The Republic of Srpska

The tenth anniversary of the terrorist attack on the Zvornik Police Station was marked by a moment of silence and the laying of wreaths at the Memorial in front of the Zvornik Police Administration, where the police officer Dragan Đurić was killed, and two other police officers were injured.

On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of this terrorist attack, the Republic of Srpska Ministry of the Interior organized a round table titled ”Terrorism as a form of a Threat to Security”, which was attended by the representatives of the Republic of Srpska Ministry of the Interior, University of Criminal Investigation and Police Studies and the Faculty of Security Studies of the University of Belgrade, Faculty of Security Studies of the University of Banja Luka, the Association of Psychologists of the Republic of Srpska and the Centre for Political and Social Research of the Republic of Srpska.   

The Minister of the Interior of the Republic of Srpska, Mr Siniša Karan, stated that the judiciary played a crucial role in countering terrorism, and that it should have adequately sanctioned it. However, he noted that, unfortunately, the majority of terrorist attacks in the Bosnia and Herzegovina have not been adequately addressed, which was concerning.

He said that the Administration for Countering Terrorism and Extremism had been established, and that for the past ten years, it played a key role in the Republic of Srpska in that aspect, since it systematically and strategically addressed the issue and it initiated the activities undertaken by the relevant ministry.

"Terrorism is much more than an act of violence; it is an instrument for spreading fear, achieving political and ideological goals, with the aim of destabilizing society and instilling fear. Therefore, the response had to be broader, organized, systematic, and strategic. That is why the Republic of Srpska Government adopted the Action Plan for the Prevention and Fight against Terrorism for the period 2023-2026. In this way, the Government has committed to a comprehensive approach in the fight against terrorism, directing its capacities toward all areas of society," emphasized Minister Karan.

"The judiciary in Sarajevo did nothing after the terrorist attack in Zvornik, in which police officer Dragan Đurić was killed ten years ago. For them, it didn’t even happen," said Anđelko Đurić, the brother of the fallen police officer.

He added that the Đurić family had gone through significant crises and long waits for the initiation of legal proceedings, but to this day, nothing has come of it.

Mile Šikman, Head of the Administration for Police Education in the Republic of Srpska, stated in Zvornik that radicalization was still present in the environment and that with the development of modern technology, it had become even more pronounced than it was ten years ago.

Zoran Keković, a professor at the Faculty of Security Studies at the University of Belgrade, said that in order to prevent terrorism, it was important to mobilize the wider community, in addition to the representatives of the police and law enforcement agencies, who represent the first line of defense against terrorism.

The family of the fallen police officer also attended the commemoration, along with the Republic of Srpska Police Director, Mr Siniša Kostrešević, Mayor of Zvornik, Mr Bojan Ivanović, and others.