Serbia Ministry Leader in Prison for Defending His Family and Home

Serbia Ministry Leader in Prison for Defending His Family and Home

By Ronald L. Harris, President, MEDIAlliance International
Special to ASSIST News Service

ARLINGTON, TEXAS (ANS) -- Sasko Bogeski, the founder of ELION Media Ministry in Belgrade, Serbia, is sitting in prison because he defended his family and his home from a midnight intruder. For the second time in about six weeks, the apartment that Sasko lives in with his wife, Ira, and their daughter Abigail, age 8, was broken into.

The Bogeski family during happier times

The first time in happened Sasko confronted the man in the living room and the intruder jumped out the window. He had stolen a laptop computer, a digital camera, and some other items. On Wednesday, May 22nd, the family was awakened to the sound of an intruder. While Ira called the police, Sasko went in to confront the intruder. In the course of trying to get the robber to leave, Sasko grabbed a kitchen knife and used it to get the man to leave their apartment. Sasko apparently stabbed the man several times before the intruder left.
When the police arrived they found the robber a short distance away from the Bogeski's home. He was bleeding from the knife wounds, and he died a short time later. News reports indicate that the intruder had recently gotten out of prison, and had more than 50 criminal activities on his record.
And, this is where the story becomes complicated.

Another family picture

First, ELION Media Ministry is an authorized non-government organization (NGO) in Serbia. It was begun about five years ago to use the tools of media, primarily video, to help tell the story of God's love for Serbia, and the hope found through Jesus. Through the years, Sasko Bogeski has been active in taping and producing many events at Bible schools and churches, and producing interviews of Christians who have had life-changing encounters with Christ. Sasko Bogeski was recently responsible for scheduling and hosting Nick Vujicic of Life Without Limbs in Serbia. Ira Bogeski served as translator for Nick in many of the meetings, as she has done for many key Christian leaders who come to that part of the world. It is another facet of the ELION Media Ministry. Sasko Bogeski also serves on a committee that is working to bring Franklin Graham to Serbia for a series of evangelistic meetings.

Sasko, Ira and Ron

The complication in the current problems for Sasko Bogeski is due to the weak laws in Serbia on self-defense and protecting ones family and home. Newspaper reports in Serbia indicate that the current law in that country says that if an intruder has a knife, and the person defending his home shoots him with a hand gun, and the intruder dies, the homeowner is accused of murder. That is the situation with Mr. Bogeski. He defended himself and his family with a knife, and it appears that the intruder had a screwdriver. The results, Sasko Bogeski is in prison awaiting further legal action. Lawyer fees are already running in the thousands of Euros. If the judge sets bail sometime in the near future, it could be as much as 20,000 Euros, with the full amount needed.

Ron and Abigail

The incident has caught the attention of many in Serbia. Television stations in Belgrade have done numerous stories on Sasko Bogeski and his family. The general sentiment in Serbia is that the current law is unfair, giving intruders and robbers more of an advantage than the victims of these crimes. A petition to free Sasko Bogeski was started by supporters, and now has over 30,000 signatures. There have been reports of peaceful protest marches in the capital city of Belgrade. Prayer groups around the world are praying for God's intervention, for Sasko to be released, and for God's will to be accomplished through this terrible ordeal. Note: MEDIAlliance International serves as a ministry partner with ELION Media Ministry. Dr. Ron Harris, the president of MEDIAlliance, has become a close personal friend of the Bogeski family.
MEDIAlliance is a nonprofit ministry based in Arlington, Texas, that assists Christian broadcasters worldwide through training, mentoring, consulting, connecting, and encouraging those in Christian media in other countries around the world. The website is www.medialliance.cc.