Isak Responds to Calls from RS: Do Not Provoke, RS Flags Will Never Fly on Facilities in the Federation of BiH!

(Patria) - Federal Minister of Internal Affairs Ramo Isak commented after calls for the Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs to prosecute individuals in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina following events on January 9th.

“All police administrations in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina are professionally and responsibly taking measures and actions within their jurisdiction to maintain a high level of general security in the entity.

The flag of the BiH entity RS is not the flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina, it is not the flag of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, nor is it a religious flag, and as such, it has no place in places of worship. The display of the flag of the BiH entity RS at Orthodox places of worship in the Federation of BiH, on a day remembered as the day the genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina was initiated, represents nothing more than a provocation.

The removal of the flag in Konjic has nothing to do with constitutionally guaranteed religious freedoms and the constituent status of Bosnian Serbs in the Federation of BiH entity, but exclusively with attempts at provocation. And we will never accept provocations as normal, and accordingly, the flags of the RS entity of BiH will never fly on facilities in the Federation of BiH entity.

At the same time, I consider the behavior of executive officials and religious leaders in the BiH entity of RS, who protested in front of the police administration in Srebrenica after individuals who spread inter-ethnic hatred and intimidated returnees were apprehended, to be shameful.

I condemn any attacks or attempts to intimidate returnees in both BiH entities and will request all cantonal ministries of internal affairs to prevent such behavior, or to prosecute responsible individuals if laws have been violated.

However, to the individuals who have registered residence in the BiH entity of RS and who are calling on me to react, without any attempt at a diplomatic response, I want to say the following: Do not provoke. Your provocations are not welcome in the Federation of BiH. Bosnia and Herzegovina is an internationally recognized and indivisible state, and it will remain so,” stated Minister Isak’s reaction.