The High Representative, Valentin Inzko, today issued a Decision lifting the order to seize the travel documents of 13 RS police officers under investigation for crimes relating to the Srebrenica genocide.
In these 13 cases travel documents may now be returned, if no other grounds for their seizure exists
The High Representative’s Decision follows notification from the BiH Prosecutor’s Office that the investigation being conducted against these individuals has not produced enough evidence.
The High Representatives’ order of 10 July 2007 seizing travel documents was designed to minimize the risk of flight, which previous experience had shown to be a real prospect.
The RS Ministry of Interior is the competent body to decide whether its parallel decision to suspend these 13 individuals, with salary, pending the outcome of the investigation is to be lifted.
************************************************************************
On 10 July 2007 the High Representative ordered the seizure of travel documents of 93 individuals against whom the BiH Prosecutor’s Office had opened criminal investigations for possible involvement in the genocide in Srebrenica in July 1995, or involvement in the network supporting persons indicted by the ICTY for war crimes. When the BiH Prosecutor signed the official investigation orders in July 2007, the RS authorities, as part of a coordinated action with the OHR, suspended 36 police officers with pay, pending completion of the investigations. All the policemen were investigated for possible involvement in the Srebrenica crimes.