Vienna Commercial Court Judge Praised Hurtić: "Austria Should Also Have Such a Minister for Human Rights"

(Patria) - The Commercial Court in Vienna yesterday rejected the lawsuit filed by ICMPD (an international organization based in Vienna dealing with the analysis of migration flows in Europe) against the NGO SOS Balkan Routes, which described the construction of a detention unit in the Lipa camp in Bihać, intended for migrants requiring security checks, as "Guantanamo in the Balkans".

Petar Rosandić, head of SOS Balkan Routes, told Austrian media that ICMPD tried to move the political debate into the courtroom during the trial and challenged the benefits of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and civil society in general.

"That was a mistake, as was the illegal prison in Lipa – also known as 'Guantanamo'," said Rosandić.

A very interesting piece of information coming from the courtroom of the Vienna Commercial Court is that during the hearing, the Austrian judge repeatedly mentioned the BiH Minister of Human Rights and Refugees, Sevlid Hurtić, and at one point said, "Perhaps Austria should also have such a minister for human rights".

It is known to the public that Minister Hurtić initiated activities and initiatives on the international level to abolish and close the detention unit in the Lipa camp in Bihać.

Hurtić was the first to raise the issue of blatant human rights violations, stating that he would not allow anyone to be placed in a facility built within the Lipa migrant container settlement near Bihać.

"I was the first to open this issue, and everyone was silent. It's a classic prison. I'm talking about the human rights of citizens not to have criminals on the streets or near them. Every criminal should be in a legal prison in BiH, not here in the camp," said Hurtić.

Incidentally, in recent months, a major political debate has been taking place in Austria with mutual accusations between officials of different parties regarding the construction of the detention unit in the Lipa camp. The construction, financed by the Austrian state budget, is supported by the ICMPD organization, headed by Michael Spindelegger, former Vice-Chancellor of the People's Party.

Ewa Ernst-Dziedzic, a Green Party representative in the Austrian Parliament, has sharply criticized the construction of this facility on several occasions, calling it a prison for illegal deportation.