Verdict in the Case of Zijad Mutap and Others: The Memić Family Continues the Fight for Truth

(Patria) – Judge of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina Branko Perić will today announce the first-instance verdict for Zijad Mutap, Alisa Mutap-Ramić, Hasan Dupovac, Zijad Mutap, Josip Barić, and Muamer Ožegović.

The Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina charged them with the criminal offenses of Organized Crime - illegal mediation, aiding an offender after the commission of a criminal offense, obstruction of evidence, and giving false testimony.

This is a case in which the indictment was confirmed on July 19, 2021, and the trial began on October 7.

The indictment states, among other things, that the accused Zijad Mutap organized a group for organized crime with the aim of concealing evidence about how Dženan Memić sustained life-threatening severe bodily injuries on February 8, 2016, as a result of which he died. The group was joined as members by the accused Hasan Dupovac, Alisa Ramić (née Mutap), Josip Barić, and Muamer Ožegović, who, by concealing evidence and the perpetrator, fabricating evidence, and hiding facts known to them, took actions aimed at concealing the actual manner in which Dženan Memić sustained life-threatening severe bodily injuries.

During the trial, 65 witnesses were heard, a large number of whom were protected. The testimonies related to the fateful night of February 8, 2016, as well as what followed months later.

The death of Dženan Memić has not been clarified for more than 6.5 years, and the young man's family organized protests more than 20 times.

Even two court proceedings at the Cantonal Court in Sarajevo did not clarify who was guilty of the young man's death and how he sustained the fatal head injury.

The Supreme Court of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina issued a verdict in July 2021 acquitting Ljubo and Bekrija Seferović of guilt for a traffic accident and obstruction of evidence, and the judicial panel stated in the verdict that the event did not occur as described in the indictment of the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Two medical experts, Željko Karan and Hamza Žujo, pointed out that the young man had a temporal head injury, not an occipital one as stated in the indictment.

The Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina is conducting another investigation into the murder of Dženan Memić, which includes Dalida Burzić, Meris Ćato, Vahid Ćosić, several police officers...

The Memić family stated that they will continue their fight for the truth regardless of the verdict.