Details of the Case of Arrested Selmir Mašetović: Family Seeks Lawyer to Represent Him on Their Own

ISTANBUL, ANKARA, GRADAČAC, (Patria) - The Consulate General in Istanbul has provided clarification on the activities undertaken regarding the arrest of BiH citizen Selmir Mašetović in Turkey. Mašetović was born in 1994 in Gradačac, and has been studying in Turkey for the past several years. 

- The Consulate General of BiH in Istanbul was informed on May 25, 2018, by the Republic Prosecutor's Office of the city of Uşak, Department for Terrorism and Organized Crime, that an arrest warrant for BiH citizen Mašetović Selmir, born on September 19, 1994, was issued by the Criminal Justice Department of the city of Uşak, and that under warrant number 2018/136 he was taken into custody and deprived of liberty on suspicion of membership in an armed terrorist organization, and that an investigation is being conducted by the Republic of Turkey Prosecutor's Office under number 2018/6368.

Mašetović is currently in a Type E penal institution in Uşak. According to information from the Consulate, an aggravating circumstance is that Mašetović did not declare that anyone, including the Consulate General of BiH in Turkey, should be informed of his arrest.

- The Consul General of BiH in Turkey, Began Muhić, personally took over the management and coordination of this consular matter. Personal communication was established with the parents, and they were informed of the new situation and the notification from the competent Turkish prosecutor's office. The Consulate General of BiH in Istanbul sent a letter to the Prosecutor's Office of the city of Uşak on May 30, 2018, requesting a consular visit. After that, we received notification that it was necessary to contact the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Turkey, which was done through the Embassy of BiH in Ankara via a diplomatic note. A request and the contact number of the suspect's father were also submitted to enable the detainee to have a direct telephone conversation - stated the Consulate General in Istanbul.

They further stated that they are still waiting for consent for a consular visit, which they have not received to date.

- In an oral conversation with the ex-officio lawyer named Gamze Keskin, we received assurances that the named individual feels well, has no health difficulties, and had no complaints regarding violations of his basic human rights. From the ex-officio lawyer, we received information that an appeal against the indictment has been filed, along with a request for the suspect to be allowed to defend himself from freedom - stated the Consulate General. 

In contact with the Mašetović family, a list of lawyers in Turkey who speak Bosnian was provided so they could consider the possibility of hiring a personal lawyer to handle the defense during the court proceedings. The father of the suspect, a BiH student, has made contact with several lawyers, and according to information he conveyed to the Consul General in Istanbul, negotiations and agreements regarding their engagement are ongoing.

- The Embassy of BiH in Ankara and the Consulate General of BiH in Istanbul have been in constant contact with the competent institutions since the arrest of Selmir Mašetović and are doing everything within their jurisdiction and authority to ensure that our citizen receives full legal and consular protection. So far, we have had several similar situations that were successfully resolved, which we hope will be the case in this instance as well. Neither the Consulate General of BiH in Istanbul nor the Embassy of BiH in Ankara yet have complete information from the suspect's indictment file, including what material evidence the competent prosecutor's office possesses, which we hope to obtain soon through authorized legal representatives - the statement reads.