UDIK (Serbo-Croatian Cyrillic: УДИК), officially known as the Association for Social Research and Communication (Serbo-Croatian: Udruženje za društvena istraživanja i komunikacije/ Удружење за друштвена истраживања и комуникације), is a Bosnian non-governmental organization focused on gather facts, documents, and data on genocide, war crimes, and human rights violations in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the former Yugoslavia.
Human rights activities
Founded in 2013 by Edvin Kanka Ćudić, UDIK gathers facts, documents, and data on genocide, war crimes, and human rights violations in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the former Yugoslavia. UDIK works across national boundaries to help post-conflict societies rebuild the rule of law and address past human rights abuses. It also runs a victim-oriented transitional justice programme with three main elements: Documenting Justice and institutional reform Memorialization
UDIK’s structure consists of independent members, intellectuals, and professionals from various academic disciplines.
Other activities Since its establishment, UDIK has consistently supported women's rights and LGBT rights. The organization has often highlighted the vulnerability of marginalized communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, particularly the LGBT and Roma communities. When Bosnia and Herzegovina's first LGBT Pride Parade was announced in 2019, UDIK immediately expressed its support for the event, reaffirming its commitment to human rights, equality, and the protection of vulnerable social groups.
Researches Publications about war crimes
Every year, UDIK publishes documents on war crimes in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The organization has extensively documented war crimes, massacres, and human rights violations committed between 1992 and 1995 in Foča, Višegrad, Sarajevo's Grbavica, Trusina, Sarajevo's Kazani, Sanski Most, Bugojno, Grabovica, Sijekovac, Vlasenica, Zaklopača, Biljani, and Čajniče. On the 25th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, UDIK published a book containing the names of genocide victims buried between 2003 and 2019.
Central register of memorials In 2016, UDIK published the first results of the Central register of memorials for Bosnia and Herzegovina, listing more than 2.100 memorials to the victims of the Bosnian War. Next year, UDIK also published register about more than 1.200 memorials built in Croatia dedicated to the victims of Homeland War. In 2018, UDIK published a register about more than 300 memorials built in Serbia and Montenegro dedicated to the victims of Serbia and Montenegro in the Yugoslav wars. The registry also included memorials dedicated to the victims of the NATO bombing of Serbia and Montenegro in Yugoslav wars.
The Central register of memorials of the Yugoslav wars is still the only register of memorials to victims of the Yugoslav wars on the territory of the countries of Yugoslavia.
Controversial memorials Since 2017, UDIK has been conducting studies on controversial memorials that were built after 1991 in the countries of the former Yugoslavia, which glorify fascism and hatred among the people of the former Yugoslavia. There are currently publications on controversial monuments in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, and Serbia. Analysis included monuments dedicated to Draža Mihailović, Alojzije Stepinac and Josip Broz Tito.
Memorials to foreigners in Bosnia and Herzegovina In 2026, UDIK published a study on monuments dedicated to foreign citizens in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The research included memorials dedicated to murdered journalists, humanitarians, diplomats, and soldiers killed during the war in Bosnia.
Advocacy
Since 2013, UDIK organized many commemorations for the victims of the past war in the former Yugoslavia (1991-2001). UDIK calls these commemorations the Living monument. The ceremonies were organized in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Sarajevo, Tuzla, Brčko, Zenica, Višegrad, Foča), Croatia (Zagreb, Vukovar), and Serbia (Belgrade, Prijepolje). Thanks to this initiative, for the first time, many commemorations were organized. These commemorations were related to crimes against civilian victims of Bosniaks, Serbs, and Croats.
Storm and Ahmići (Zagreb)
In 2014, UDIK, together with Centre ROSA from Zagreb, launched the campaign "The Crimes in Operation Storm Are the Responsibility of All of Us" to commemorate Serb victims of crimes committed during Operation Storm [Oluja] in Croatia. In May 2015, the Federal Federal Ministry of Interior of the Bosnia and Herzegovina banned the commemoration in Sarajevo. In May 2016, the same commemoration was banned by the MUP of the Republic of Croatia; however, it was ultimately held in Zagreb under increased police security.
In 2022, UDIK initiated a coalition with Centre ROSA to commemorate the massacre in Ahmići. The first activity was held in Zagreb on the anniversary of the war crime that same year. The following year, the network expanded to include several additional Croatian NGOs. On 4 April 2023, seven organizations submitted a request to the City of Zagreb to name a square after the victims of the Ahmići massacre.
St. Joseph Cemetery (Sarajevo)
Since April 2022, UDIK has advocated for the installation of a memorial plaque at St. Joseph Cemetery in Sarajevo. The plaque would mark the site where Serbian victims killed in Kazani, Gaj, and Grm Maline were re-exhumed. Initially, UDIK submitted the initiative to the institution responsible for cemetery maintenance, but it was later brought before the Sarajevo City Council. The proposal was rejected in 2023 and again in 2024.
Zanatski Center (Brčko)
In May 2023, UDIK launched an initiative to mark the place of the murder of Hajrudin Muzurović and Husein Kršo in Brčko. In May 1992, civilians were executed by Goran Jelisić in the Zanatski Center. The execution was photographed. UDIK submitted the request for the memorial plaque to the Assembly of the Brčko District. However, the request was ignored by the authorities.
In March 2024, UDIK again sent an initiative for a memorial plaque to the mayor of Brčko, the president of the Assembly, and the Assembly of the Brčko District. The initiative was again ignored. On May 7, 2024, UDIK, with the members of the Muzurović and Kršo families, laid flowers at the place of the murder. It was the first commemoration held in the street of Zanatski center in Brčko, which Goran Jelisić used as an execution ground.
Achievements Kazani (Sarajevo)
Since 2014, UDIK has been advocating for the construction of a memorial to the victims of the Kazani massacre in Sarajevo. UDIK was the first non-governmental organization to pay tribute to the victims of this war crime. Commemorations were organized in front of the Sarajevo Cathedral.
Since 2017, UDIK has been urging the City of Sarajevo to build a memorial to the victims of this crime on Trebević and in the city center. The reason for this is that Kazani, as a crime scene, is quite far from the city, and access to the location is difficult. With a memorial in the city as a permanent reminder of this crime, people will be able to deal with the war's past. In 2020, this UDIK's initiative was accepted by many Bosnian and international organizations. A year later, the same initiative was also accepted by intellectuals and representatives of the victims of this war crime. However, the initiative was rejected by a former mayor of Sarajevo, Benjamina Karić. Instead of supporting the initiative, the City Council decided to build a memorial at the Kazani location, without consulting the initiators and victims. In September 2021, the City Council of Sarajevo submitted a proposal for a memorial. In response to that proposal, UDIK requested that the name of the perpetrator of war crimes be written on the memorial, and that the number of victims on the memorial is not final. The mayor refused that request.
Kazani memorial was open in November 2021 by the mayor Benjamina Karić. None of the victims' representatives was present at the opening of the monument.
Pension fund (Podgorica)
Following media reports that Montenegrin pensioners were being sent to the Vilina Vlas Hotel and Spa in Višegrad for rehabilitation, UDIK and the Center for Civic Education (CCE) from Podgorica launched an initiative on 13 March 2026 urging the Pension and Disability Insurance Fund of Montenegro (PIO) to terminate its contract with Vilina Vlas. UDIK and CCE stated that "many guests who come to Vilina Vlas today do not know that they are sleeping in rooms and on beds where mass rapes and murders were committed just thirty years ago."
On 20 March 2026, the Montenegrin Ministry of Social Protection, Family Care and Demography announced that the Pension and Disability Insurance Fund had unilaterally terminated its cooperation agreement with the Vilina Vlas rehabilitation center in Višegrad on 16 March. The ministry stated that the current management had not been involved in the signing of the original contract in 2016 and had been unaware of the historical context. UDIK and CCE welcomed the ministry's decision on 23 March 2026.
A month later, on April 24, both organizations called on the Union of Education of Montenegro (SPCG) to terminate cooperation with Vilina Vlas, after which they offered its members favorable prices if they stay at the hotel. On April 27, the Union of Education of Montenegro terminated cooperation with the spa in Višegrad. UDIK and CGO welcomed this decision.
Bibliography
Publications published by UDIK:
In Serbo-Croatian Ratni zločini u Brčkom ('92-'95): presude (Sarajevo, 2016) In memoriam Centar Sarajevo (1992-1995) (Sarajevo, 2016) Ratni zločin na Kazanima: presude (Sarajevo, 2016, 2020) In memoriam Bosna i Hercegovina (1992-1995), vol. 1 (Sarajevo, 2016) Ratni zločin u Trusini: presude (Sarajevo, 2017) Ratni zločini u Višegradu: presude, vol. 1-3 (Sarajevo, 2017, 2025, 2026) Ratni zločini u Foči: presude (Sarajevo, 2017) In memoriam Republika Hrvatska (1991-1995), vol. 1 (Brčko-Sarajevo, 2017) Građanska memorijalizacija u Bosni i Hercegovini i Republici Hrvatskoj (Sarajevo, 2017) Od Jugoslavije do Dejtona - Spomenici i kultura sjećanja kroz uticaj društveno-političkih sistema: Priručnik za predavače historije/istorije/povijesti (Sarajevo, 2017) Ratni zločini na Grbavici: presude (Sarajevo, 2017) Ratni zločini u Sanskom Mostu: presude (Sarajevo, 2017) In memoriam Crna Gora i Republika Srbija, vol. 1 (Brčko-Sarajevo, 2018) Spomenici i politike sjećanja u Bosni i Hercegovini i Republici Hrvatskoj: kontroverze (Sarajevo, 2018) Putevima sjećanja: fotografski prikazi memorijalizacije u Bosni i Hercegovini (Sarajevo, 2019) Ratni zločin u Grabovici: presude (Sarajevo, 2019) Ratni zločin u Sijekovcu, predmet: Zemir Kovačević (Sarajevo, 2019) Ratni zločini u Milićima i Vlasenici: presude (Sarajevo, 2019) Nestali, sjećanja i mediji u postdejtonskoj Bosni i Hercegovini i regionu (Sarajevo, 2020) Ratni zločin u Biljanima, predmet: Marko Samardžija (Sarajevo, 2020) Izvještaj Vlade Republike Srpske o događajima u i oko Srebrenice od 10. do 19. jula 1995. (Sarajevo, 2020) Srebrenica: 25 godina sjećanje na žrtve genocida (Sarajevo, 2020) Ratni zločini u Čajniču: presude (Sarajevo, 2020) Sarajevo: sjećanje na žrtve holokausta (Sarajevo, 2021) Ratni zločini u Bugojnu: presude (Sarajevo, 2021) Ratni zločini u Bugojnu, predmet: Nisvet Gasal i drugi, vol. 1-2 (Sarajevo, 2022) Kultura sjećanja i strategije reprezentacije ratne prošlosti devedesetih u Bosni i Hercegovini, Hrvatskoj i Srbiji (Sarajevo, 2022) Spomenici i politike sjećanja u Srbiji i Crnoj Gori: kontroverze (Sarajevo, 2022) Selektivna memorijalizacija u Bosni i Hercegovini: pokušaji etnonacionalističkih politika da prekrajaju historiju i diktiraju politiku sjećanja i identiteta kroz spomenike i memorijalne komplekse (Sarajevo, 2023) − Dino Jozić Ratni zločin u kasarni "Viktor Bubanj" u Sarajevu, predmet: Ramiz Avdović i drugi (Sarajevo, 2023)