OHR Press Releases

“The asset freeze announced by the EU today is another measure which will restrict the space in which those who are avoiding justice can operate. It underlines the EU’s support of the ICTY mandate,” said the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown today following the Council of the European Union’s Decision to freeze all the assets of 18 ICTY indictees. [...]

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s NATO and EU aspirations are being jeopardized by the RS’s complete failure to meet its obligations to the ICTY, the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, told the UN Security Council today. He said that the lack of ICTY cooperation is now the biggest threat to the entire country’s, but most especially the Republika Srpska ent [...]

The High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, in line with the Law on Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina last week appointed Stephen D. Swanson as an International Judge to Special Panels for Organized Crime, Economic Crime and Corruption within both the Criminal Division and Appellate Division of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Considering the level of progress achieved in the process of integrating municipal services and community life in the Municipality of Zepce, the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, yesterday amended the Municipality's Statute.

The High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, last week enacted amendments to the Law on the Indirect Taxation System in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The decision is a result of an inconsistency between certain BiH laws and the Law on Indirect Taxation System, where civil servants with appropriate expertise in the field of indirect taxation may be prevented [...]

At a meeting today in the Hague, the High Representative in Bosnia Herzegovina (BiH), Paddy Ashdown, and the ICTY Chief Prosecutor, Carla del Ponte, underlined that there can be no compromise on the long term commitment to the Rule of Law in BiH. “Independent and effective trials at BiH’s State Court are an essential element of the Rule of Law refo [...]

The OHR welcomes the final report made by the Srebrenica Commission, which has been investigating the fate of the men who went missing in and around Srebrenica between 10th and 19th July, 1995. This report was submitted to the RS government on Friday, 15 October, 2004. It will complement the Commission’s earlier report issued on June 11 this year. [...]

The High Representative Paddy Ashdown today gave a presentation to the Venice Commission, on constitutional issues in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Venice Commission is the Council of Europe's advisory body on constitutional matters. In his presentation, the High Representative stated his aim, since the start of his mandate has been “putting BiH irr [...]

Municipal elections 2004 have gone very well. For this we must congratulate the BiH Election Commission, all the Municipal Election Commissions and those others involved in preparing and conducting the elections. The fact that these successful elections were organised, funded and conducted in entirely peaceful basis by the BiH authorities is a te [...]

Speaking at an international conference on “Dealing with the Past in ex-Yugoslavia” in Belgrade yesterday, Senior Deputy High Representative Ambassador Bernard Fassier emphasised the absolute need to bring those indicted of war criminals before the courts. “This means increased cooperation with the ICTY, which is a core requirement for further Euro [...]