Inauguration of the High Security
Courtroom

The High Representative will
attend the
inauguration
of the
new High Security
Courtroom at the BiH Court today. 
Principal Deputy High Representative Larry Butler will also
attend.   

The Court of
Bosnia and Herzegovina began operating in 2003 and has already made a huge
contribution to the fight against organised crime. The facility, which
will be formally
opened today – the most modern high security courtroom in this part of the world — significantly
enhances the Court’s logistical capacity.  

Financial
crime, corruption and organised crime directly threaten the people of BiH.
 These crimes are a scourge in everyday life. They are also
undermining efforts to attract investment to BiH so as to create jobs. So they
must be tackled, rapidly and effectively. The Court of BiH is at the forefront of this crime-fighting effort. The
Court is already hearing cases against individuals who would have been
considered, even a year or two ago, to be beyond the reach of BiH law. It has
already put major criminals behind bars.  The new courtroom is a valuable
addition to the Court’s capacity to fight organised crime and
corruption. 

Announcement of the press conference regarding Colonel Palic

The HR will tomorrow hold a press conference
in which he will address the RS government’s failure to provide adequate details
on the fate and whereabouts of Colonel Avdo Palic, who disappeared in July
1995.

The press conference follows the Decision
published at the beginning of this week by the Bih Human Rights Commission that
found that the RS authorities have failed to provide sufficient details. After
considering the latest information supplied by the RS Government the commission
concluded that its earlier Decision requiring the government to supply all
available information on this case has not been complied with. A Decision by the
HRC on 3 October, 2005 gave the RS three more months to provide information on
the fate of Colonel Palic.

The HR will say that there has been a serious
obstruction of justice. And just as in the case of the initial work done by
the Srebrenica commission, he will say that information that could have
revealed the fate of Colonel Palic has been deliberately obscured. He will
announce measures in order to ensure that the RS authorities fulfil their legal
obligations.

Announcement of the HR
farewell visit

I would like
to announce that the HR Paddy Ashdown will visit Herzegovina as part of his
farewell tour on Monday January 23. However details of his visit will be
announced by end of the week.