Bosnia and Croatia address unresolved fate of missing persons

Families in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia continue to struggle with the unresolved fate of thousands of persons missing from the wars of the 1990s. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, 7,566 people remain missing. Families report that despite laws passed two decades ago, essential support funds have not been established and rights regarding property management remain unfulfilled. Many families face ongoing trauma as mass graves remain undiscovered.

In Croatia, the government has proposed new regulations to address the legal and financial uncertainty surrounding the estates of missing persons. The proposal aims to allow legal heirs to initiate inheritance proceedings before a missing person is officially declared dead, removing emotional and psychological barriers that have previously prevented families from settling property matters. Croatian Minister Tomo Medved stated that resolving the fate of the missing is a priority for the Ministry of Croatian Veterans.