Šerak transferred to KPZ Zenica, Zubčević still not responding whether he granted him privileges

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - Adnan Šerak, who is serving a prison sentence, was transferred this morning from KPZ Sarajevo to KPZ Zenica. Šerak was transferred to KPZ Sarajevo five months ago to undergo a resocialization process.

A letter sent to the Patria News Agency by prison guards reveals that Šerak was involved in numerous incidents in the Sarajevo prison as well, and they stated that he was allowed many things by KPZ director Faruk Zubčević that other prisoners are not.

"The director of KPZ Sarajevo allowed him everything, just to keep him calm, and to show the public that Adnan Šerak is better off in Sarajevo than in Zenica. The real truth is that this convict does whatever he wants, everything he could not and was not allowed to do in Zenica because Redžo Kahrić, the director of Zenica, did not tolerate his actions against the house rules."

The prison guards further stated that Šerak left his cell whenever he wanted, walked around the prison, and returned to his cell whenever he pleased.

"He hit a duty officer, our colleague, twice. He grabbed the assistant director for treatment, Jasmin Taraniš, by the collar through the bars; we barely saved him, Jasmin no longer dares to approach him. No one dares to write a disciplinary report against him for these actions; everyone avoids him so as not to get on his bad side because the guy is dangerous."

The letter further claims that Šerak even used the duty officer's mobile phone to call director Zubčević.

"He tried to set fire to cell number 1 where he is staying. He smashed the television in the cell where he is staying, which is prison property; he gave it to us in pieces. The director promised him a laptop and a PlayStation just to keep him calm," the prison guards state in the letter.

They claim that on January 29, 2020, director Zubčević gave Šerak a laptop that he uses in his cell.

"The director is concealing everything from the Ministry of Justice, hiding the true state of affairs. There will be big problems in KPZ Sarajevo; guards are going on sick leave, they do not dare to work under such conditions," the letter states.

Director of KPZ Sarajevo, Faruk Zubčević, has not responded for over a month to the Patria News Agency's inquiry regarding these and other allegations made in an earlier letter by prisoners and the behavior of prison guards.

As the Patria News Agency learns, certain disciplinary proceedings against prison guards are underway, and NAP sources from KPZ Sarajevo state that there are other abuses of KPZ Sarajevo property, such as the official car of deputy director Mladen Krpan, which is driven by his son, and for which there are video recordings.

We asked director Zubčević whether prisoners are allowed access to computers, given that the letter was typed rather than handwritten, as prisoners usually send letters. We also did not receive an answer to the question of whether prison guards undergo checks when arriving at work to prevent them from coming to a shift under the influence of alcohol, and whether Zubčević is unaware of this.