Croatian Defence Council rebukes SDA vice‑president’s apartheid claim over Stolac

Haro Zahiragić Croatian Defence Council apartheid claim Stolac Croat‑Bosniak relations

The Coordination of NGOs of the Croatian Defence Council (HVO) issued a strong response to statements made by SDA vice‑president Haris Zahiragić. In a podcast Zahiragić compared the situation in the town of Stolac – and the broader context of Mostar – to South African apartheid, claiming that Bosniak representation in public enterprises there is only 1‑2 %.

HVO said such remarks burden Croat‑Bosniak relations and called for consistent criteria for representation and rights across all municipalities. It questioned why the same standards are not applied to Bugojno, Travnik, Kakanj, Zenica and Konjic, where Croats were victims of wartime crimes and now face under‑representation. The group rejected the narrative of collective responsibility for “Herceg‑Bosna” and urged dialogue based on facts and equal rights for the three constitutive peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Entities: Bosnia and Herzegovina · Bugojno · Croatian Defence Council (HVO) · Dževad Agić · HVO coordination · Haris Zahiragić · Haro Zahiragić · Refik Lende · Stolac

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 4 SOURCES] HVO said such statements burden Croat‑Bosniak relations and call for consistent criteria in all municipalities. (new)
[● 4 SOURCES] HVO sharply condemned Zahiragić's statement that Stolac is an apartheid area. (new)
[● 2 SOURCES] HVO argued that the term 'Herceg‑Bosna' is used reflexively to explain problems in Croat‑majority areas. (HVO coordination)
[● 4 SOURCES] HVO called for equal criteria for representation and rights in all municipalities. (new)
[● 4 SOURCES] Zahiragić claimed Bosniak representation in public enterprises in Stolac and Mostar is 1‑2 %. (new)
[● 4 SOURCES] HVO questioned why similar standards are not applied to Bugojno, Travnik, Kakanj, Zenica and Konjic. (new)
[● 4 SOURCES] HVO criticized Federation vice‑president Refik Lende's visit to dismissed workers in Mostar with Dževad Agić. (new)
[● 4 SOURCES] SDA vice‑president Haris Zahiragić compared the situation in Stolac to South‑African apartheid in a podcast. (new)