NIP called on HJPC and ODT to review the work of the BiH Prosecutor's Office and Kajganić, no indictments for the siege of Sarajevo and Goražde

(Patria) - People and Justice calls on the Office of the Disciplinary Prosecutor and the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council to review certain allegations and practices of the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Chief Prosecutor Milanko Kajganić.

In certain media appearances, Chief Prosecutor of the BiH Prosecutor's Office Milanko Kajganić made sweeping statements about the priorities in the work of the BiH Prosecutor's Office regarding war crimes.

“We remind that victims' associations from Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the Srebrenica victims, called on the BiH Prosecutor's Office in February this year to prosecute cases from the list of the Hague Tribunal and expressed their dissatisfaction that many cases from this list have not been prosecuted. Unfortunately, we are witnessing the Chief Prosecutor making sweeping statements about the prosecutor's office priorities in media appearances, promising more prioritized prosecution of certain cases,” stated the reaction of People and Justice.

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

“The allegations made in the courtroom in the Dudaković and others case, where one of the witnesses confirmed in 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 trials, 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 court testimony and claims that statements were given under pressure, which the Prosecutor's Office hides, is a fundamental problem – unlawful conduct during investigations, i.e., conducting investigative actions contrary to the provisions of the criminal procedure code,” the statement reads.

People and Justice sees the arbitrary selection of cases as a particular problem, leading 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 people of Sarajevo, there is a ridiculously small number of indictments given the length of the siege, brutality, and the number of civilians killed.

“Every war crime should be prosecuted, and our commitment is clear. However, we cannot help but notice that the Chief Prosecutor, in a case where a prosecutorial decision has not yet been made, speaks of the actions of ARBiH units in the Goražde area as an 'illegal attack.' This is direct interference in the work of the prosecutors involved, thereby pressuring 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 thousands of civilians... At the same time, the defenders of Goražde have been prosecuted in several cases where, after acquittals, it became clear that the Prosecutor's Office was more focused on 'beheading' prominent commanders than on establishing the truth about certain events.

In the days when we commemorate the siege of Sarajevo, we also clearly emphasize the fact that only a shamefully small number of VRS members have been held responsible for the shelling of the besieged city, the targeted killing of civilians, terror, and other crimes. Therefore, we once again call on the BiH Prosecutor's Office to be guided in its work by the adopted strategies for prosecuting war crimes and not to attempt to artificially equalize the number of accused on all sides. We call on the Office of the Disciplinary Prosecutor and the HJPC to become more involved in the events that disturb victims and the general public, and to work together on building trust in judicial institutions,” the statement concludes.