The Day of Missing Persons of the Municipality of Ilijaš was commemorated on 9 June 2026 with a wreath-laying ceremony at the Central Memorial in Ilijaš, followed by a commemorative programme dedicated to the memory of the missing and killed residents of the municipality, as well as the victims of crimes committed during the aggression against the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The commemoration was organised by the Association of Families of Missing Persons of the Municipality of Ilijaš, with the support of the Municipality of Ilijaš. This year's programme was held under the theme: "Speak Out – Silence Is the Pain of the Soul."
It was noted that 9 June was chosen as the day of remembrance because on that date in 1992 the largest number of residents of Ilijaš were taken from their homes to detention camps, after which they disappeared without a trace. It was further emphasised that families from the Ilijaš area are still searching for 44 missing persons.
One of the most emotional moments of the ceremony was the address delivered by Zekija Avdibegović, President of the Association of Families of Missing Persons of the Municipality of Ilijaš, who has spent thirty-four years searching for her husband, Omer, and her son, Elvedin, who were taken from their family home in Kadarići in 1992.
"Our struggle has continued since 1992 and has never ceased. It is difficult, but we will not give up. I am disappointed with the institutions at both the state and Federation levels because the Law on Missing Persons, adopted back in 2004, has never been fully implemented. It is painful to know that there are people who could help resolve this issue but choose not to do so. We will continue our struggle for as long as we are able," Avdibegović stated.
She also expressed regret over the declining number of citizens attending commemorative events of this kind, stressing that remembrance of the victims and support for the families of the missing must not fade.
The Mayor of the Municipality of Ilijaš, Amar Dovadžija, also addressed those present, noting that April, May, and June are months of grief, remembrance, and reflection for the people of Ilijaš.
"These people did not simply disappear—they were taken away and killed. Today carries a particular pain and a profound silence. For many, the war ended with the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement, but for the families of the missing it has never ended. Every day they continue to wake with the same question: where are their loved ones? We therefore have a duty to pass on the truth to younger generations and to continue the struggle that the families of the missing have carried for all these years, so that the missing and their loved ones may finally find peace," Mayor Dovadžija said.
Speaking about the search for the missing, the Mayor acknowledged that it is difficult to expect those who continue to conceal information about the fate of the missing to find the courage to come forward. Nevertheless, he stressed that society must never abandon the search for the truth.
On behalf of the Institute for Research of Crimes Against Humanity and International Law of the University of Sarajevo, Dr. Merisa Karović-Babić, Senior Research Associate, addressed the gathering. She emphasised that the search for missing persons is not only a legal and institutional obligation but also a moral duty owed by society to the victims and their families. She stressed that the right of families to know the fate of their loved ones is not subject to any statute of limitations and that the search must continue until every family receives the answers they have awaited for decades.
In her address, Dr. Karović-Babić underscored that every statistic represents a human life, a family, a home, and a story that was violently interrupted.
"Unfortunately, for 44 people from the Municipality of Ilijaš, that story still has no ending. Their families continue to wait for the truth, for justice, and for the opportunity to lay their loved ones to rest with dignity," Dr. Karović-Babić said.
She also recalled the crimes committed against the residents of settlements in the Ilijaš area during 1992, the existence of detention camps and places of confinement within the municipality, and the mass grave at Žerovanj Hill, from which the remains of thirty-two murdered residents of Luka, Bioča, and Kadarići were exhumed in 1996.
"As long as there is even one family that does not know the fate of a loved one, our moral and social responsibility remains. We ask for nothing more than the truth—that every family learns the fate of its loved ones and that, after more than three decades of silence, the human conscience finally speaks," Dr. Karović-Babić concluded.
The programme also featured the youngest members of families of missing persons, who delivered poetry recitals conveying the powerful message that remembering the victims remains a lasting responsibility of future generations.
Following the central commemoration, delegations, representatives of public institutions and associations, and members of the public laid flowers at the Central Memorial in Ilijaš. The programme continued with a visit to the mass grave site at Žerovanj Hill, where tribute was paid to the murdered residents whose remains were recovered there.
This year's Day of Missing Persons of the Municipality of Ilijaš once again conveyed a clear message that the search for truth and justice is far from over and that remembering the missing and murdered members of the community remains a permanent responsibility shared by society as a whole.
Source: Ilijas.ba
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