- Anica Jurić, a survivor of one of the most harrowing wartime atrocities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, continues her decades-long fight for justice, 31 years after her husband and three sons were brutally murdered by members of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Kakanj during the war in 1993.
The murders occurred on June 13, 1993, during the Feast of Saint Anthony, when Jurić’s family, along with other civilians, was captured near a cemetery. According to her testimony, she witnessed her husband Juro and sons Stjepan (25), Ljubomir (21), and Dragan (19) being tortured and executed in front of her. She was also injured, along with her daughter-in-law and other women and children.
Despite her repeated testimonies in The Hague and domestic courts, no one has been convicted for the killings. "I went to Sarajevo, gave statements to the press, and testified multiple times, but no official action was ever taken," Jurić said.
Recently, she and her daughters-in-law filed a complaint with the Prosecutor's Office of Zenica-Doboj Canton, alleging an attempt to cover up the crime. Jurić believes authorities are waiting for her to pass away so that the case can be forgotten.
The massacre of the Jurić family is part of a broader pattern of crimes and persecution that targeted over 11,000 Croats in Kakanj during the war. The remains of her family were only recovered years later in a mass grave at the Grmače cemetery.
Jurić continues to visit their graves regularly, accompanied by her family members, who have become her source of strength. “My grandchildren, who grew up without fathers, and my great-grandchildren bring me joy,” she said.
This grieving mother remains steadfast in her belief in divine justice. "They will answer before God if they do not answer here on earth," she stated, expressing hope that the suffering of her family will not be forgotten.
Jurić's story is a somber reminder of the unresolved wartime crimes in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the enduring pain of survivors who still seek justice decades later.
