MUP ZDK: Sarajevo fans were tied up during apprehension

After photos of beaten Sarajevo fans by MUP ZDK members surfaced the day after the match between NK Čelik and FK Sarajevo, which was played on Sunday in Zenica, the case was addressed by the Zenica police, reports Patria agency. Many fans also had their private cars destroyed.

- Before the start of the football match, during the arrival of visiting fans, who mostly came to the football match in passenger cars and vans, public order and peace were disturbed by a small group of fans in Bulevar Kulina bana street near number 32, which led to the intervention of members of the Special Police Unit of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Zenica-Doboj Canton. Seventeen individuals were apprehended and brought to the premises of the Centar Police Station, where they were issued misdemeanor orders for violations of the Law on Public Order and Peace of the Zenica-Doboj Canton, to which they accepted responsibility.

Given that during the intervention of police officers, several members of the fan group resisted and refused to comply with lawful orders, members of the Special Police Unit used force, and special reports were compiled on every use of restraints and physical force, which will be sent for regular procedure to assess their justification.

During the documentation of this event, three individuals from Zenica were subsequently identified by police officers, who were found to have disturbed public order and peace, and were issued misdemeanor orders for their violations. Five individuals were apprehended and removed from the stadium, also for disturbing public order and peace and committing violations of the Law on Safety of Sports Events in the Zenica-Doboj Canton.

What we want to emphasize is the fact that cooperation between fan groups and the police is very possible, as evidenced by numerous matches played in Zenica and the Zenica-Doboj Canton, where not a single case of public disorder or incident was recorded. Likewise, police officers will continue to treat all fan groups equally, regardless of their origin. We can confidently state that the police divide all fans and fan groups exclusively into those who respect public order and peace and create a good fan atmosphere, and there are many more of them, and smaller groups and individuals who try to turn the streets and squares of our cities into arenas for fan clashes and causing material damage to society, citizens, and sports infrastructure.

The Zenica police state that the majority of fans respected legal provisions and the instructions of the police and stewards, while a smaller fan group, against whom police powers were applied, separated themselves with the intention of clashing with other fans, and members of that group did not comply with the orders of police officers.

- We emphasize to all fan groups who use sports events and grounds for their physical clashes and creating disorder that we will not tolerate any illegal behavior on sports grounds and in cities, nor any incidents and cases of disturbing public order and peace that could endanger the lives and property of our citizens. We will bring such situations under control as quickly as possible and apprehend and prosecute the perpetrators. This is our legal obligation, and our citizens and the community expect and demand that we protect them.

Police officers will continue to protect public order and peace, citizens' property, and thus prevent consequences that could be extremely severe if such events escalated. We call on all fan groups to come to matches organized if possible and to cooperate with the police, adhering to legal provisions, instructions, and orders they receive.

The police are obliged to ensure that everyone, regardless of their origin, can travel safely, enjoy the sports and fan atmosphere, and travel safely to their destinations.