SDA Stolac: We Call on HDZ BiH and Local Authorities to Stop the Practice of Discrimination and Abuse of Institutions against Bosniaks

(Patria) - The Municipal Organization of the Party of Democratic Action Stolac strongly condemns the latest move by the Mayor of Stolac, Stjepan Bošković, who, according to media reports close to the Stolac HDZ BiH, issued a Decision revoking the building permit for the construction of a Muslim cemetery (harem) in Stolac, citing that certain land plots are registered as "state land" or "arable land".

"This decision directly denies the right of Bosniak Muslims in this city to bury their deceased with dignity, which represents one of the fundamental human rights guaranteed by international and domestic laws.

The Mayor of Stolac, Stjepan Bošković, issued a building permit in June 2024, and it is completely unconvincing and legally untenable that just a few months later he cites the fact that it is state or agricultural land. The mayor and city services must have been aware of the legal status of the subject plots at the time of deciding on the requests for a urban planning permit and later for a building permit for the construction of the cemetery. This subsequent 'realization' is obviously not the result of an administrative check, but of a political will to deny the Bosniaks of Stolac the realization of one of their basic human and religious rights.

The struggle for the right to build a cemetery has been ongoing for more than ten years, since the first request submitted by the Medžlis of the Islamic Community of Stolac in 2013. In this process, in addition to domestic institutions, relevant international organizations were also involved, which, through their presence and opinions, repeatedly confirmed the justification of the request of the Islamic Community and the citizens of Stolac of Bosniak nationality. Nevertheless, instead of respecting the rights and needs of their fellow citizens, the city government led by HDZ BiH and Stjepan Bošković uses administrative mechanisms to preserve systemic discrimination and disenfranchisement of Bosniaks in this city.

The right to a dignified burial is not a privilege, but a universal human right. Denying this right shows how empty and hypocritical the declarative statements about multi-ethnicity, coexistence and European values, often emphasized by representatives of HDZ BiH, actually are.

Unfortunately, the practice in Stolac clearly shows that political interest and the dominance of the majority people in local government are placed above the fundamental rights of all citizens," stated the SDA Stolac.

The Municipal Organization of SDA Stolac calls on HDZ BiH and local authorities in Stolac to stop the practice of discrimination and abuse of institutions against citizens of Stolac of Bosniak nationality and calls on them to prove their sincere attitude towards European values and equality of all citizens, which they so often invoke, and to enable the construction of the cemetery as a minimum of respect for the human and religious rights of Bosniaks in this city.

"Also, we call on all relevant domestic and international institutions, especially those dealing with the protection of human rights and freedoms, to closely monitor this case and exert pressure on local authorities in order to find a final solution for the city cemetery. The Bosniaks of Stolac must no longer be second-class citizens in their own city," they stated.