Lawyers prevented from representing clients: This is a legal crime, we were threatened with court police

(Patria) - Lawyers Senad Kreho, Damir Kočo, and Damir Beglerović, along with their representative Alen Nakić, held a press conference today after being prevented from representing the accused at a hearing to determine one-month detention for three Swedish citizens suspected of murdering Haris Österdahl in Sarajevo.

Also today, the Management Board of the Bar Association of FBiH, acting on the request of lawyer Alen Nakić, representative of lawyers Senad Kreho, Damir Kočo, and Damir Beglerović, made a decision to file a report against Judge Adisa Zahiragić of the Cantonal Court in Sarajevo with the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC) of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

- The manner in which the right to practice law was denied - Colleagues Kreho and Kočo, based on issued powers of attorney, legitimized themselves in that procedure as freely chosen defenders of two Swedish citizens. Namely, what was shocking in that situation was that in relation to colleagues Kreho and Kočo, there were threats of coercive measures of removal by the court police from the courtroom. Journalists were also removed from the courtroom, they were also removed from the anteroom, and they were not allowed to follow the hearing - stated Nakić.

As he explained, the intention and purpose of today's press conference is not to harm the judge's reputation in any way, but to inform the public that she "violated not only the rights of the accused but also the rights to the free practice of law".

Kreho also addressed the public, stating that he entered the courtroom after receiving his client's power of attorney.

- I submitted the power of attorney to the registry office at 12:27 PM, and then entered the continuation of that hearing. I made my statement. Something happened that I have not experienced in my 41-year career. Not me, people call me from Serbia, Zagreb, Slovenia, they can't believe it. It has never happened to me that a judge throws me out. That is 17 violations of human rights if you cannot be defended by the lawyer you chose. Not 14 of these priorities, we won't be admitted to the EU for 400 years. This is a legal crime. I am surprised by the judge, she is an experienced judge. It surprised me - stated Kreho.

- I wasn't even thrown out of this city in 1992, and they won't throw me out of the courtroom either, regardless of the 20 special forces officers who were there - he said, adding that he left after being asked to leave the courtroom.

As for the reasons, they can only speculate.