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SARAJEVO, June 28 (FENA) - The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina presented today the conclusions and recommendations of the report “A Race against Time - Successes and Challenges in the Implementation of the National War Crimes Processing Strategy of Bosnia and Herzegovina”, published in June 2022.
Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH, Kathleen Kavalec, said that the institutions in BiH have made significant progress in investigating and prosecuting war crimes cases. Judgments have been rendered in more than 600 cases, and the capacity of domestic institutions has undoubtedly been strengthened.
“However, much more needs to be done because nearly 500 war crimes cases, involving over 4,000 suspects, are still pending before the BiH prosecutor's offices. At the current rate of processing, the deadline of the Revised National War Crimes Processing Strategy (Strategy) to process all remaining cases by the end of 2023 will be missed. Political factions in BiH continue to impede the full implementation of the Revised National War Crimes Processing Strategy. The biggest challenge we now face is the inevitable passing of time. It is also no longer an exaggeration to state that, with each passing day, the likelihood of achieving justice for the remaining victims of the atrocities committed during the war diminishes. Justice is now in a race against time,” said Kavalec.
She adds that ensuring criminal responsibility for crimes committed during the war is necessary to create a comprehensive historical record of that period, which in itself would ensure the spread of the truth, the removal of opposing narratives, and help strengthen reconciliation.
Head of the European Union Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ambassador Johann Sattler, reminded of the importance of working on the topic of war crimes and bringing justice to victims, especially in a country like BiH, which must find a way to deal with its past.
“The European Union finances a large number of projects, but I am especially satisfied with the support we give to this type of project. We have provided 18 million euros to support the work on war crimes cases. We are currently supporting the project with four million euros, and we will extend the support at least until 2024,” said Sattler.
The OSCE report provides an overview of key developments in the judiciary's response to war crimes in BiH, a statistical analysis of progress made, a qualitative analysis of achievements and challenges in implementing the Revised Strategy, and recommendations for overcoming remaining challenges.
(FENA) A. B.
