Former Director and Head of Accounting at the Home for the Elderly in Tuzla Released

(Patria) - The Cantonal Court in Tuzla, in the criminal case against the former director of the Home for the Elderly in Tuzla, Mirsad Bakalović, and the head of the Service for Economic, Financial, Accounting and General Affairs and member of the Management Board, Zinaida Razić-Halilović, has issued a decision rejecting the Tuzla Canton Prosecutor's Office's request to extend their detention, and the suspects have been released.

We remind you that Bakalović and Razić-Halilović are accused of having committed the criminal offense of "Serious Criminal Offenses Against Public Safety of People and Property" in connection with the criminal offense of "Causing General Danger" as accomplices, and Bakalović also for the extended criminal offense of "Abuse of Office or Authority".

By the decision of the Cantonal Court in Tuzla dated January 14, 2026, the detention of the suspects was extended for one month. By partially granting the appeal of the cantonal prosecutors and the defense attorneys of the suspects, the Supreme Court of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina overturned the decision of the Cantonal Court in Tuzla and returned the case to this court for a new decision.

"Acting on the instructions of the Supreme Court of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, considering the evidence collected so far in the investigation, the request of the Tuzla Canton Prosecutor's Office to extend the detention measure, as well as the statements of the defense attorneys of the suspects and the suspects themselves, the panel of this court rejected the request of the Cantonal Prosecutor's Office to extend the detention measure for the suspects based on the legal grounds stipulated by Article 146, Paragraph 1, Point d) of the Criminal Procedure Code of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the suspects were released," the Court stated.

They also emphasized that the Court panel determined that there is a well-founded suspicion that the suspects have committed the criminal offenses they are charged with by the order to conduct the investigation, and that it is a particularly serious criminal offense committed under extraordinary circumstances given the consequences, but that no evidence has been presented to this court from which it could be determined that there is still a danger that releasing the suspects would result in a disturbance of public order.

The Tuzla Canton Prosecutor's Office announced that it will file an appeal against this decision with the Supreme Court of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In the fire that engulfed the Home for the Elderly in Tuzla, 17 residents died, and several people were seriously or lightly injured.