Bećirović on Strasbourg Court rulings: I expect Schmidt to be functional in protecting human rights and civil liberties

(Patria) - Chairman of the BiH Presidency Denis Bećirović spoke with the newly elected Secretary General of the Council of Europe Alain Berset at the UN headquarters in New York.

Chairman Bećirović congratulated the newly elected Secretary General of the Council of Europe Alain Berset, former President of the Swiss Confederation, on taking over this important position, and emphasized the important role of the Council of Europe in strengthening democracy and human rights, as well as enhancing European unity and cooperation. He stated that Bosnia and Herzegovina's membership in the Council of Europe implies respect for and implementation of the highest democratic principles, the rule of law, as well as the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Bećirović recalled that the European Court of Human Rights has made several rulings establishing that there is discrimination against citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Therefore, it is extremely important to implement the court rulings that have established discrimination against citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"The rulings of the European Court of Human Rights have obliged the state to eliminate discriminatory provisions from the BiH Constitution and the Election Law, which is in line with Bosnia and Herzegovina's obligations as a member of the United Nations and the Council of Europe. I strongly advocate for the consistent implementation of all these rulings. The European Court of Human Rights has established that the current political system has made ethnic representation more relevant than political, economic, social, philosophical, and other determinants, thereby increasing ethnic divisions in the country and jeopardizing the democratic character of elections," said Bećirović.

"I expect the High Representative in BiH Christian Schmidt to be functional in protecting and developing human rights and civil liberties, in the way they are respected in the democratic countries of the West," Bećirović emphasized.

He also stressed that Bosnia and Herzegovina attaches special importance to cooperation with member states of the Council of Europe, which is also reflected in its active participation in the work of this organization.