Fourth day of protests in Sarajevo after tram tragedy that killed 23-year-old

Organisers, a group of students coordinating through Instagram pages “hocel.ta.promjena” and “pravda.promjena.ba,” called on high school and university students to join demonstrations to show unity and solidarity.

The protests began after a tram derailed on February 12, killing Morankic and injuring multiple passengers. Demonstrators have outlined four key demands: full transparency of the investigation, including maintenance records and video footage from the tram; the immediate withdrawal of unsafe vehicles from service; the resignation of officials responsible for public transport oversight; and long-term reforms to ensure a safe and reliable public transport system.

The protests have already triggered political fallout. On Sunday, Sarajevo Canton Prime Minister Nihad Uk resigned, causing the cantonal government to collapse. On the same day, the Cantonal Court rejected prosecutors’ request to detain tram driver Adnan Kasapovic.

Meanwhile, the Sarajevo Cantonal Prosecutor’s Office confirmed it had received a criminal complaint filed by a group of citizens against unidentified officials in the Sarajevo Canton Ministry of Transport and the public transport company GRAS, as well as other responsible persons. Prosecutors said the allegations would be examined, including information reported by investigative media outlet Detektor.

According to media reports, the company contracted to service magnetic brakes on the tram model involved in the accident allegedly had no prior experience with such systems. The company’s owner reportedly stated that no serviced brakes had been returned to GRAS during the eight-month contract period, while GRAS did not respond to questions about when tram 516’s brakes were last serviced.

The criminal complaint calls for an investigation into whether proper technical inspections and functional testing were conducted before the tram was returned to service. It also raises questions about the tender process, oversight by transport authorities, and whether safety regulations were followed.

Citizens filing the complaint cited suspected criminal offences including negligent performance of official duties, endangering public transport safety, and serious crimes against public safety.

Prosecutors said the case remains under review as protests continue in the Bosnian capital.