Destruction of National Monuments: RS Rejects Urgent Procedure for Amendments to the Criminal Code

At the session of the House of Representatives of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly, a proposal by Saša Magazinović is being discussed, who submitted an initiative for amendments to the Criminal Code of BiH, seeking that “damage, destruction or endangerment of national monuments of BiH” be treated as a criminal offense.

- Whoever damages, renders unusable or destroys a national monument of BiH shall be punished by imprisonment from six months to five years – states the amendment to the law.

Borjana Krišto (HDZ), Chairwoman of the House of Representatives of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly, pointed out that surely no one in the hall would condemn the attack on national monuments, and that she will support the essence of the law, but proposes that it not go through an urgent procedure, but rather a regular one, in order to determine the jurisdiction of the courts.

Šefik Džaferović (SDA) said that this very clear and short amendment can achieve a lot.

- The list of national monuments is not final. We need this law, it is useful, and we should accept both the urgent procedure and the law itself – said Džaferović.

During the vote on the urgent procedure, there was no entity majority from the RS, so the matter will be voted on at the next session, because Deputy Chair Mladen Bosić (SDS) is not at the session for justified reasons.

Saša Magazinović (SDP) earlier stated that this is his modest gift to the people of Mostar, because he hopes that the adoption of this law will prevent living fascists from attacking dead partisans in Mostar.

- Of course, this law does not only apply to the Partisan Cemetery but to all national monuments in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which are located in almost all cities and number nearly 800. Until adequate punishment begins, barbarism cannot be adequately prevented. Numerous experiences testify to that – added Magazinović.