REMEMBERING VINKO ŠAMARLIĆ – SYMBOL OF HEROISM AND HUMANITY WHO DIED DEFENDING HRASNO BRDO

(Sarajevo, June 8, 2026) Vinko Šamarlić, a hero and recipient of the highest military honors, served as a member of the Special Police Unit of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, “Bosna” Police Detachment. He died on June 8, 1992, during the fierce battles for Hrasno Brdo, one of the key operations in the defense of Sarajevo at the beginning of the siege. Today, his family, comrades, and friends laid flowers at the “Lav” city cemetery, remembering that day and his act of extraordinary bravery in which he lost his life.

“As his comrade and friend, I can say that Vinko was a symbol of heroism and bravery, a great fighter for justice. He risked his life for these ideals. I want my children, when they hear the word ‘hero,’ to think of Vinko as the definition of that word, because he was a true hero,” emphasized Omer Osmanović, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs of Sarajevo Canton.

“For us veterans of the ‘BOSNA’ police detachment, this is an especially heartbreaking day, as on that June day we lost our honest friend and brave commander, Vinko Šamarlić. Our permanent obligation is to nurture the culture of remembrance for our martyrs and fallen fighters, the best sons, who gave their lives in the heroic defense of our city and our only homeland,” said Ahmed Hadžić, president of the Veterans’ Association, “Bosna” police detachment.

Although he could have chosen between preparing for the Olympic Games in Barcelona and participating in operations, his big heart led him to choose the latter. He could not leave his comrades and chose to head into his last battle. During the battle, members of the Special Police Unit “Bosna” surrounded a house on Zagorska Street (now Posavska Street), where a group of aggressor soldiers was located. Vinko, the commander of the operation in the Hrasno Brdo combat zone, offered them a chance to surrender and save their lives. At the moment he stepped out from cover to peacefully call on them to surrender, the aggressor soldiers shot and mortally wounded Šamarlić. He was posthumously awarded the “Golden Police Badge,” the “Medal for Bravery,” and the “Order of the Golden Coat of Arms with Swords.”