Continuation of the trial in the Hebib vs. Judo Federation of BiH case

The trial in the case of minor judoka M. H. (14), his coach Karim Hebib, and the Judo Federation of BiH will continue on Friday at the Municipal Court in Sarajevo.

M. H., a member of the ON 1 Judo sports organization, is a multiple BiH national champion in the U16 and U18 categories. At the national competition in Bihać last April, after a victory, he performed a prostration (prayed to God) and touched his neck with the edge of his hand. The leaders of the Judo Federation of BiH considered such an act by young Hebib a provocation, after which the Federation's Disciplinary Commission imposed a one-year suspended sentence on M. H., and banned his father and coach from training for the next three years.

The Judo Federation of BiH claims that the boy was not punished, but reprimanded. And the reprimand was not due to religious beliefs, but due to unsportsmanlike conduct. The President of the Judo Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Branislav Crnogorac, told Patria that he personally supports the religious feelings of athletes.

However, the official document of the Judo Federation states that the disciplinary measure was imposed due to a religious exclamation and because the boy touched his neck with the edge of his hand.

The entire case ended up in court. Coach Hebib is proving that no sports rule was violated. He says that the behavior of his son and student can be seen at all major competitions, including the Olympics.

The Municipal Court in Sarajevo has suspended the rigorous measures of the Judo Federation of BiH pending the conclusion of the entire procedure. Coach Karim Hebib claims that the Federation does not fully respect the Court's decisions, even though the Court was clear – for non-compliance with the Court's decision, the head of the Judo Federation, Branislav Crnogorac, will be fined, and the Federation's account will be blocked.