Special Forces Officer Žilo: The tear was shed because of injustice, not fear

Those who did not go through the ordeal that day cannot understand how difficult it was. We had the strength to confront the demonstrators, we had the right to use firearms, but emotions took over, they are our people after all - said in an exclusive interview for the BiH news agency Patria (NAP) Elmir Kadić, a forty-year-old special forces officer, whose picture from the February 7th protests in Sarajevo, when demonstrators set fire to the Presidency building of BiH, the KS Government building, and the Centar Municipality building, went around the world.

Leaning against the Presidency building while a tear rolled down his face, this Sarajevo special forces officer sent a message that speaks louder than a thousand words. He says he did not cry out of fear, but out of sadness, because a group of hooligans set fire to what he had managed to defend from the Chetniks two decades earlier.

- I support the protests, people's dissatisfaction is evident, but the Presidency should not have burned. Although, it should also be known that it was hooligans who set fires, not serious citizens - Elmir told NAP.

The Special Support Unit of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of KS organized a gathering for injured police officers at their base in Sarajevo today. Over a modest meal, a little over a month after the riots, they reflected on their experiences. During the protests, 144 police officers were injured. Three seriously.
Elmir also attended the gathering. On February 7th, his trachea was injured, from which he is still recovering.

Kadić after recovery: Still has problems with his trachea

He is quiet, reserved, and speaks with difficulty. He is tougher than he is talkative. Hence his nickname Žilo. He tells us that his entire working life has been in the service of his homeland. From his military uniform, which he put on when the aggression against BiH began, he transitioned to the police force, and since 2005 he has been a member of the Special Support Unit of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Sarajevo Canton.

For him, the job of a special forces police officer is primarily a passion, from which he supports his wife and two daughters.

- I can't wait to get back to work. I especially miss Andi, the German Shepherd who is my faithful companion in every operation - says Elmir for NAP.