Bosnians Take to the Streets After Man Livestreams Murder of His Ex-Wife

Nizama Hecimovic
Age: 38
Shot to Death: August 11, 2023
Residence: Gradacac
Origin: Bosnia and Herzegovina
Children: 1
Perpetrator: Ex-Husband Nermin Sulejmanovic (35)

On the morning of Friday, August 11, 2023, 35-year-old bodybuilder and fitness instructor Nermin Sulejmanovic initiated a livestream on Instagram. During this livestream, he announced that his followers would bear witness to the murder of his ex-wife, 38-year-old Nizama Hecimovic. Nermin expressed his frustration over his ex-wife having kept their young daughter away from him for over a week. Moreover, she had filed charges of violence and intimidation against him.

Throughout the livestream, thousands of people watched as Nermin grabbed a gun and fatally shot his ex-wife in the head. There are even reports indicating that some viewers encouraged his actions.

Following the brutal murder, Nermin took the lives of two men and injured three others, including a police officer, before ultimately ending his own life.

On Monday, thousands of people took to the streets in various cities across Bosnia and Herzegovina to protest against femicide. The shooter had a prior criminal record, leading protesters to believe that authorities should have taken more substantial measures to protect Nizama from her violent ex-husband. In the past two years, 20 women have lost their lives at the hands of their husbands in Bosnia.

What is an honour killing?

An honour killing is a murder in the name of honour. If a brother murders his sister to restore family honour, it is an honour killing. According to activists, the most common reasons for honour killings are as the victim:

refuses to cooperate in an arranged marriage.
wants to end the relationship.
was the victim of rape or sexual assault.
was accused of having a sexual relationship outside of marriage.

Human rights activists believe that 100,000 honour killings are carried out every year, most of which are not reported to the authorities and some are even deliberately covered up by the authorities themselves, for example because the perpetrators are good friends with local policemen, officials or politicians. Violence against girls and women remains a serious problem in Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Iran, Serbia and Turkey.