NiP after indictment against Sejdić, Buljubašić and others: The goal is to 'decapitate', examine Kajganić's responsibility

(Patria) - After the BiH Prosecutor's Office filed an indictment against Ahmet Sejdić, Ferid Buljubašić and 11 other commanders and members of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the People and Justice party reiterates its request that the Office of the Disciplinary Prosecutor and the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HJPC) review certain allegations and practices of the BiH Prosecutor's Office and Chief Prosecutor Milanko Kajganić. At the same time, they announce support for the accused so that they have the necessary resources to prove their innocence in court.

People and Justice reminds that as early as April 2023, they requested the HJPC's Office of the Disciplinary Prosecutor to react after the Chief Prosecutor of the BiH Prosecutor's Office, Milanko Kajganić, made general statements in certain media appearances about the priorities in the work of the BiH Prosecutor's Office concerning war crimes in the Goražde and Foča areas.

“Unfortunately, we are witnessing the Chief Prosecutor unilaterally determining the priorities of the Prosecutor's Office in media appearances, promising more expedited processing of certain cases. In his appearances, Kajganić specifically highlighted the case in which an indictment was filed a few days ago against as many as 13 commanders and members of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina from Goražde, Višegrad, and Foča. From all of the above, it is clear that there is a huge room for doubt regarding the objectivity of the BiH Prosecutor's Office, the impartial and professional conduct of investigations, and the filing of indictments solely based on factual circumstances. We consider the practice of the BiH Prosecutor's Office, which instead of cases from List A of the Hague Tribunal fulfills someone's wishes by filing indictments not based on facts, to be unacceptable,” the reaction from People and Justice states.

The party states that the competent institutions should also comment on certain practices of the BiH Prosecutor's Office.

“The acquittals in a series of cases also testify to the filing of indictments not based on facts. Ahmet Sejdić has already gone through a multi-year process based on an indictment from the BiH Prosecutor's Office, during which he proved his innocence. We openly suspect the intentions of the BiH Prosecutor's Office, given the number of individuals covered by the indictment in this case, as well as in some other cases such as, for example, the 'Dobrovoljačka' case. We have reason to believe that, due to the number of accused, the processes are dragged out indefinitely and that the ultimate goal of the BiH Prosecutor's Office is not verdicts but processes aimed at 'decapitating' the most honorable members of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The statements made in the courtroom in the Dudaković and others case, where one of the witnesses confirmed before the Court that he received money for testifying against Dudaković and others, deeply concern us and demand an objective and independent investigation, as well as a clear statement from the competent institutions. We are also concerned about the practice of pressuring witnesses who then clearly change their testimony during the trial, stating that they were subjected to various pressures during questioning, to which the BiH Prosecutor's Office has not adequately responded so far. Insisting on witness statements while minimizing testimony in court and claims that statements were given under pressure, the Prosecutor's Office conceals the core problem – unlawful actions during the investigations themselves, i.e., conducting investigative actions contrary to the provisions of the criminal procedure law. From all this, the obligation arises for all patriotic forces to find a way for the accused to have all the necessary resources to defend themselves and prove their innocence in court,” they add from People and Justice.

People and Justice sees the arbitrary selection of cases as a particular problem, which leads to completely unbelievable situations where, for example, no one has yet been convicted for war crimes against the besieged population of Goražde, while for crimes against the besieged Sarajevans, there is a ridiculously small number of indictments given the length of the siege, the brutality, and the number of civilians killed.

“Every war crime must be prosecuted, and our commitment is clear on that. However, we cannot fail to notice that the Chief Prosecutor, in a case where a prosecutorial decision had not yet been made, spoke of the actions of Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina units in the Goražde area as an 'illegal attack'. This is direct interference in the work of the acting prosecutors, thereby exerting pressure on them. We also observe a tendency and express dissatisfaction with the fact that no one has been held accountable for the killing of besieged Goražde, among whom were more than 150 children and hundreds of civilians... At the same time, the defenders of Goražde have been prosecuted through several cases where it was shown, after acquittals, that the Prosecutor's Office was more focused on 'decapitating' prominent commanders rather than establishing the truth about certain events,” the statement concludes.