Ahmici

Thomas Obruca (*1969 in St. Pölten, Lower Austria) Today he is looking back on a 33year professional career as a civil servant in the Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior. Constant curiosity, willingness to leave the beaten path and being open for any challenge enabled him, besides classical uniformed and criminal police work, to work across borders. »Internationality« has shaped his professional field of activity for 18 years. Eight of them took him to Bosnia and Herzegowina, where he was active within the framework of two UN foreign missions of the Ministry and further on working as special investigator of the War Crimes Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. His familiarity with the country and its recent history allow him to paint a memorable and realistic picture of this part of Europe. He lives with his family in Hürm (Lower Austria) and is father of three children.Adnan Zec (*1979 in Travnik, Bosnia) He spent his childhood in Ahmici until he was expelled from his home by HVO soldiers in April 1993. After the end of the war he returned to his destroyed house, finished primary school in Vitez and secondary school in Novi Travnik. Yet, for safety reasons he had to leave the country shortly after. After settling in The Netherlands, Adnan finished High School in the field of process technology. This has become his current, professional working environment in the Netherlands, where he now lives with his family. Next to his employment Adnan has engaged himself in voluntary work and, whenever possible, gladly visits his Heimat and looks forward to living one day in Ahmici again.

This is the story of thirteen-year-old Adnan. In the turmoil of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina he witnesses the brutal murder of his parents and sister, himself severely wounded by gunshot. This moment marks the beginning of his struggle for survival. Completely on his own, he manages to save himself with his last ounce of strength to a house damaged by the fires that have been set, hoping to escape the still raging battles, to survive and to finally be rescued. But in his hiding place, a period of martyrdom begins for him.


A psychological masterpiece of historic importance - the tragedy of a small Bosnian village at the 20th century. A shocking example of how ethnically different groups that have lived together and accepted each others' religion, customs and habits for many generations were sucked into a human abyss. The boy, badly injured himself, had witnessed the killing of his parents and his little sisters. Only his irrepressible will allowed him to survive these eight days.
Hon. Prof. Mag. Dr. Thomas Müller, criminal psychologist, former head of Kriminalpsychologischer Dienst, Austrian Ministry of the Interior - Vienna

An exceptional text of greatest importance to grab - after almost three decades - the madness of the »ethnic cleansing« in former Yugoslavia. Thomas Obruca, who investigated the HVO forces attack on the village of Ahmici on April 16th, 1993 for the International Yugoslavia Tribunal in The Hague, describes the inconceivable. The unimaginable experience of the thirteen-year-old Adnan to watch the killing of his family and live through eight days full of anxiety before being found by UN-peace forces. By delving into the matter there might be a way out of similar atrocities. Hopefully!
Manfred Nowak, Univ. Prof. for Human Rights - Vienna, General Secretary of the Global Campus of Human Rights - Venice