The "Azra Zornić v. Bosnia and Herzegovina" ruling prioritizes the citizen, not ethnic affiliation

The Council of Ministers of BiH adopted the Information from the Office of the Agent of the Council of Ministers of BiH before the European Court of Human Rights on the final ruling of the European Court of Human Rights in the case "Azra Zornić v. Bosnia and Herzegovina" and the obligation of Bosnia and Herzegovina to adopt an action plan for the implementation of the rulings in the cases "Azra Zornić v. Bosnia and Herzegovina" and "Sejdić and Finci v. Bosnia and Herzegovina", writes the Patria News Agency.

Thus, today the Ministry of Justice of Bosnia and Herzegovina was tasked with preparing an action plan for the execution of the rulings in the cases "Azra Zornić" and "Sejdić and Finci v. Bosnia and Herzegovina" within 30 days of the adoption of this information and submitting it to the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina for adoption.    

Muhamed Mujakić, a legal expert, stated for Patria that it is primarily very useful that the Council of Ministers of BiH, as the holder of executive power, has been informed about the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights in the case "Zornić v. BiH".

- This ruling is of significant importance for the realization of human rights, not only for the appellant but for all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It prioritizes the citizen as such, not ethnic affiliation. What makes this ruling specific compared to the "Sejdić and Finci" ruling against BiH is that it enables a broader category of "citizens" to realize the human rights guaranteed by the European Convention, which are discriminated against by the provisions of the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina – says Mujakić.

He further explains that the "Sejdić and Finci" ruling, in addition to the appellants, also applies to national minorities and those who are not affiliated with any nation, or others, while the Zornić v. BiH ruling applies to all citizens, regardless of whether they are Bosniaks, Serbs, Croats, others, or members of national minorities.

- The long-awaited "Pilav v. BiH" ruling will further demystify the discriminatory provisions in the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which, after these rulings and review by the European Court, will definitely have to be changed in substance, not just formally. Other issues will also come to the fore, such as discriminatory names of entities, municipalities, and other "perverse solutions" from the Dayton Constitution of BiH. Bosnia and Herzegovina needs a new (European) Constitution that would guarantee human rights and freedoms to everyone under equal conditions – added Mujakić.