Protest march in Mostar demands justice for Aldina Jahic and action against femicide

Despite rainy weather, a large number of citizens took to the streets with firm demands directed at the authorities. Participants called on institutions to fulfill their duties and enforce the law effectively, emphasizing the importance of public safety, justice, and the protection of women in Bosnian society.

Organizers highlighted that this gathering is crucial in combating violence against women, noting the recent increase in femicides across the country. Demonstrators carried banners reading “Stop Femicide” and posed questions to Mayor Mario Kordic about the safety of Mostar. The march proceeded from Spanski Trg through the city, featuring numerous other messages advocating for justice and accountability.

Over the past year, two femicides have occurred in Mostar: Ines Sulic and Aldina Jahic were both killed in the city center. Speaking on behalf of the Citizens’ Initiative of Mostar, organizer Ifeta Cesir-Skoro stressed the alarming rise in femicides in a city that had recorded no such cases in recent years.

“It is tragic that these femicides happened in the city center, and that the victims had no chance of receiving help. Had authorities reacted in time, both women could still be alive. Aldina specifically had sought help, warning ‘he carries a gun.’ She was in danger, yet society has grown apathetic; we no longer respond to the suffering of others,” Cesir-Skoro said.

She also recalled the brutal 2023 murder of Nizama Hecimovic in Gradacac, acknowledging progress in legally defining femicide but emphasizing that implementing secondary legislation and effective protective measures has been slow.

Citizens at the protest questioned how no one noticed Aldina running from the bus station in the city center to escape an armed man, and why no intervention occurred to save her life. The march underscored the urgent need for systemic changes to protect women and prevent further tragedies in Mostar and across Bosnia and Herzegovina.