Statement by the Office of the High Representative, the Delegation
of the European Union to Bosnia andHerzegovina/EU Special
Representative and the Embassy of the United States of America in BiH
We, the OHR, the Delegation of the EU/EU Special Representative and the Embassy of the United States in Bosnia and Herzegovina wish to express our strong support to the state-level judicial institutions of BiH.
In this regard, we condemn attempts, such as the one undertaken by the National Assembly of Republika Srpska on 29 October 2013, to exert political pressure and improper influence on these institutions. The RSNA has a duty to respect and observe the independence of the judiciary, which should be able to act free of any pressure from either the legislature or the executive.
The jurisdiction of the European Court is an issue that affects many countries, and decisions of the European Court of Human Rights should be understood as a means of improving human rights and fundamental freedoms’ protection systems in a given country rather than be used to undermine judicial independence.
We underscore that a capable, independent and impartial judicial system is a fundamental guarantee of the rule of law, democracy and the respect for human rights.
We call on all parties to support BiH state institutions and the rule of law in the interest of the citizens of BiH. All parties should be working to strengthen the judicial institutions, not to undermine them.