Pale police investigate official for alleged grave desecration

A police official in Bosnia and Herzegovina, identified as Jelena H., is under investigation for the alleged unauthorized excavation and relocation of graves at the Kremenita Brda site near Pale. The suspect, a former footballer currently employed by the Directorate for Police Bodies Coordination, is accused of disturbing a Muslim cemetery to facilitate construction work on a weekend house.

Families of the deceased reported finding several graves dug up and remains moved without their consent or legal authorization. Witnesses and family members stated that heavy machinery was used, resulting in damaged tombstones (nišani) and desecrated burial sites. Some reports indicate that remains were placed in black bags during the process.

The East Sarajevo Police Administration has secured the cemetery while investigations continue. The case is being treated as the criminal offense of ‘desecration of a grave or a deceased person,’ which carries a potential prison sentence of one to five years. The report will be submitted to the District Public Prosecutor's Office in East Sarajevo to determine full responsibility.