Nikšić after Stanišić and Simatović verdict: We will consider the possibility of revising the lawsuit against Serbia

(Patria) - Prime Minister of FBiH Nermin Nikšić commented on social networks after today's verdict against Jovica Stanišić and Franko Simatović, who received 15 years in prison each for war crimes in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"The verdict against Stanišić and Simatović is a final confirmation of what all of us who witnessed and participated in that time knew, Serbia committed aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The joint criminal enterprise committed by Serbia on the territory of BiH in the period from 1992 to 1995 has only been officially confirmed by this verdict, and the pages of horrific crimes committed in our country have received their covers.

The book has been written and will go on the shelves of history, to remind, to warn, and I hope it will never happen to anyone again," Nikšić wrote.

He added that this is a verdict against individuals, criminals, and the political-military leadership of Serbia at the time, led by Slobodan Milošević.

"This is not a verdict against all Serbs. We have received justice, but that is far from the end. We now have tasks ahead of us that we must work on together.

I expect the leadership of today's Serbia to finally revise its views on war crimes established by verdicts. Serbia must finally face the truth and responsibility for the crimes. That is the only right way," Nikšić believes.

He explained that after this verdict, "we need to study it and consider the possibility of revising the lawsuit against Serbia".

"Only today is the scale of the betrayal by those who missed the opportunity to file a revision seen in its true light. I think we have a mission ahead of us to examine all legal possibilities based on this final verdict in order to establish Serbia's real responsibility for the war and aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina. That task is now before all of us, and we owe it first and foremost to all the victims, as well as to the survivors.

Given that Serbia is a potential member of the European Union, I expect European institutions to insist on revising its positions on war crimes issues during negotiations with Serbia. After this verdict, Serbia must not be allowed to deny facts established by court verdicts.

This includes re-examining all segments of Serbia's socio-political life, especially the part about distorting historical facts within the education system, which prevents new generations from continuing to live in a healthy environment in these regions.

The European Union must insist that Serbia extradite war criminals like Novak Đukić, who was convicted of war crimes at the Tuzla Gate. Finally, as a Bosnian and Herzegovinian, I want to emphasize that justice has prevailed. It is very late, but it has arrived.

This is the last verdict for war crimes within the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Courts in The Hague, and with it, victims and survivors have received at least some satisfaction," concluded Nikšić.