INSTITUTIONALLY RESPOND TO IMPOSED AMENDMENTS TO BiH CRIMINAL CODE

BANJA LUKA, APRIL 17 /SRNA/ – The Republika Srpska Government has concluded today that a concept should be drafted as soon as possible, along with an analysis and proposed measures for an institutional response to developments caused by the implementation of amendments to the Criminal Code of BiH related to the criminal offense of glorifying war crimes, which were imposed by former High Representative Valentin Inzko, said Minister of Labour, War Veterans and Disabled Persons Protection Radan Ostojić.

Ostojić stated that the ministry headed by him, as well as the ministries of interior and justice, and the Research Centre of War, War Crimes and Tracing Missing Persons, have been tasked with this.

He emphasized that the initiative came from the Republika Srpska War Veterans Organisation, as it most directly affects participants of the Defensive-Patriotic War who created Republika Srpska.

“For some time now, members of the State Investigation and Protection Agency of BiH have been coming to the War Veterans Organization, monitoring its emails, as well as everything related to the first President of Republika Srpska Radovan Karadžić and the commander of the Republika Srpska Army General Ratko Mladić,” Ostojić told the press after the Government session.

He pointed out that two judgments have already been delivered under these amendments to the Criminal Code of BiH, and that criminal charges have been filed against one person, while there is information suggesting a large number of additional charges being prepared.

Minister of Interior Željko Budimir says the aim of these legal amendments is the prosecution of Serbs who participated in the Defensive-Patriotic War and the criminalization of verbal expression, adding that the Ministry will submit all available information so that Republika Srpska institutions can provide an adequate response.

“According to our information, certain associations from the FBiH are conducting a mass campaign of filing criminal charges against individuals in order to bring them before the Prosecutor’s Office and the Court of BiH and prosecute them for criminal offenses carrying prison sentences,” Budimir added.

He noted that one judgment has already become final.

Republika Srpska Justice Minister Goran Selak emphasized that Republika Srpska and its institutions will prepare a response to be reviewed at a Government session after the situation is analyzed and measures are proposed.

“We will also request a session of the Republika Srpska National Assembly. In this matter, both the government and the opposition must act with national responsibility toward the citizens, and then propose certain conclusions to protect members of the Serb people and the Army of Republika Srpska,” Selak said.

He also announced the organsation of a roundtable on April 27 with prominent representatives of the academic community, where the issue of the conduct of the Court and Prosecutor’s Office of BiH toward representatives of Republika Srpska and the Serb people will be discussed.

Selak added that the Ministry of Justice will send a letter to the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of BiH requesting data on how many Serbs are employed in the judiciary at the state level across all positions.