Alija (Rasim) Tabakovic
31.12.1945 – 26.06.1992.
Alija Tabakovic was born in 1945. in Visoko (north of Sarajevo). His family at that time was seeking refuge after escaping from Visegrad in 1943. The Tabakovic family originally from Drinsko, Visegrad – along with several thousand Bosnian Muslims hiked through the woods of Mount Sjemec and Romanija to Visoko to escape the Serb slaughter of Bosnian Muslims in Visegrad. From 1941. to 1943. Visegrad was a enclave poorly defended by Italian soldiers.
After the end of the war in 1946. the Tabakovic family returned to Visegrad where Alija’s father – Rasim effendi Tabakovic was the head imam at the Careva mosque in the town’s center. Alija got married and worked in Astra shoe shop. He was known and loved by many in Visegrad.
In May 1992. after Bosnianks were started being hunted down by Serb neighbours, Alija with several of his friends went into hiding. He was hiding along with his close friends and neighbours – Enes Dzaferovic aka Cipa and Rasim Omerovic.
He made his last telephone call to his sister Hafa Karcic in Visegrad on 26.06.1992., saying that not much time is left and that it was most probably the last call is was making – that the house where they were hiding was being surrounded by Serb soldiers.
His unidentified body was retrived in Slap, Zepa in 1992 by Visegrad refugees. He was identified by DNA analysis two years ago.
