The first peer-to-peer meeting of judges from the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and from Bosnia and Herzegovina was held yesterday in Sarajevo within the regional project „War Crimes Justice“, financed by the European Union and implemented by the Department of the OSCE for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODHIR).

„The EU considers reducing the impunity gap cases and processions of war crimes and abolishment of the impunity as one of the main priorities“, stated in his remarks Boris Iarochevitch, Charge d’ Affaires of the EU Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

He said that many courts, within the EU permanent support, would be equipped with rooms for the witness protection program, including audio, video and other equipment, as well as with qualified employees that will support activities of their BiH colleagues. 

„Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of several countries to benefit from this project, which was designed as a regional one, so that better collaboration and coordination between relevant legal practitioners would be achieved, along with a more systematic exchange of the best practice. In that regard the knowledge and expertise of the colleagues from The Hague are invaluable, as is the knowledge of the domestic war crimes proceedings by our colleague at the OSCE”, said Iarochevitch.

Project „ War Crimes Justice” is worth 4 million Euros, and EU has supported this sector with more than 30 million Euros in the last six years.

Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, H.E. Ambassador Gary D. Robbins stated that the project will last 18 months and it is directed on strengthening local capacities in the light of soon closure of the Hague Tribunal, when the judicial institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina will take over the responsibility.

„Long term research was undertaken before this Project began in order to disseminate knowledge and experiences from The Hague.

According to Italian judge Fausto Pocaro, the meeting in Sarajevo is a significant step towards achievement of the cooperation between Hague Tribunal and local courts.

„Hague Tribunal made historic steps in consideration of War Crimes, Crimes Against Humanity and Genocide, implementing for the first time all standards of International Humanitarian Law“, said judge Pocaro who was a President of the ICTY from 2005 to 2008. Hague Tribunal judge Bakone Justice Moloto stressed out that it is important for judges, lawyers and prosecutors, who work within the region of former Yugoslavia, to exchange experiences with colleagues from the Hague Tribunal in order to agree on all issues regulated by the Law. „The purpose of this meeting was to agree upon small differences within the statute of Hague Tribunal and law in the states of former Yugoslavia “, said judge Moloto.

Judge of the BiH Court Hilmo Vučinić underlined that contacts and cooperation with colleagues from The Hague have lasted from the period of the establishment of ICTY.

„Judges from Bosnia and Herzegovina are often in Hague Tribunal where we follow the proceedings. Judges from ICTY have also visited BiH several times and we often have meetings with our colleagues from Croatia and Serbia in order to exchange experiences“, said judge Vučinić.