Crime in Biljani: 260 killed, only one conviction

(Patria) - 33 years ago today, the village of Biljani near Ključ was the scene of one of the most severe war crimes committed against Bosniak civilians in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the early morning hours of July 10, 1992, units of the Army of Republika Srpska, in cooperation with reserve and active police officers from Sanica, began an attack in which about 260 civilians were killed.

According to data from the Institute for Missing Persons of BiH, the victims were later found in numerous mass and individual graves. The largest mass grave, the Lanište I pit, was discovered at the end of 1996, and as many as 188 bodies were exhumed from it.

The massacre in Biljani remains a symbol of an unpunished crime. To date, only one verdict specifically related to this case has been issued. The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina convicted Marko Samardžija, commander of the Sanica Battalion, in 2006, and the Appellate Panel sentenced him to seven years in prison two years later. Despite the severity of the crime, no other member of the military and political structure responsible for the attack on Biljani has been finally convicted for specific crimes in this village.

Marko Adamović and Boško Lukić were also tried for Biljani, who were found guilty of crimes against humanity in Ključ, but were acquitted for Biljani. Former commander of the 17th Light Infantry Brigade, Drago Samardžija, never faced justice – he died in Serbia in 2021, without proceedings being initiated.

At the beginning of 2025, the Court of BiH confirmed the indictment against Jovo Kovač, accused of participating in the crimes in Gornji and Donji Biljani. The trial is ongoing, and the Prosecution announces the hearing of more than 200 witnesses, which indicates the depth and severity of the evidence.

The massacre in Biljani is not just a number – behind each name is a human story. Six children were also killed. Among them were four-month-old Amila Džaferagić and her four-year-old brother Almir, whose bodies were found in their mother Besima's arms in a mass grave.

The Association for Social Research and Communication (UDIK), which has been documenting crimes for years, reminds the public that Biljani must not be forgotten:

“The evil that befell this place in July 1992 must not go unpunished. We appeal to the institutions to finally prosecute all those responsible.”

On the occasion of the anniversary, victims' families, activists, and citizens pay tribute to the murdered. Biljani remains a wound that does not heal – not only because of the loss, but also because of the lack of full justice.