Lendo: Plenković's statements malicious, European Court rulings are the legal authority of democratic transition!

(Patria) - Statements by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia, Andrej Plenković, questioning the legal validity of the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights are not only inaccurate but also malicious, and seriously damage his personal credibility and the credibility of the office he holds, said the Vice President of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Refik Lendo.

He reminds Plenković that the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms is an integral part of the Dayton Agreement, that it is directly applicable as such, and that in the normative hierarchy it takes precedence over other legal regulations in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"The circumstances of the violation of rights guaranteed by the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms in the 'Sejdić and Finci' group of cases are not 'fabricated', as Prime Minister Plenković incorrectly claims, but rather violations established by the authority of final rulings of the European Court of Human Rights.

The rulings of the European Court of Human Rights in the 'Sejdić and Finci' group of cases and the 'Kovačević' ruling are not, as Prime Minister Plenković again incorrectly claims, a 'political tool', but rather the legal, intellectual, and social basis for the process of eliminating all forms of discrimination from the constitutional and political system and introducing equal rights for all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Plenković, in his capacity as Prime Minister of a country that is, among other things, a full member of the European Union, the Council of Europe, and a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, has an obligation to promote the rule of law and legal certainty with his own authority, especially in countries where he is a guest, principles that are elevated to the level of fundamental values of the European Union, to promote and support the work of the European Court of Human Rights and to insist on the implementation and respect of its rulings in all countries.

It is unacceptable and inappropriate for the Prime Minister of an EU member state to question and challenge the legal validity of the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights, as this not only introduces legal uncertainty into Bosnia and Herzegovina but also undermines the principles on which the European Union is based," Lendo stated.