The Prison Days of Alija Izetbegović, 1946–1949

Abstract

In 1946, the military court of the Yugoslav Army sentenced Alija Izetbegović to three years in prison. He was punished for belonging to the Young Muslims organization, a secret organization that sought to spread its influence among Muslims. He was also accused of helping his friend Nedžib Šaćirbegović to escape from the Army, as well as of being hostile towards the new regime. They have no basis for the construction that Izetbegović was a member of the Handžar division during the Second World War. Izetbegović spent his prison days in Zenica, Stolac and Beli Manastir, and also stayed at construction sites in Sarajevo. According to the recorded characteristics, Izetbegović was a good worker in prison, but remained committed to his Islamic beliefs. Using the method of logical induction, this paper draws the most convincing possible conclusions about Izetebegović’s actions and attitudes that are important in the biographical presentation of his life path, based on the knowledge gained, and in the absence of primary sources that unequivocally confirm this.