Salkić: Gross discrimination against Bosniaks in RS continues

The Vice-President of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska, Ramiz Salkić, believes that competent authorities within the institutions of the BiH entity RS are harassing Bosniaks by implementing unconstitutional and illegal actions in the process of issuing personal documents.

- Despite the decision of the Constitutional Court of BiH that the Decision of the RS Government on verifying the accuracy of residence registration data is valid, members of the RS Ministry of Internal Affairs are carrying out actions and procedures that make it difficult for Bosniaks to obtain their documents. According to complaints from those who have recently applied for personal documents from Bratunac, Zvornik, Srebrenica, and other parts of the BiH entity RS, Bosniaks are undergoing a more complex procedure for obtaining personal documents and are subjected to more complex checks than Serbs - the statement of the Vice-President of the RS National Assembly states.

He adds that this continues the discriminatory, illegal, and unconstitutional practice carried out by the entity bodies and institutions.

- This continues the gross violation of Annex VII of the Dayton Peace Agreement, as well as the endangerment of the right to freedom of movement and the right to return for all displaced persons to their pre-war residences. I call on the OHR and other international institutions to thoroughly investigate these phenomena and urgently respond to citizens' complaints about discrimination and prevent the application of regulations and procedures that are not in accordance with positive constitutional and legal provisions - Salkić's statement reads.

- I call on all Bosniaks living or intending to live in the territory of the present-day BiH entity RS, who wish to obtain personal documents in their places of residence, to do so, despite all obstructions from the RS Government. I also call on everyone going through this process to show patience in order to realize their legally guaranteed rights to personal documents - stated Vice-President Ramiz Salkić.