Hidden truths and absent politicians: Anniversary of Hakija Turajlić's murder and a story of oblivion and injustice

(Patria) - The family, friends, associates, and admirers of the politician, undisputed businessman and manager, but above all a wonderful man of gentle disposition, the late Hakija Turajlić, remembered the great man yesterday, on the 31st anniversary of his brutal murder.

However, what was evident during yesterday's commemoration was the absence of politicians from all levels of government. Only representatives of the Party for BiH, Muamer Bandić and Jasmin Šaljić, laid flowers and paid their respects. Also from SBiH, Enes Peštek, delegate to the House of Peoples of the FBiH Parliament, paid his respects. And that was it. No one else from politics!

Representatives of the Government of Sarajevo Canton and the Government of FBiH were not present, and the organization of the commemoration itself was led by Energoinvest and its director Mirza Ustamujić. Because, the late Turajlić was the former director of this giant.

And others should have been there, they should have been. Because as early as 2023, precisely on the initiative of Bandić, the visit to the grave of Hakija Turajlić, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the harem of Alipašina Mosque to pay respects, was included in the calendar of significant dates, events, and personalities from the period of the defense-liberation war 1992-1995 in the Sarajevo Canton area.



The date for the delegation's visit to the grave could have been incorporated into the existing calendar, and consequently, the Assembly adopted the initiative. But two years later, a delegation from Sarajevo Canton did not come to the commemoration.

What does this tell us? First - that politics does not respect its own decisions, and second - that they have no intention of persisting in the narrative that the perpetrators of this brutal murder must be punished.

And no one has ever been convicted. The KS Prosecutor's Office filed an indictment against Goran Vasić in 1998 for war crimes, and he was also charged with the murder of Hakija Turajlić, but he was acquitted due to lack of evidence.

Due to the complexity of the case, it was transferred to the BiH Prosecutor's Office.

And there, it seems, justice died, just like the desire for truth from those who are unable to respect their own decision and at least come to commemorate the anniversary of his death. Or, perhaps it is better that they don't come at all!

Because, they clearly cannot bring anything concrete in the legal and social context. Perhaps that is, unfortunately, the most honest behavior, given the current politics and attitude towards past crimes.

And politics that does not respect its own decisions creates an image of insecurity and distrust in institutions. There is no accountability for not respecting these decisions, and therefore no accountability for past, unresolved issues.