Violence against women continues to threaten security and human rights across BiH

SARAJEVO, 19 May 2026 - The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (Mission) strongly condemns the recent femicide in Kiseljak and expresses its deepest condolences to the victims’ families. 

This criminal act is the latest tragic reminder that violence against women continues to threaten security and human rights across Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

Tackling such threats requires systematic and continuous action by authorities to prevent violence, ensure protection of victims, and effectively investigate and prosecute cases of domestic and gender-based violence.

It further highlights the fact that the availability and misuse of weapons significantly increase the risk of lethal outcomes in domestic and gender-based violence cases and that strong, decisive actions must be taken to enforce appropriate regulation of weapons in BiH.

The Mission acknowledges efforts at all levels in BiH to strengthen the system response to violence, demonstrating that violence against women is a matter of security and collective responsibility. The Mission remains engaged in, and committed to supporting all efforts to prevent gender-based violence and domestic violence; to strengthen institutional responses at all levels in BiH and to reduce the proliferation and misuse of weapons.