If the BiH Prosecutor's Office does not react, the SDP will file a criminal complaint against Minister Malešević

The Social Democratic Party of Bosnia and Herzegovina (SDP BiH) considers the Instruction sent by the Minister of Education and Culture of the RS, Dane Malešević, to schools in this BiH entity regarding the registration of „Bosniak language“ instead of Bosnian in student records as pure fascism, said Damir Mašić, political director of SDP BiH, reports the Patria news agency.

- With this move, Malešević has shown the continuity of the discriminatory, oppressive, and ultimately criminal policy that the RS Government and regime are conducting towards returnees – said Mašić.

Mašić said that the right to language and its determination is an inalienable right of every community in the world, including Bosniaks in the RS. A recent ruling by the Constitutional Court of BiH confirmed that Bosniaks can name their language as they wish.

Mašić added that on behalf of SDP BiH, he calls on the BiH Prosecutor's Office to urgently react and ex officio initiate proceedings against Minister Malešević under Article 239 of the Criminal Code of BiH, which relates to non-execution of rulings of the Constitutional Court of BiH.

- If this does not happen in the next few days, SDP BiH will file a criminal complaint with the BiH Prosecutor's Office against Minister Malešević due to reasonable suspicion that he committed this criminal offense – said Mašić.

From SDP BiH, they also call on the Presidency of BiH, the Council of Ministers of BiH, and the Government of FBiH to get involved in resolving this issue.

Selmedin Mesihović from the Education Committee of SDP BiH said that this case shows all the harmfulness of the fact that there is no education policy at the BiH level and that it is the only country in Europe that does not have a state-building policy in terms of education.

- This can no longer be tolerated, and we are feeling all the consequences after 26 years. In Srebrenica and parts of the RS to which the instruction refers, it is a fact that in peacetime, an attempt is being made to legalize, legitimize, and cement what was done in war. That is, in fact, one part of BiH is saying that it is not Bosnian. SDP BiH will oppose this. The Education Committee is preparing a series of documents that it will propose to the citizens of BiH in order to resolve the chaotic system in BiH education.

Lejla Hamzagić Kovačević from the Education Committee of SDP BiH says that politics should not deal with language, even though it has thoroughly meddled in what is not its business.

- We call on all learned people who deal with language to join us in the fight for equality of all languages used in BiH. 

Mašić said that they deliberately do not mention the High Representative and the OHR institution because they are "already long silent observers of the situation in BiH.

- From violations of the Constitution, the Dayton Agreement, to some other things, and it is unnecessary to call on Mr. Inzko because it is evident that they do not want to do anything. We want to rely on institutions to do their job.

He added that FBiH has another problem, namely segregation and the system of two schools under one roof.

- Politics does not want to solve that, i.e., SDA and HDZ in SBK and HNK. They also have a ruling of the Constitutional Court of FBiH that is not being implemented.