Referendum story emboldened extremists, returnee attacked in Vlasenica last night

The difficult political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina has also affected Bosniak returnees in the BiH entity of Republika Srpska, Patria reports.

Returnees have been finding it particularly hard over the last twenty days, following announcements by RS President Milorad Dodik that he will call a referendum in which citizens in this part of the country will support marking RS Day on January 9.

The Constitutional Court of BiH has ruled that marking RS Day on January 9 is unconstitutional, so a referendum in which citizens would again decide on this issue would mean derogating the Constitutional Court of BiH.

The international community, including the US as a world power, has also warned of the dangerous consequences of the referendum.

Bosniak returnee in Vlasenica, Mensur Saračević (55), told Radio Glas Drine that he was attacked by a group of extremists on Friday evening, and has been suffering insults for the last three weeks.

- First they insulted my mother, then they knocked me to the ground. Luckily some people came by, who defended me and drove me home. The police came, but I think they are working along party lines and I don't expect much from the police – said Saračević.

He claims that on the streets of Vlasenica, some Serbian extremists can be heard openly calling Bosniak neighbors Balijas or other derogatory names, NAP reports.