Former detainees of wartime concentration camps in Bosnia and Herzegovina gathered outside the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) Government building to protest the failure to adopt the Draft Law that would protect camp survivors and other victims of war-time torture. The protest began at 11:55 am.

One of the protestors, Rahmija Hodzic, shared his harrowing experience with N1.

“I had to pay 4,570 Bosnian marks (€ 2,240) in legal fees in Banja Luka after filing a lawsuit for being detained in camps,” said Hodzic, who was imprisoned in six different camps during the Bosnian War.

“I went through six camps, three in Glamoc. I was a police commander, arrested and taken to the Glamoc police station. They held me in a high school gym, then transferred me to Manjaca, Batkovic, and finally to Kula in Sarajevo. I was exchanged on March 8, 1993. They said my lawsuit was outdated. But how is it not a war crime to take someone from their home, imprison them, and send them to six camps?” he asked.

Hodzic recounted being severely beaten. “They hit me with an axe six times in the back. I've had heart surgery—four bypasses and one stent. I developed prostate adenoma from lying on the concrete in Manjaca. I’ve also had spinal surgery, and I still suffer severe consequences,” he explained.

To add to his struggles, the legal fees are now being deducted from his pension. Despite reaching out to various levels of government for assistance with these costs, his pleas remain unanswered.

“The Man Behind the Wire”: Broken ribs, broken nose, and sleepless nights

Fikret Alic, famously known as “the man behind the wire” due to a globally recognized photograph of him at the Trnopolje camp, also spoke at the protest. Alic expressed frustration over the lack of national legislation addressing the rights of camp survivors.

“In Republika Srpska (RS), I was denied recognition as a civilian war victim, even though the entire world acknowledged the existence of these camps. They claim we were in a reception centre, but we were prisoners. Ladies and gentlemen, give us the Law so we can have our rights,” Alic told N1.

He added that he, too, has been burdened with BAM 2,600 marks (€ 1,300) in legal costs. “I had broken ribs and a broken nose, and I can’t sleep day or night. I suffer from psychological trauma. How is it possible that camp survivors in Bosnia and Herzegovina still cannot get their rights or even a basic law?” he asked.

Despite repeated requests from the protestors for representatives of the FBiH Government to come out and address their concerns, no one responded.