Vedran Puljic, 3 years on

Vedran Puljic.

Today's date marks three years since the death of innocent FK Sarajevo football supporter Vedran Puljic on an away match in Siroki Brijeg.

On the 4th of October in 2009, Puljic was travelling with Sarajevo's well-known fan group 'Horde Zla' to the south-western Bosnia-Herzgovina town.

Although the details of what exactly occurred are somewhat sketchy, trouble began to break out before the match between the Sarajevo supporters and locals - who are mostly of Catholic-Croatian descent.

During the unrest, locals - possibly with the help of police - began firing on the Sarajevo fans with automatic weapons. Consequentially, 24-year-old Puljic was struck and killed.

Still, to this day, no man has been made responsible for his death.

Furthermore, investigations into the entire incident have been farcical at best. Oliver Knezovic, a Siroki Brijeg local, was a key suspect in the killing. Upon his arrest in the days following the incident, Knezovic somehow made an 'escape' from custody, before fleeing to Zagreb in Croatia; where he remains a free man.

Another possible suspect is local policeman Dragan Vujovic, who was found to test positive for gunpowder residue on the day of Puljic's shooting. Although Vujovic argued that the residue was a result of coming into contact with fireworks used by supporters on that day, media reports claim that the policeman has failed a polygraph test in relation to the incident.

Calls are continuing from people all over the country - and even the world - for justice to be achieved. They are asking for the truth to come out; for someone to be punished for the death of this young man.

It is a sad indictment on the nation's judicial system when cases like this remain unsolved for this amount of time.

As is written on walls all across the capital of Sarajevo: 'Istina za Vedrana', or Truth for Vedran!


Click here: Police footage of the incident in Siroki Brijeg.

Photos:

Puljic, circled, moments before being shot.

Puljic, circled, laying on the ground after being shot. Arrows
purporting to show someone holding pistol.

Thousands mourned Vedran at his
funeral in Sarajevo.

Bitter cross-town rival supporters from Zeljeznicar also
provided their support; organising a march the day after
the shooting to honour Vedran.

Supporters from all over the world, including in Melbourne,
provided their support to Vedran.

'Truth for Vedran'; this stencil graffiti cannot be missed across
all of Sarajevo.