Criminal charges filed against Mittal, former minister Đurić and Tirak over pollution in Zenica

Members of Eco Forum Zenica have filed criminal charges against the company ArcelorMittal and those responsible within the corporation for environmental pollution in Zenica, reports the Patria News Agency.

Members of Eco Forum also filed criminal charges with the Prosecutor's Office of the Zenica-Doboj Canton against former Minister of the Federal Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Branka Đurić, as well as the Director of the Federal Administration for Inspection Affairs, Ibrahim Tirak.

It was announced at a press conference in Zenica today that ArcelorMittal has been polluting the air, soil, and water in Zenica since 2008, when production began at the company. Although the environmental situation in several other cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina is also poor, no one has been held accountable yet, which is why the members of Eco Forum filed criminal charges against Tirak and former minister Đurić.

Samir Lemeš, president of Eco Forum Zenica, warns that ArcelorMittal's facilities operate without environmental permits and without control. He stated that they attempted to participate in the permit renewal process, but their suggestions were rejected, and permits for other facilities are being prepared without public participation.

- We spent eight months collecting evidence, analyzing applicable legislation, and consulting with lawyers from Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Czech Republic. As the authorities have neglected their obligations in environmental protection, we are firmly convinced that they are also responsible – said Lemeš.

ArcelorMittal and their general directors in Zenica, Palavathu Krishnan Nair Biju and Mukund Vyankatesh Kulkarni, have been charged with the criminal offense of environmental pollution. Former Federal Minister of Environment and Tourism, Branka Đurić, and Ibrahim Tirak, Director of the Federal Administration for Inspection Affairs, will face criminal charges for dereliction of duty. Both charges were filed today, on the seventh anniversary of the ratification of the Aarhus Convention.

Bosnia and Herzegovina ratified the Aarhus Convention (often called the "Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters") on September 15, 2008. It is an international treaty that links environmental protection with human rights. The essence of the Convention is that every person has the right to be informed, to participate in decision-making, and to have access to justice in environmental matters, writes Patria.