Bosnian Court Indicts Priest Over Speech Praising Convicted War Criminal
The Bosnian state court confirmed an indictment against Catholic priest Petar Barbaric over a speech that allegedly praised Slobodan Praljak, a Bosnian Croat wartime commander convicted by the Hague Tribunal. The speech followed the unveiling of a monument to Praljak in Capljina in November 2025 and was widely shared online. Praljak was sentenced to 20 years for crimes against Bosniaks and died after taking poison when his 2017 verdict was read.
Bosnia’s state court confirmed an indictment against Catholic priest Father Petar Barbaric. Prosecutors say his remarks at a November 2025 Capljina cemetery event, held as a monument to Slobodan Praljak was unveiled, were carried by media and online outlets and drew broad public reaction. The charge concerns provoking ethnic, racial and religious hatred, conflict and intolerance.
Praljak, a Bosnian Croat wartime commander, received a 20-year sentence from the Hague Tribunal in 2017 for crimes against Bosniaks and died after swallowing poison as the verdict was read. Bosnia’s 2021 criminal-code changes, imposed by the High Representative, prohibit denying such crimes and honoring convicted perpetrators with monuments.
The case may deepen debate over memory and accountability in Bosnia. Bosniak survivors could see the indictment as recognition of their suffering, while some Bosnian Croats may view it as targeting religious expression or wartime commemoration. It could also test how courts apply laws against glorifying convicted war criminals, potentially affecting clergy, public commemorations, and online speech.