Protests in front of the Court and Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina: 'Arrest politicians, stop corruption'

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - On the occasion of the International Anti-Corruption Day, a group of activists gathered around ReSTART BiH assembled today in front of the Prosecutor's Office of BiH and the Court of BiH to express their dissatisfaction with the inaction and failure to prosecute criminal acts of corruption.

The activists also had messages for these two institutions: "We only ask for justice from you", "We want our own Ivo Sanader and Sebastian Kurz processes", "Corruption must leave BiH", "Arrest politicians, stop corruption". 

Demands for the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC) and the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina:

1. To focus on corruption reports against high-ranking politicians, and to conduct investigations with a team of prosecutors! In this context, prepare information of public interest on open and concluded cases of high-level corruption and make them available on the HJPC website. Update the list at least once a month;

2. Due to the previous inefficient work and lack of sanctions against holders of judicial functions, even in situations where there is more than enough evidence, the dismissal of the chief disciplinary prosecutor of the Office of the Disciplinary Prosecutor at the HJPC is demanded;

3. URGENT introduction of a special team of foreign experts as consultants at the ODP because it is more than obvious that disciplinary proceedings, which should serve as a corrective for the work of judges and prosecutors, are completely inefficient and under the control of politicians;

4. Disciplinary proceedings against judges and prosecutors shall be conducted publicly in the presence of the complainant, in accordance with Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights, except in cases where publicity could harm the interests of justice, in which case the injured party has the right to attend the hearing with the obligation to keep the data confidential;

5. Relocate the Office of the Disciplinary Prosecutor from the building of the Court and Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina;

6. Amend the Law on the HJPC so that the Office of the Disciplinary Prosecutor is completely functionally independent from the HJPC and to introduce a mechanism for external decision-making on disciplinary complaints. Likewise, separate the prosecution from the judiciary, one body cannot appoint both prosecutors and judges;

7. Change the appointment procedure for holders of judicial functions working on criminal acts of corruption and organized crime. Only those who possess expertise and at least 5 years of experience, as well as good results precisely in organized crime cases and who possess high moral qualities, can be appointed. The criteria according to which the appointment was made must be available to the public.