A two-day conference presenting draft Rules of Procedure and Operational Guidelines on implementing Witness Protection Measures in courts throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina began on Monday. The conference had two main objectives; to receive the opinions of the attending Court presidents and Chief Prosecutors on the drafts presented, as well as learn from the experience of ICTY and BiH State court officials who have already implemented witness protection measures.

Mr Boris Iarochevitch, Head of Operations at the Delegation of the EU to BiH, said the key role of witnesses in war-crimes trials makes their anonymity and protection a crucial issue. He noted that sound rules of procedure and guidelines for witness protection measures, as well as proper facilities and appropriate technical equipment are all essential. For this reason, the EU is investing over 1.5 million euro of support for related witness protection renovations and video-audio equipment for 11 cantonal and district courts throughout BiH.

The British Ambassador H.E Michael Tatham stated that “Witness Protection is crucial when it comes to submitting complaints and raising indictments and also for the police when they are investigating crimes.”

“Success is considerably dependent on credible witnesses who can testify in the knowledge that their safety is protected. That gives a clear message to citizens that the system is efficient and at the same time it shows that the authorities are serious about tackling crime. This is especially important in processing war crime cases, where witnesses are the key element.”

Both Mr Iarochecvitch and Ambassador Tatham emphasised the importance of implementing the National War Crimes Strategy.

The President of the HJPC, Mr Milorad Novković, mentioned that until now, witness protection has not received the attention it should have. He added that judges and prosecutors must remain committed to implementing this and other aspects of the National War Crimes Strategy.

The conference was organised by the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of BiH, under the auspices of the British Embassy in BiH which also financed the drafting of the Rules of Procedure and Guidelines.