On Monday, a hearing was held in the Cantonal Court in Sarajevo to order the custody of Tarik Prusac, who is suspected of the criminal offense of aggravated murder of a woman, which was committed on Friday, May 1 in the Sarajevo neighborhood of Dobrinja.
The acting prosecutor in this case, Iva Kurilić, proposed detention due to, as she stated, the danger that the suspect could commit a criminal offense if he was released and that public order would be disturbed by his release.
At the beginning of the hearing, the suspect’s lawyer asked for the exclusion of the public, because, as he said, one of the injured persons in this case is a minor. Prosecutor Kurilić expressly opposed this request of the defense, saying that the public has the right to know that a large number of cases of femicide have been recorded in Bosnia and Herzegovina recently, and that she does not intend to present details at the hearing that will endanger a minor child or reveal his identity.
The judge in this proceeding, Srđan Skoko, rejected the defense’s request that the public be excluded from the hearing, saying that the child, although he was present at the accident on May 1, does not have the status of a victim. – Given that the child was not harmed in the specific case, there is no need to exclude the public. Another argument that I can give is that it is a serious crime, ie. aggravated murder of a female person. The public should be aware of all the details – said Judge Skoko.
Prosecutor Kurilić said that the murder of Elma Prusac happened on May 1 in the haustor of a building in the Dobrinja neighborhood. She said that Tarik Prusac fired two shots from his official pistol, that one hit the wall and the other killed Elma. Presenting the details, the prosecutor said that during the investigation it was established that Elma was first beaten, tied, and then killed.
– She was visibly beaten in the area of the head, arms and legs, and it was obvious that the shot was from close range. There were visible signs of a struggle in the apartment, but it is completely clear that Elma had no chance to defend herself because Tarik was employed as a security guard for Sec One. He tied her up and tied a ribbon around her head as many as 20 times. We found scattered children’s things everywhere in the apartment. The Prussian, after killing Elma, forcibly took their child, who, unfortunately, was present at the event – described the prosecutor.
According to her statements, Tarik prepared and planned the murder in advance, because, as she said, he took the agency’s official pistol and did not return it, even though he was not working on the day of the murder.
– That clearly shows the intention to kill her. In January of this year, Elma initiated divorce proceedings, and first reported it in February 2026. She only asked for protective measures, without criminal prosecution, hoping that the mistreatment would stop. When I say harassment, I must say from the official records that she reported him several times for harassment, stalking and threats. Prohibitory measures were imposed on him on April 8, the prosecutor said.
She further referred to the statements made by the suspect in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Sarajevo Canton Prosecutor’s Office, that he had no right to see the child.
– He stated that he did everything to see the child, but the Center for Social Work clearly said that it was possible for him – she said.
She also added that Tarik Prusac had previously had tendencies towards violence and that he had beaten his mother and brother in 2016, and a year earlier he had also been issued a restraining order.
After the presentation of the prosecuting attorney, the suspect’s defense counsel said that the court should consider protecting the Prussian and considering providing him with professional help, because as the lawyer said, he tried to injure himself.
During his presentation, Tarik Prusac said that he regrets the crime he committed, that it was not his intention and that he only wanted to intimidate Elma and see his child.
At the end of the hearing, the defense agreed to a one-month detention at the proposal of the KS Prosecutor’s Office. The cantonal court will decide on custody in the afternoon.
(TYPE/Source: Fena/Photo: Fena/Amer Kajmović)
