brochure “Partizanski spomenik u Mostaru” (1980)
book “Spomenica Mostara 1941-1945.”
another document or proof of the memorial stone (e.g., a photograph).
Safet S. ŠAPUH
SAFET ŠAPUH BEG, son of SALIH, born on April 7, 1923, in Mostar. An electromechanic. A member of the League of Communist Youth (SKOJ) since 1941 and a member of the Regional Core of SKOJ in Mostar in 1942. He was involved in the technical committee for the preparation of units in the partisans. He was captured on March 24, 1944, by the NDH police. “In his apartment, he stored packages prepared for the rebels and attended meetings of partisan cells, escorting individuals who wanted to join the rebels.” He was tortured in the Mostar prison and after a month, he was sent to Jasenovac, where he was hanged by the Ustasha.
Safet’s brother Omer gave the following statement about Safet’s arrest on October 19, 1945, published as “Minutes of the City Commission for the Investigation of War Crimes by the Occupiers and Their Collaborators”:
“On March 24, 1944, in Mostar, there was a Ustasha protective police force from Sarajevo that, in collaboration with the Mostar police, carried out a series of arrests. Around midnight that day, they broke into my house through the backyard and arrested my brother Safet, and later myself when I tried to ask them why they were arresting my brother and requested an arrest warrant. After a lengthy explanation, they released me but took my brother to the police station. I went with them to see what would happen to my brother. However, the agents took my brother to the Gestapo prison along with little Sulemanović Hamdija, who was also arrested at that time. However, he was released after 4-5 days. These arrests were carried out by agents, including Jakupović, the head of the protective police force in Sarajevo, Agent Hafizović, Pavo Sušić (illegible), and Agent Cvitanović from the Mostar police. Pavo Sušić, in particular, was very cruel, as were the others to a greater or lesser extent. I believe that all the agents are currently in hiding. In Mostar, they kept several arrested individuals in prison for another month, subjecting them to unimaginable torment and terror. They tortured them with a three-day hunger strike, gave them salt, beat them with fists, feet, and batons, and threw them into the so-called ‘tram,’ and after a month, they were transported to Stara Gradiška, a large penitentiary. There were 12 men and 4 women from Mostar in the group. Among those from Mostar were Professor Alikalfić Mustafa, Zajko Mehić, Omer Mesihović, Lazo Radišić, Hadžiselimović Arif Sabitage, Čulajević Dušan, Bučuk, Osman Novo, and my brother Safet. I don’t currently remember the names of the others. The women included Fatima Balta, Fahira Ćišić, Dika Hadžić, and Bera Ćemalović. Only Hasan Novo, among the men, returned alive, as he was exchanged with a German. None of the women returned. Osman Novo told me that he personally witnessed the hanging of my brother in Stara Gradiška as retaliation for some comrades escaping from the camp. Osman Novo was in the same cell as my brother. Safet was born in 1923 and worked as an electro-mechanic. He had been involved in the People’s Liberation Movement for over 4 years.”
Halilbegović, Nihad (2006): Bošnjaci u jasenovačkom logoru, Sarajevo; grupa autora (1986): Hercegovina u NOB 4. dio, Beograd ; grupa autora (1986): Hercegovina u NOB 2. dio, Beograd; grupa autora: Spomenica Mostara 1941-1945; Čekić, Smail (1996): Genocid nad Bošnjacima u 2. svjetskom ratu, Sarajevo
Photo: “Yetersiz Hafıza” – Prizma Medium TR ; https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UMljgAj0vQg/Wu6-qmjt6hI/AAAAAAAAZ4w/bChoZflu7hg3xXIGyrliMqFcpizZV8q3wCLcBGAs/s1600/x01.jpg; S. Demirović.
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