Meeting in Sarajevo today the High Representative and EU Special Representative, (HR/EUSR) Valentin Inzko, and the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), Serge Brammertz, discussed Bosnia and Herzegovina’s cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
Expressing their concern that issues raised at their last meeting have yet to be resolved, HR/EUSR Inzko and ICTY Chief Prosecutor Brammertz noted that Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic remain at large; legislation extending the mandate of the international judges and prosecutors in the BiH Court – essential for BiH to be able to deal effectively with high-profile cases – has been rejected by BiH’s Parliament, and convicted war criminal Radovan Stankovic, is still on the run while no one has been held responsible for his escape from Foca prison.
Encouraged by the results of the Special Department for War Crimes within the State Court and the State Prosecutor’s Office, Chief Prosecutor Brammertz expressed his concern at the fact that mandates of international judges and prosecutors had not been extended, underlining that this extension is in the interests of fighting impunity and upholding international justice.
Noting the start of the Radovan Karadzic trial this week, HR/EUSR Inzko said, “It is impossible to build a healthy democracy without justice,” adding that “as long as convicted war criminals are treated as war heroes by political leaders, the courts remain the only means of bringing to light the truth of what happened in Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
Brammertz said, “It is important that the trial has started, and that Radovan Karadzic is facing justice at last. The focus now must be on the crimes committed and the victims whose interests must be upheld.”
HR/EUSR Inzko reiterated that “full BiH co-operation with the ICTY is a priority for my office, and I am ready to use the full powers of my office to assure this if needed”.