In 2025, the Municipal Court in Sarajevo ruled in SOC v MHS that discrimination had occurred in access to advertising services. The Court established that the refusal to broadcast promotional materials for an LGBTI cultural event amounted to direct discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. It found that the service provider had selectively and unjustifiably restricted access to a service that was otherwise offered to other clients under equal conditions.

In 2025, the Council of Europe expanded its curriculum of online training programs to include a formation on “LGBTI Asylum Seekers in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” with several public officials, including border police officers, kickstarting the program by taking part in it.

In February Sarajevo imam Muhamed Velic called queer Bosnian singer Božo Vrećo a “monster” and a “freak” during a sermon, accusing him of disrespecting Bosniak cultural heritage through his performances of sevdalinka, a traditional folk genre.

In response, the head of Bosnia’s Islamic Community, Husein Kavazović, addressed a letter to Vrećo on January 29, affirming the importance of diversity and Bosnia’s legacy of coexistence, though he did not directly condemn Velic’s comments.

In January, the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of BiH (HJPC BiH) issued a notice to relevant judicial institutions regarding updates to the National Judicial Case Management System (CMS/TCMS) for what concerns hate crimes. The update enables systematic data collection on the motives of attacks and on the belonging of injured parties to protected characteristics, including SOGI elements. The amendment entered into force on January 27.

In June, two LGBTI persons were attacked following their participation in the 2025 BiH Pride March, due to the fact that they were wearing rainbow symbols.

In June a book titled “The History of Queer Life in Bosnia and Herzegovina” was released. The book traces the experiences of LGBTI people from the Middle Ages through the Ottoman period, the Yugoslav Kingdom, and Socialist Yugoslavia, and is regarded as the first book of its kind in the country.

In 2025, civil society groups reported that – in the last five years – local governments in Republika Srpska have provided over 2 million KM in funding to 11 anti-LGBTI groups. These organisations oppose women’s reproductive rights and LGBTI rights and have campaigned against laws protecting women from violence.

In February, the Cantonal Court in Sarajevo issued a final ruling establishing discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics.

The ruling concerned a public statement made by the then-member of the Sarajevo Canton Assembly, Samra Ćosović Hajdarević, who, following the announcement of the first BiH Pride March in 2019, published a Facebook post that, among other things, contained calls for segregation, isolation, and discrimination against LGBTI persons.

In March, the National Assembly of the Republika Srpska passed amendments to its Criminal Code that erased “gender identity” from the list of ‘protected characteristics’ from all provisions of the law.

In June, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina amended its Criminal Code, narrowing the definition of “close person” in laws protecting individuals from violence to include only partners of the opposite sex. This change was introduced in response to unfounded claims that the previous gender-neutral definition could lead to the legal recognition of same-sex couples.

In October, the Agency for Public Officers of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, jointly with Sarajevo Open Centre, organised a training session on discrimination based on SOGIESC for public officers.

Similar trainings were also organised in May and October for members of the judiciary both in the Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Commission for Human Rights of the House of Peoples of the Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina refused to examine a complaint submitted by the Sarajevo Open Centre (SOC), reportedly on the basis of prejudicial attitudes towards LGBTI people. Only the President of the Commission issued a dissenting opinion.

In October, the first session of the Working Group of the Government of the Federation of BiH on the Same-Sex Partnership Law was held. The establishment and initial meeting of the Working Group marked a formal step forward following years of advocacy by LGBTI organisations for legal recognition of same-sex couples in the Federation entity. However, by the end of 2025, no draft law had been published and no clear timeline for adoption had been communicated.

In June, nearly a thousand people took part in the sixth Sarajevo Pride, highlighting the continued lack of legal recognition for same-sex marriage and adoption. Pride remains limited to the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as authorities in the Republika Srpska entity have repeatedly banned such gatherings. Draško Stanivuković, mayor of the capital of the entity, previously stated that Pride in Sarajevo was sufficient, claiming such events do not align with the “spirit of the Serbian people.”

In May, the Sarajevo Open Centre published its Annual Report on the State of Human Rights of LGBTI People in Bosnia and Herzegovina. While the report acknowledged modest progress in public discourse and some signs of institutional openness, it emphasised that systemic advancements remain limited and largely reliant on individual initiatives rather than coherent strategies or policies.

In July, the European Parliament published its annual report on Bosnia and Herzegovina, placing new emphasis on countering hybrid threats such as foreign interference and disinformation. The report expressed concern over increasing efforts by malign foreign actors to exploit ethnic divisions and institutional weaknesses to obstruct reforms and erode trust in the EU. It also criticised Milorad Dodik, current president of BiH, and members of the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) for launching initiatives aimed at nullifying state laws within the Republika Srpska entity and attacking key state institutions.

LGBTI human rights defenders attacked in March 2023 by a mob in Banja Luka are still waiting for their assailants to be prosecuted.

In May, the Cantonal Court of Sarajevo issued a decision in favour of a trans woman whose legal gender recognition approval was declared dependent, by administrative authorities, on her divorcing her wife. Despite the ruling, administrative authorities still refused to allow the procedure to take place, leading the applicant to challenge the decision once more in front of the Cantonal Court.

In 2025, a total of 296 participants attended a special training program on human rights with a focus on SOGIESC issues – 23 candidates for the rank of junior inspector and 273 candidates for the rank of police officer. This training was organised by the Sarajevo Open Center and in cooperation with the Federal Ministry of Interior.