Senior Deputy High Representative Bernard Fassier and OSCE Acting Head of Mission Victor Tkachenko yesterday sent a letter to the RS President, the RS Prime Minister and the Speaker of the RSNA underlining the responsibility of the Republika Srpska (RS) under the BiH Constitution to comply with the Decisions of the Human Rights Chamber (HRC).
In the letter Ambassadors Fassier and Tkachenko focus on the 49 applications known as the Srebrenica cases. These cases were filed by the immediate family members of the men presumed to have been killed in the massacre at Srebrenica in July 1995.
The letter addressed to RS President Dragan Cavic, RS Prime Minister Dragan Mikerevic and RSNA Speaker Dragan Kalinic emphasised the fact that the deadline set by the HRC for the RS to disclose the truth of the fate of victims and the whereabouts of their bodies is fast approaching and that there has been no sign from the RS authorities that these deadlines will be respected.
The HRC’s Decision of 7 March gave the RS authorities six months to comply with the Decision, which included financial aspects and orders to disclose information. Ambassadors Fassier and Tkachenko write that they “expect that the RS will undertake all actions needed for implementation of all orders of the HRC in due time and that the RS shall meet its constitutional obligations in a satisfactory manner”.
Yesterday’s letter also reminds the RS authorities of their obligation to comply with other war-crimes-related issues, including the arrest of those indicted for war crimes, most notably Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic.