Several headstones destroyed in Slimena, with strong condemnations coming from HDZ BiH and HDZ 1990. Police conducted an investigation and, according to unofficial information, detained the suspect.
The Catholic cemetery in the village of Slimena near Travnik in central Bosnia was vandalized on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, with several headstones damaged or destroyed. The news was reported on Thursday, August 13, by Prigorski and ABC Portal, and the incident drew sharp condemnations from Croatian political parties in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
According to information reported by Prigorski, local police were notified and are conducting an investigation. The portal Travnički vjesnik reported that police responded to the report and identified a likely perpetrator with the initials D. G. On the other hand, ABC Portal states that officers from the Travnik Police Administration carried out an on-site investigation and that, according to unofficial information, the perpetrator, D. G., was found and taken into custody.
The damage to the monuments is visible in photographs posted by members of the HDZ BiH municipal committee on their Facebook page, and the party confirmed that police were informed and that an investigation is ongoing.
The HDZ BiH municipal committee in Travnik strongly condemned the desecration of the cemetery, calling it an attack on the resting place of the deceased and on fundamental civilizational values.
"Such an act represents a deeply disturbing and unacceptable attack on the resting place of our deceased, as well as on fundamental civilizational, moral, and social values. Cemeteries are places of piety, prayer, remembrance, and dignity, and they must be protected and respected regardless of any interpersonal, political, or other differences," stated HDZ BiH on their Facebook profile.
They also demanded a full investigation and that those responsible be punished. The Travnik committee of HDZ 1990 also joined the condemnations, warning that the desecration of graves is an insult to the deceased and their families.
"Travnik is a city of all its people and must remain a place where one respects a person, their property, their pain, and their dignity. We may differ in many ways, but there are values that must not be divided," said HDZ 1990.
Slimena is located in the Dolac parish, an area that was predominantly inhabited by Croats until the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to the 2013 census, only 19 Croats lived in the settlement, compared to 371 in 1991, as reported by Prigorski.
More information about the incident and the status of the investigation is expected soon, and there has been no official statement from the police so far.
