The Court in Tuzla has ordered pretrial detention for 14 Hajduk fans, who were arrested last Saturday following a mass brawl with fans of Crvena Zvezda. However, the incident in Tuzla once again raises questions about the security of Bosnia and Herzegovina and its borders. This is a clear example.
The group of Hajduk fans entered Bosnia and Herzegovina claiming they were traveling to a humanitarian tournament in Žepče. It later became apparent that their objective was deliberately to provoke unrest. This was obvious to everyone except the Border Police of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Only by sheer luck did the attack on Crvena Zvezda fans at Tuzla Airport not end tragically. After the attack, over 90 people were arrested, mostly Croatian citizens, who had gone unnoticed—or at least were not flagged—as suspicious by the border police.
Initially, we contacted the leadership of the Torcida fan group, specifically Secretary General Ivan Rinčić, who refused to comment on the case.
However, according to obtained records, Rinčić was present in Bosnia and Herzegovina at the time of the incident. To be precise, he entered the country at the Kamensko border crossing on January 23, 2026, at 7:35 p.m. The following day, January 24, he was recorded in Bugojno and later near Tuzla Airport at 9:16 p.m. The attack occurred at 9:55 p.m. Rinčić is not among those who were arrested, questioned, or placed in detention.
In search of answers as to how this fan group easily crossed two borders, we contacted the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Croatia. Their response was limited, stating that Croatian police would review requests from the competent authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina within the framework of international cooperation.
This brings up a key question: which competent authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina are responsible? These agencies are supposed to coordinate in the following manner:
“All police agencies in the territory of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska have an internal operational agreement to cooperate regarding fan movements, exchange information, and monitor these groups along their routes,” said Adnana Sprečić, spokesperson for the Police Administration of Tuzla Canton’s Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Many questions remain regarding border security. Did the Border Police know that the fan group was entering Bosnia and Herzegovina? Were risk assessments and identity checks conducted? Did the Border Police notify the cantonal Ministries of Internal Affairs about the group’s entry and route? The Border Police did not provide clear answers to any of these questions. Instead, they stated:
“The Border Police of Bosnia and Herzegovina cannot provide the requested information because the incident has been taken over by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Tuzla Canton, which is carrying out actions within its jurisdiction in cooperation with the competent Prosecutor’s Office.”
Contrary to the general response from the Border Police, the Tuzla Canton Ministry of Internal Affairs is explicit: the Border Police, in violation of their obligations, did not inform them of the arrival of a potentially high-risk group from Croatia, nor did they notify them that a group of Crvena Zvezda fans was landing at Tuzla Airport.
