In front of the many activists, the friends of the Mostar Circle, as well as interested experts in the field of urban planning, construction and rights, was held a joint debate on Thursday, 3. April 2025. Years. On that occasion, the expert teams of the Mostar Circle, with the video presentation, presented the chronology of the construction of this disputed facility. According to all available documents, construction takes place by applicable legislation, consent and approval.
The construction work started in 1996. year, without the approval and consent of the legal city authorities, and in the last two years, neighboring public city plots that were never been approved for construction. This procedure clearly suggests that it is about the usurpation of common urban land in the center of Mostar, ie in the District. We remind you that all this is done without the consent of the City Council of Mostar, the bodies and institutions of that time, despite written warning and prohibiting the illegal construction issued by the OHR.
It is very interesting that the competent inspection services and the city’s ombudsman have repeated the illegal construction of HNK several times, but they have receded before political pressures and did not take any measures to suspend the construction or legally sanctioned illegality. Also, the reaction of the Cantonal Ministry of Building, as well as the cantonal prosecution in Mostar, despite clear facts that such unauthorized construction and domestic land usurptions may represent a criminal offense.
Despite all of the above, the investors of the Croatian theater continued with the construction, with the support of the former mayor of Ljuba Bešlić and the current mayor of Maria Kordić. Additionally, construction has received financial and verbal support from the Government of the Republic of Croatia, as well as support from the Budget of the Government of the Federation of BiH.
The Mostar Circle recalls that the Facility of the Croatian Theater is built in the central city zone (District) (signed in 18. February 1996. years) defined that the central zone is being built to the urban content, with the common definition of the integration and merger of the divided city. However, this essential provision of the Rome Agreement of the ruling structures ignore and delays for almost 25 years, which is unacceptable and dangerous. The citizens of Mostar testify to the situation in the central city zone that, the mildly said, reminds pictures of war. Construction activities in that area continue to take place chaotic, without any order and plan.
The participants of the MOSTAR CIRCUE DEBATE agrees that the unilateral construction of the Croatian theater causes numerous citizens’ reactions and the professional public, increasing interethnic and inter-soungers. In a city where decades were invested in preserving fragile peace, such actions are threatened by escalating conflict and return in the period of misunderstandings and divisions.
Due to all the above, the participants of the debate decided to refer “Mostar warning”, which will address the company’s High Representative of the International Community of BiH Denis Bećinović, Prime Minister of the Federation of BiH Nermin Nikšić, Vice President of the Federation Requez Lendo and Igor Stojanović, as well as the chairman of the representative of the PSBiH Denis Zvizdić.
We ask these institutions to inform all competent services to take appropriate measures and open the processes in this delicate Mostar case. Also, it is required from city and cantonal institutions to urgent regulatory plan for the Central Zone of Mostar, with informing citizens to actively participate in the content planning in the District, which is of interest to all citizens of Mostar. If the illegality of construction is proven, we are looking for initiating legal sanctions against all actors.
Due to all the above, we require the above institutions:
1. Testing of the Legality of HNK construction – From the High Representative Christian Schmidt, we ask that his office, either independently or with the formation of the professional commission, examining the construction of the Croatian theater from the very beginning to the current situation on the field.
2. Communicating results – If the OHR determines the construction legality, the conclusion should be adequately communicated to the public in order to calm down tensions and solve the problem in the public discourse of Mostar.
3. Measures in case of illegality – If the OHR determines illegality, it is necessary to take measures to return to the legal framework.
4. Equal rights insurance – The OHR should ensure equal rights for all national entities in terms of construction in the central zone of Mostar, including:
▪ Removal of obstructions in the construction of the Jewish Cultural Center with the synagogue, whose construction was stopped in 2002. years.
▪ Fulfilling the requirements of the Islamic community for the construction of the Cultural Center.
▪ Restoration of the facility of the Serbian municipality of Mostar, which was the subject of obstruction.
Conclusion: This illegal action is an attempt to turn the largest multiethnic city into an illegal way into a symbol of a nation. If the central zone, conceived as a symbol of communion, today is used for unilateral interests and that by law, it is not just a construction problem, but deeply political and moral. We remind you that the same actors and in a similar way have contributed to the catastrophes in Mostar.
We therefore invite you to understand the seriousness of this warning and take appropriate measures that the city of Mostar comes out of this crisis, they said from the Association of Citizens Mostar Circle.
(Vijesti.ba)
