OHR is to blame that citizens have to take the law into their own hands and tear down monuments to criminals, KS Assembly will seek Schmidt's reaction!

By Rasim Belko @rasimbelko

The verdict by which the Court in Sokolac punished Sarajevans Esad J. and Elvis G. because a year ago they smashed a plaque dedicated to Hague convict, war criminal Ratko Mladić, is yet another paradox that citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina are living in real-time.

The judiciary in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as has been shown this time as well, is more dedicated to protecting the interests of ethnic, elitist, and even criminal groups than to implementing and protecting the laws of Bosnia and Herzegovina and its administrative units. Because, where verdicts are passed to protect the "reputation of war criminals and the property of their heirs", we cannot say that it is a court, but an extended arm of the criminal project that Mladić himself carried out.

Tahirović: OHR bears responsibility!

Murat Tahirović, president of the Association of Victims and Witnesses of Genocide, reminds Patria that on November 4, 2021, the Sarajevo City Council adopted an initiative requesting the Office of the High Representative (OHR) to order the removal of the memorial plaque for Ratko Mladić, convicted of war crimes and genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina, from the entrance to the territory of the Municipality of Novo Sarajevo, which was erected by the Veterans Organization of Istočno Novo Sarajevo back in 2014.

“The City Council referred to the Decision of the High Representative on Amendments to the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which prohibits the erection of monuments and memorials to persons finally convicted of genocide. The memorial plaque for war criminal Ratko Mladić is located a few meters from the monument bearing the names of victims of fascism in World War II, on the very demarcation line between the two entities in Bosnia and Herzegovina - the Federation of BiH and Republika Srpska,” says Tahirović.

Šaljić: I will propose a conclusion for the KS Assembly to seek a reaction from the OHR

Jasmin Šaljić, a representative of the Party for BiH, regarding the case of punishing two Sarajevans who removed the shameful memorial plaque for convicted criminal Ratko Mladić at the entrance to Sarajevo, tells Patria that at the next session of the KS Assembly, he will propose a conclusion through which he will demand that the issue of glorifying war criminals and crimes be finally resolved.

“With that conclusion, I will ask the KS Assembly to hold the competent authorities accountable to resolve this. First of all, we will call on the OHR and the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina to take the necessary steps, punish those who glorify criminals and crimes, and remove monuments to these criminals. I believe it is our duty in the KS Assembly, as a legislative body, to take steps, because it is evident that citizens are losing patience and taking justice into their own hands, and this can have unforeseeable consequences in the future,” Šaljić tells Patria.

Šaljić called on the High Representative to respect the Law on Prohibition of Denial of Genocide and War Crimes and Glorification of Crimes and Criminals.

“I call on Christian Schmidt to react and suspend the verdict of the Court from Sokolac,” Šaljić concluded.

The Association of Victims and Witnesses of Genocide also believes that the OHR and the High Representative bear responsibility.

“We believe that the OHR bears responsibility for supporting the criminal and not removing the so-called memorial plaque for the convicted war criminal in Vrace. Due to the persistent ignorance of the OHR in taking measures against protectors of criminals and criminals and glorifiers and deniers of genocide, as well as due to the obstructive attitude of the BiH Prosecutor's Office, citizens are taking justice into their own hands. Is this the intention of the international community for citizens to take justice into their own hands almost 30 years after the end of the war?” Tahirović tells Patria.

He adds that from Dodik, Čović, Bradara, Cvijanović, to the plaque glorifying war criminal Ratko Mladić today, they are all deniers and protectors of criminals.

“BiH is heading towards Serbia, where there are over 500 murals of Ratko Mladić and where those who oppose them go to prison. Is that the OHR's goal? We demand that the OHR, without delay, make a decision and remove the plaque, that the City Council pay lawyers and seek justice in the Constitutional Court, and if necessary, in Strasbourg,” Tahirović concluded.

It is evident that for the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the OHR, and the Ministry of Justice, monuments to criminals, deniers of genocide and crimes, and those who attend book promotions of war criminals are not enough, so they will allow citizens in Bosnia and Herzegovina to start implementing the law, which was intentionally amended by the High Representative to prevent all this, instead of them.

It will be in vain to calm the situation when larger groups, instead of two individuals, start removing plaques or interrupting promotions of criminal books. Then we will officially be on the verge of escalating conflict, and it could have been easily prevented. It was only necessary to apply the laws of Bosnia and Herzegovina.