“Romani families from Banlozi camp in Bosnia settle case against water company for denial of access to water”, 25 March 2025
The European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) welcomes a significant settlement agreement reached in a case of systemic discrimination by a water company against Romani residents of the Banlozi camp, located near Zenica in Bosnia & Herzegovina. The case sought damages from the Public Utility Company “Vodovod i Kanalizacija” for the denial of access to potable water and sanitation services to the camp. The settlement, finalised on 7th March 2025, provides financial compensation to 118 affected residents and sets an important precedent for anti-discrimination efforts in Bosnia & Herzegovina. The public utility company must pay more than €137,000 in compensation and legal fees as a result of the settlement. The case was represented by attorneys Sanela and Almin Dautbegović on behalf of the ERRC…
The recently settled case was filed based on a previously won collective complaint brought by the ERRC, which argued that the systematic denial of essential utilities constituted ethnic discrimination…
In its ruling, the Municipal Court in Zenica determined that the Public Utility Company “Vodovod i Kanalizacija” had intentionally severed the main water supply to the Banlozi camp, leaving all residents without access to potable water. The court concluded that this disconnection of water services was an act of systemic discrimination against the Romani residents and mandated the immediate restoration of water services to the camp. The court … emphasized the broader pattern of systemic discrimination faced by Romani communities in Bosnia & Herzegovina…
After years of legal proceedings, a settlement agreement has been reached to compensate the affected Romani residents for non-material damages suffered due to the period of prolonged water deprivation…
The Banlozi camp was long a site of systemic neglect. In 2018, the ERRC reported severe deprivation suffered by Romani families who lived under constant threat of eviction and lack basic amenities such as clean water and proper sanitation…