Warnings: Blocking IPA funds does not punish those responsible for obstruction

The Initiative for Monitoring European Integration of BiH considers the delay in adopting the Justice Sector Reform Strategy 2014-2018 unacceptable, especially the efforts of representatives of the institutions of Republika Srpska to achieve changes to the text of the Strategy related to the formation of the Higher Court of BiH through political pressure, reports the Patria News Agency.

The adoption of the aforementioned Strategy was supposed to enable BiH to receive funds from the IPA fund for reducing the number of unresolved war crimes cases. In this regard, competent authorities in BiH have been called upon to take all necessary steps for the adoption of the Strategy.

It should be emphasized that the formation of the Higher Court of BiH, as indicated in the Strategy, represents a legitimate legal requirement that corresponds to the principle of two-instance proceedings in court cases and does not encroach upon entity competencies.

In this context, the establishment of the Higher Court of BiH as a second-instance body would be exclusively linked to the established competencies of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is why the politicization of this legal issue, rooted in the fundamental principles of human rights protection and fundamental freedoms, is unnecessary and senseless.

Members of the Initiative for Monitoring European Integration of BiH warn the competent state authorities of BiH and the entities of the Federation of BiH and Republika Srpska that blocking IPA funds could negatively affect the functionality and efficiency of judicial institutions throughout BiH, thereby completely endangering the process of prosecuting war crimes in BiH, as well as the equal access to justice for all its citizens.

Therefore, the members of the Initiative call on the European Union not to allow the politicization of legal issues by any political representatives in the country, and to insist on the adoption of the Justice Sector Reform Strategy in BiH, in order to prevent financial "punishment" of the court and prosecutor's office system throughout the country, it was announced from the Initiative.