Man fined 200 BAM after pig roasted in National Museum’s Botanical Garden

A person identified only as J.V. was fined 200 convertible marks (BAM) after officers from the Ministry of Interior of Sarajevo Canton responded to reports that people were filmed roasting a pig on a spit inside the Botanical Garden of the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina in central Sarajevo.

The administration of the National Museum called for decisive action and sanctions against those responsible. Police officers from the Police Department of the Ministry of Interior of Sarajevo Canton issued a misdemeanor order under the Decision on Misdemeanors against Public Order of Centar Municipality.

Minister urges other authorities to act

Admir Katica, the minister of police for Sarajevo Canton, said officers notified all relevant administrative inspections and other bodies about the incident, but those bodies declared themselves incompetent. He called on other authorities to resolve the museum’s unsettled legal status and related disputes, and to protect the national monument.

Katica criticized the public damage to the institution and to the city, saying: "Although police officers from the Police Department of the Ministry of Interior of Sarajevo Canton notified all relevant administrative inspections and other bodies about the above, they declared themselves incompetent in this matter. Not only as minister of interior, but also as a person and a citizen of this city, I call on the authorities to urgently resolve the unresolved status of the National Museum and the related legal disputes, to protect the national monument and to prevent the shame and humiliation of the institution, the city and all citizens," he said.

He added that police will continue to act within their remit, but warned the problem is complex and requires involvement from all concerned. "but this problem is much more complex and it is time for all those concerned to be involved" he added, according to the statement.

Photo: press material from the event