Association 'Woman - Victim of War' on the Verge of Closure: Šaljić Appeals to Sarajevo Canton Authorities for Adequate Institutional Support

(Patria) - The Association "Woman - Victim of War" Sarajevo has sent a letter to all deputies in the Sarajevo Canton Assembly (KS), ministers in the KS Government, mayors, and the mayor, pointing out the extremely difficult situation it is currently in.

In the letter, the Association states that, due to the complete absence of financial and institutional support, it is no longer able to continue its work and activities. It also requests that the Assembly pass a decision granting it the status of an association of special importance for KS.

KS Assembly Deputy Jasmin Šaljić (SBiH) told the Novinska agencija Patria (NAP) that the fact that Sarajevo Canton has not paid a single convertible mark to this association in 2025 is particularly concerning, while the last payment in 2024 amounted to only 19,000 KM.

Last year, the Association managed to survive solely thanks to the support of the relevant ministry of the FBiH Government, which covered operational costs and provided funds for the salaries of two employees.

The received letter prompted Šaljić to visit the Association "Woman - Victim of War", whose premises are located in the Sarajevo neighborhood of Pofalići, and to talk with its members and president Bakira Hasečić.

- During the conversation, it became clear that the problems facing the Association are far deeper and more complex than stated in the letter itself. This is a sensitive area where, unfortunately, political interests are also intertwined.

The continuous collection of victim testimonies and their forwarding to competent prosecutor's offices, as well as the filing of new criminal charges, directly counter attempts to relativize and minimize war crimes, which clearly does not suit some centers of power - says Šaljić.

Throughout more than two decades of work, the Association has provided continuous legal, psychosocial, and advisory support to victims of wartime sexual violence throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina, and especially in the Sarajevo Canton.

It has collaborated with domestic and international institutions, organizations, and judicial bodies. The Association emphasizes that its work is of exceptional importance precisely for the Sarajevo Canton, as the administrative and institutional seat of the state.

According to available data, around 500 victims of rape and sexual abuse are registered in the Sarajevo area alone.

Through the testimonies of members, victims, and their families, numerous war crimes proceedings have been concluded before international and domestic courts, including proceedings before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, with convictions.

Without the work of this Association, many of these cases would likely never have been prosecuted.

The Association "Woman - Victim of War" operates as a non-governmental and non-partisan organization with the aim of protecting the rights and dignity of women and men who survived the war crime of rape and sexual abuse during the aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

According to data from the Association's electronic database: 5,557 testimonies of female victims of war from 73 municipalities have been collected, 298 male victims from 26 municipalities have been registered, 1,119 people have recognized status, 62 children born as a result of rape have been registered, and 2,876 perpetrators of crimes and 10,639 witnesses and eyewitnesses have been documented.

This is the only organization in Bosnia and Herzegovina that systematically, continuously, and dedicatedly deals with this extremely sensitive and socially important issue.

- Granting the status of an association of special importance would strengthen institutional support for war victims, send a clear message of recognition and respect to survivors, and ensure the long-term stability and continuity of the Association's work.

As a deputy in the KS Assembly, at the first upcoming regular session, I will submit an initiative to the KS Government and the relevant ministry to grant this Association the status of an association of special importance, because it meets all the conditions for it, and its work has immeasurable significance for truth, justice, and the preservation of historical memory.

I will also request a clear statement from the deputies in the Sarajevo Canton Assembly, because the issue of supporting this association is not political, but a matter of civilizational responsibility, respect for victims, and the attitude of institutions towards truth and justice - Šaljić said in a statement to NAP.