Hurtić: Criminal legislation must be urgently changed, and attacks on returnees, even verbal ones, must be punished most severely

(Patria) - The Minister for Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sevlid Hurtić, called on the competent institutions to urgently shed light on the murder of a 76-year-old returnee in the village of Panjik on Ozren, in the area of Lukavac.

Given that this is a vulnerable and sensitive category of the population, it is extremely important that the competent authorities investigate all circumstances of this unfortunate event and inform the public about it.

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Lifeless body of an elderly woman found near Lukavac

(Patria) - The lifeless body of an elderly woman was found in the wider area of Lukavac, specifically in the settlement of Ozren, yesterday around 5:20 PM, confirmed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Tuzla Canton. The report of the body's discovery was received by the Lukavac Police Station.

- Regardless of the motives for this heinous act, the perpetrators must be identified as soon as possible and deservedly punished, because as a society and a state, we must not allow attacks on returnees, who must be equally protected and have equal rights throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina.

I take this opportunity to once again call on all competent institutions to ensure, above all, the protection of the lives and property of returnees in all parts of our country, and ultimately, a dignified life and stay in their own homes.

This is ultimately an obligation contained in Annex 7 of the Dayton Peace Agreement.

After this new horrific crime against a female returnee, we are completely convinced that it is necessary to change the criminal legislation in which every attack, even verbal, on returnees will be treated as a separate criminal offense with the prescribed strictest penalty.

The institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina at all levels must finally, 30 years after the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement, take all measures to prevent attacks on the returnee population throughout BiH in the future - said Hurtić.