calls on all of us – institutions, media, citizens – not to forget and to help find the truth. Every story of a missing child is a reminder that justice must never be forgotten, and that peace rests on truth," stated Laković Hošo.

The documentary film "Born, But Do Not Exist" was also screened today in Sarajevo, telling the story of three parents from different parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina who share the same fate – their newborn babies disappeared without a trace, and their desire to find them, more than 30 years after the start of the war, continues to this day.

The film's author, journalist Jasmin Begić, said that this story is never over for the parents. He thanked the parents and family members who agreed to tell their story.

"Youth, the future for the children, and the opportunity for parents to enjoy and watch their children grow up have been cut short. I hope the film will influence someone to come forward and move the story forward," said Begić.

Besides Begić, the film is credited to editor Elvedin Zorlak, cinematographers Mirza Mršo and Anes Asotić, editors Džana Brkanić and Semir Mujkić, and producer Denis Džidić and project manager Katarina Zrinjski.

Music for the film was done by Dino Šukalo and Dado Mušanović, and the song "Što te nema" is performed by Elma Selimović Tais. The TV premiere of the film is scheduled for tonight on N1 at 8 PM.

At the panel discussion "30 Years Later, What Next?", Fikret Bačić, who is still searching for his two children among other family members, stated that he is not satisfied with the work of judicial institutions, nor with the court verdict for the crimes in Zecovi, nor with the search for the missing.

"In Bosnia and Herzegovina, only the victims search for their loved ones. We report to the Institute, the Prosecutor's Office, SIPA (State Investigation and Protection Agency), and actions are taken based on those reports.

In Prijedor, we are still searching for about 600 people, and there is little chance of finding anything significant. I will continue the search and will pass on information as long as I can," concluded Bačić.

Adrijana Hanušić Bećirović, a transitional justice expert who prepared the case study for this database, stated that she fears that human suffering has been normalized in our society and that we have become indifferent to it.

"We have become numb and forgotten the suffering these parents live in. I hope this will be the beginning of accelerated work on this issue. I would appeal to each of us to think about what we can do for this cause, to awaken empathy and conscience," added Hanušić Bećirović.

She pointed out that the lack of finances, technology, human resources, i.e., experts, as well as political will, are primary obstacles in finding missing persons.

An investigator from the BiH Prosecutor's Office is currently in Foča searching for a mass grave, said the spokesperson of this institution, Boris Grubešić, adding that this is a process that never ends.

He explained that the BiH Prosecutor's Office began with finding missing persons a decade after the Dayton Peace Agreement.

"The most heinous crimes were against children; about 1,200 people have been indicted, and only 40 people have made agreements, from whom information about the location of remains could be obtained. It is difficult to get information about the locations of mortal remains because the people who know are perpetrators or participated in some way.

Those who could provide it will not, because they could bring themselves to the dock," said Grubešić, suggesting that the possibility of agreements or immunities for those who reveal the locations of mass graves should be considered.

Emza Fazlić, spokesperson for the Institute for Missing Persons of BiH, stated that the Database and testimonies are the only way for the continued fight to find the missing. She emphasized that truth has no alternative and that it is our obligation and duty to find the mortal remains of missing children.

She recalled the enormous success achieved so far in finding about 80 percent of the missing throughout BiH, but also highlighted the lack of credible information about the remaining graves as a problem.

"We have not fulfilled our obligation, which is to find the mortal remains, and we must insist on it. The fact is that it is very difficult to get accurate information, which is why we constantly appeal," said Fazlić, adding that unfortunately, despite the efforts of the people working at the Institute, funds for their needs were not approved this year either, as the state budget has not been adopted.

Project editor Džana Brkanić appealed to everyone present, as well as those who will see BIRN BiH's project, to share the stories from the Database, so that they become as visible as possible and fulfill their purpose – reaching those who know where the remains of the youngest citizens of BiH are hidden.

The project was realized thanks to "EU Support for Confidence Building in the Western Balkans," funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).