Victim associations demand dismissal of BiH Chief Prosecutor due to serious failures in war crimes prosecution

(Patria) - Associations of war and civilian victims, including the mothers of Srebrenica and Žepa, associations of women from Srebrenica and Podrinje, parents of murdered children of besieged Sarajevo, as well as organizations of victims and witnesses of genocide, have submitted a request to the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina for the initiation of disciplinary proceedings and the dismissal of the Chief Prosecutor of the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The reason for this request is the long-standing failures in the work of the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina, including unjustified delays in the prosecution of war crimes, the absence of indictments for the siege of Sarajevo, selective application of the law, as well as inadequate handling of cases of denial of war crimes and glorification of convicted war criminals.

The associations warn that the victims' right to justice has been violated for years, their re-traumatization is deepening, and citizens' trust in the judicial institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina is seriously undermined. The lack of reaction from the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina in cases of public glorification of war criminals and the spread of hate speech is particularly concerning.

"Justice that is delayed is not justice. Victims do not seek revenge, but truth, accountability, and respect. The inaction of institutions must not become a policy," state the applicants.

The associations demand that the HJPC of BiH react urgently, establish disciplinary responsibility, and take the strictest measures, including the dismissal of the Chief Prosecutor, in order to protect the rule of law, the dignity of the victims, and the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina.