NUŽDIĆ: JUDGE HILMO VUČINIĆ PREVIOUSLY REPORTED FOR BIASED TRIALS

BANJA LUKA, MAY 20 /SRNA/ – Judge Hilmo Vučinić, a member of the Appellate Panel set to deliver the second-instance verdict in the case against Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik, was previously reported to the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC) of BiH for alleged bias in trials during the war period, aimed at vilifying Serbs, said Viktor Nuždić, acting director of the Republic Center for War Research, War Crimes and Missing Persons.

In a statement to SRNA, Nuždić pointed out that during the recent war, Vučinić served as a judge at the District Military Court in Goražde and has a controversial past.

He recalled that the Association of Families of Civilian Victims of War from Višegrad filed a complaint with the HJPC of BiH against Vučinić, stating, among other things, that he passed biased judgments without evidence, with the aim of demonizing Serbs.

Nuždić stated that eight years ago, the Republic Center submitted hundreds of pieces of material evidence to the HJPC of BiH and clearly requested clarification and full disclosure of the roles of wartime judges and prosecutors.

"As is the case with many other aspects of the judiciary at the BiH level, this issue was never properly addressed, further eroding trust in the judicial system at the BiH level," Nuždić emphasized.

He pointed out that this situation fails to uphold the principle of impartiality, which requires that a judge render decisions free from external influence or personal bias.

"Given the background of the acting judge—which has never been thoroughly investigated—it is clear that, once again, we are witnessing the absurdity of the judicial system at the BiH level," Nuždić concluded.

Media reports state that, in addition to Vučinić, the Appellate Panel includes judges Staniša Gluhajić and Amela Huskić. They were selected through the Court Case Management System /CMS/, and confirmation of the assignment is pending.