The Sarajevo Municipal Court made a first-instance verdict, which for the first time in Bosnia and Herzegovina judicially confirmed discrimination against LGBTI people, the Sarajevo Open Center reported Tuesday.

The verdict refers to a public statement made by the then member of the Sarajevo Canton Assembly, Samra Cosovic-Hajdarevic, via her Facebook profile.

Reacting to the announcement of the organizers of the First Pride Parade of Bosnia and Herzegovina, she reacted with her status, which resonated with the public and was transmitted by a number of print and electronic media.

She wrote, among other things:

“I want such people isolated and moved as far away from our society and children. Let them go someplace else, to make their own city, state, their own laws which no one would deny.”

“This verdict is very important because it has been proven that spreading hate speech and calling for violence against LGBTIQ + people in the online sphere (social networks) can also spread and affect the quality of life of LGBTIQ + people, or can lead to physical violence. This is a confirmation that hate speech and incitement to violence on social networks, especially of public figures and politicians, is not permissible and can be sanctioned. In the spirit of this year's BiH Pride Parade, which falls on June 25, let this verdict be a warning to everyone that every hate speech and call for violence will be reported and that we will expect the same and similar verdicts,” Lejla Huremovic, a member of the Organizing Committee of the BiH Pride Parade.

This is the first instance verdict and as such, it is not final. However, the Sarajevo Open Centre found it important to make it public.