Sarajevo residents protest rising funeral and cemetery costs

Citizens in Sarajevo are expressing dissatisfaction following price increases for annual cemetery maintenance fees. According to the public utility company KJKP Pokop, the technical cost for a funeral (dženaza) is 785 KM, excluding religious rites. Total costs are higher when including coffins and equipment such as excavation and grave formation.

In addition to initial burial costs, an annual fee of 15.13 KM is required for the use of burial plots. KJKP Pokop director Nedžad Holjan stated that if these fees remain unpaid for more than 10 years, graves are declared abandoned. In such cases, remains are moved to a collective ossuary at the Vlakovo City Cemetery to allow the plot to be resold.

Local residents have criticized the high costs, noting that many families must take out loans to cover funeral expenses or rely on installment plans. Some citizens also questioned the necessity of the fees, arguing that families often maintain the graves themselves.