Arapović: We are starting the process of adopting the law on victims of war torture

(Patria) - For several months, work has been underway on a humane and important task, announced MP Adis Arapović.

"At the invitation of members of the Association of Camp Inmates in BiH, in cooperation with the Association, colleague Amer Obradović, a parliamentarian and former camp inmate, Muhamed Hadžić, a former camp inmate with 650 days spent in several camps, and yours truly, we have held a series of meetings and consultations, obtained opinions and proposals from the federal ministries of justice, labour and social policy, international and domestic non-governmental organizations dealing with this vulnerable category, and finally reached the official Initiative which was submitted today on behalf of the Association of Camp Inmates to the Ministry of Justice of the Federation of BiH, initiating the drafting and adoption of the Law on the Protection of Victims of Torture in the Federation of BiH.

It is an incredible fact that victims of war torture, primarily camp inmates, are a rare category stemming from the war to which the state has not provided any specific rights, support, legal recognition of the deprivation of basic human rights, or at least symbolic compensation for damages. Because of thousands of people who have experienced this form of war torture and who to this day have not received any legal or other satisfaction, we have a moral and every other obligation to finally resolve this issue. We already have the working material for the Law," emphasized Arapović.

The Federal Minister of Justice, at a meeting last week, expressed great readiness for the Ministry of Justice to initiate the legislative process, to form a mixed working group for the preparation of the Law with the participation of all relevant parties, and for the Law to be ready for parliamentary procedure in a short period of time. Now it is up to the Ministry of Justice and the Government of the Federation of BiH, and all those to whom this Law pertains should contribute as much as they can.