HDZ BiH and SNSD still want to glorify criminals and deny genocide!

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - At the session of the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH, delegates rejected the request of delegate Zlatko Miletić (DF) to consider the Proposal for a Law on Amendments to the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina under an urgent procedure. Miletić said he would ask the High Representative to impose this law.

First, the delegates accepted the urgent procedure with 15 votes FOR, and then rejected the law because there was no general majority. As many as nine delegates voted against this law (SNSD, HDZ BiH and SDS). Six voted FOR - the Bosniak Club plus Miletić from the Croat Club.

„I was appalled by the fact that the concept of hatred is nowhere explained. I just tried to explain it. The essence of the proposal of this key article is that it is high time we stopped denying genocide and war crimes. We are talking about everyone here. A mother cries the same in Srebrenica and Bratunac. I humbly ask you to do this ourselves. 
The second amendment concerns glorification - I want us to stop naming institutions, hospitals, squares after war criminals. If Rwanda did it, I don't know why BiH couldn't do it“, said Miletić.

Denis Bećirović, delegate of the DN PSBiH, said that although it is about amendments to two articles of the Criminal Code of BiH, it is a very important proposal of the law. 

„Today, the House of Peoples of the PSBiH and all delegates are facing a big test. I want to publicly say that I absolutely support this proposal. This is a law for the future, the security of all peoples and citizens. The law is fully in line with the Constitution of BiH. The law regulates the issue of hate speech, incitement to national and racial hatred, which are dangerous phenomena in our country. It also talks about preventing the rewarding of convicted war criminals. That is why today we should support this law, because without it we cannot move towards EU integration. What is the alternative to such laws? It is chaos, hatred and insecurity for all peoples“, said Bećirović.

Dušanka Majkić (SNSD) said that such a law in the PSBiH has been in the Parliament since 2007, when it was proposed by deputies of SBiH, then repeated in 2010. Then in 2012, the SDP had its proposals, then the Council of Ministers, and here we are in 2020 when Miletić's proposal comes. 

The law is short but the essence is important. The very essence of the matter is that we explain why we will not do it. I looked at what the Council of Europe says. The Council of Europe asks its members to introduce such a thing into their criminal legislation, but they also show that what is required of EU countries to introduce this type of discrimination in no way affects the imposition of this incrimination if it means a violation of freedom of expression. They also say that denial of genocide and war crimes is a criminal offense only if the manner of denial is aimed at inciting violence against a specific group. We will not accept such a law while the judiciary is like this“, said Majkić, adding that history has not yet said everything about the war in BiH.

Bakir Izetbegović (SDA) said that the rulings of European courts should be respected and that they have said what they had to say about the events in Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

„It is anti-civilizational to deny genocide and glorify war criminals“, said Izetbegović.

Bećirović said that Majkić selectively took the opinion of the Council of Europe and that some countries have introduced this category into their constitutions.

„Without such legal solutions, we cannot be in the EU. Here we protect vital national reports and this text is a vital interest of Serbs, Bosniaks and Croats“, said Bećirović.

The Proposal for a Law on Amendments to the Election Law of Bosnia and Herzegovina (first reading), whose proposer was delegate Denis Bećirović, with the opinion of the Constitutional and Legal Commission of the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH, was also rejected. This law would abolish the right for persons convicted of war crimes to be elected in elections.

The Law was not even voted on, because the negative opinion of the Constitutional and Legal Commission was accepted, and thus the law was rejected.