OSCE Mission helps to increase public confidence in war crimes processing in BiH

SARAJEVO, 1 December 2011 – The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, in partnership with the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the BiH Prosecutor’s Office, completed in Sarajevo today a series of seven roundtable discussions on war crimes processing. The events served to increase communication and co-operation between affected communities, victims’ associations and State and Cantonal/District Prosecutors’ Offices and Courts in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Effective two-way communication between institutions dealing with war crimes and civil society organizations helps in establishing channels for individuals to support prosecutions as well as providing an opportunity for victims to receive responses to their concerns. “The sense of contribution in the processing of war crimes cases matters to all, but particularly to victims and civil society, whose contribution can be invaluable when it comes to providing evidence to ensure that those responsible for war crimes are held accountable,” said Fletcher M. Burton, the Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH.

Burton explained that the Mission’s long-standing presence in communities around the country and comprehensive monitoring of the criminal justice system gave it particular insight into the issues surrounding the prosecution of war crimes cases: “We are well aware of the challenges faced by prosecutors and judges; the difficulty of identifying and apprehending those responsible; the complexity of securing live witness testimony; the competing urgency of past and present crimes; and limited awareness among the public on war crimes trials conducted thus far,” he said.

“These discussions have provided an important forum for courts and prosecutor’s offices to share their work and experiences with those seeking justice. I hope that the dialogue established during these events will continue. Increasing the flow of information on war crimes processing counters misinformation, enhances transparency, and fosters trust in the judicial system. The important steps taken by judicial institutions to combat impunity must be made visible,” said Burton.

The roundtable discussions were held in Banja Luka, Mostar, Brčko, Vitez, Lukavac, Srebrenica and Sarajevo.