Sarajevo Diary
This diary of the recent events in Sarajevo is a valuable document of the hate crimes taking place surrounding the first Sarajevo Queer Festival.
SARAJEVO DOSSIER
24 September 2008
Opening of the first Sarajevo Queer Festival at the Academy of Visual Arts: brutal attacks by religious extremists who were following GLBT participants and journalists after the opening and attacking them in the streets all over town, and in taxis (they followed taxis, stopped them and beat the people inside; they hit them with wooden handles of the guns, they carried knifes as well); at least 10 people were injured and transported to the hospital; the attackers also mobilized their women who were (covered with traditional attire) taking part in violence.
25 September 2008
The organizers held press conference in Multimedia Center and canceled the festival, because the risk was too high; the police released all the attackers who were detained during the night;
26 September 2008
The organizers keep getting death threats (from persons that are known to the police!); the video was published on YouTube showing the decapitation of Svetlana Djurkovic;
27/28/29 September 2008
Some of the volunteers and activists left Sarajevo for security reasons and in fear of more violence; Extremist religious groups announced further activities and began to organize and gather in other BiH cities with the goal to commit more homophobic crime;
30 September 2008
The hooligans attacked the office of Udruzenje Q; the activists moved out the office and moved the office to a secret location;
Leading activists and organizers of the festival were under enormous pressure, working in hostile conditions, all the time receiving threats; they were constantly harassed and molested by hooligans and the media (daily “Dnevni Avaz”).
Now most in danger are: Svetlana Djurkovic, Slobodanka Dekic and Emina Trumic.
