The High Representative, Miroslav Lajcák, today issued a Decision that allows individuals that have had their bank accounts in BiH frozen by High Representative orders in 2003 and 2004 to open one new bank account each. This Decision in no way questions the sanction currently in place against these individuals.
The High Representative’s decision means that 35 individuals still under sanction by the High Representative because of their links to the support network for war crimes indictees can now open one single account in the territory of BiH for normal, day-to-day, transactions. Their accounts that are currently frozen remain frozen.
Once opened, the new bank account will be closely monitored by SIPA’s Financial Intelligence Department and any suspicious transactions will be reported and investigated.
The High Representative took this Decision after consultations and in co-ordination with the ICTY, as well as EUFOR, NATO, BiH, and entity tax and law enforcement agencies.
This Decision effectively transfers some responsibility for monitoring and enforcing sanctions against designated persons to domestic institutions, thus giving the country the opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to ensuring full co-operation with the ICTY, a requirement of the Dayton Peace Accords.
The recent arrests of Radovan Karadzic and Stojan Zupljanin show that those indicted for war crimes can be found. Ratko Mladic must be arrested and transferred without delay and the support networks dismantled. This decision ensures that a balance between the imperative of bringing those indicted for war crimes to justice, and the rights of the individual, is maintained.
The Decision will enter into force eight days after its publication in the Official Gazette and will remain in force until Ratko Mladic is transferred to The Hague or until the High Representative otherwise decides to change it.