Prosecutor's Office of TK provides details: Bakalović and Razić-Halilović suspected of omissions that led to the death of 17 people

(Patria) - The Cantonal Prosecutor's Office of Tuzla Canton has issued an order to conduct an investigation against two responsible persons in the Tuzla Retirement Home. The investigation was opened against Mirsad Bakalović, former director of the Tuzla Retirement Home, and Zinaida Razić Halilović, head of the Service for Economic, Financial, Accounting and General Affairs at the Home and a member of the Management Board (authorized by the director to also manage the Department of Health Care and Nursing). They are suspected of having committed, as accomplices, the criminal offense of serious criminal offenses against the general safety of people and property in connection with the criminal offense of causing general danger, and Bakalović is also suspected of the extended criminal offense of abuse of position or authority. They were deprived of their liberty today and are being questioned at the premises of the Police Administration of the Ministry of Interior of TK.

The suspects are charged with, as responsible persons in the public institution "Dom penzionera" Tuzla, in the period from February 2024 to November 4, 2025, knowingly failing to organize and implement prescribed measures for fire protection and general safety of users, although they knew that the facility was a high-risk facility classified in the first category of fire risk and that particularly vulnerable categories of users reside there (where 180 elderly users are accommodated, of whom 110 are seriously ill, immobile or persons with disabilities).

According to the results of the investigation so far, Bakalović and Razić-Halilović are suspected of not having ensured the prescribed number of medical staff, caregivers and other staff in night shifts in relation to the number of users, although they were aware that such a number of staff could not ensure even the minimum conditions for the general safety of users, nor supervision and evacuation, especially in emergency circumstances such as a fire.

Bakalović is also suspected of not having implemented mandatory safety measures in the facility, due to which an adequate system of early warning and fire prevention was not established, technical conditions for safe smoke extraction and evacuation of users were not ensured, supervision over compliance with the ban on the use of electrical appliances was not carried out, and the arrangement of user accommodation was not organized in accordance with their mobility and health condition.

The order to conduct the investigation states that these omissions resulted in jeopardizing the safety of a large number of people, and when a fire broke out in the room of one of the users on November 4, 2025, which began to spread quickly, it caused the death of a large number of users of the Tuzla Retirement Home, who due to their health condition were unable to protect themselves or evacuate independently, and more than 30 people were injured.

Also, Mirsad Bakalović is charged with, as director of the institution, by exploiting his position, concluding employment contracts and assigning two employees to fire protection and night receptionist duties contrary to legal conditions, without the prescribed professional qualifications, thereby further violating the rights of users and employees to safety and protection of life and health.

After the criminal investigation, the suspects will be handed over to the jurisdiction of the Prosecutor's Office, and decisions will be made on further measures and actions to be taken against them.

In the course of the investigation so far, a large number of witnesses have been heard, the findings and opinions of a team of experts in construction, architecture and fire protection have been submitted to the Prosecutor's Office, and recordings from the seized video surveillance have been reviewed. This is an extensive, voluminous and complex investigation that will continue in the coming period with the aim of further determining the responsibility of other persons in connection with this tragic fire, the Prosecutor's Office of TK announced.