The inclusion of international judges and prosecutors in the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, sitting in the special chambers for War Crimes and Organized Crime, are required to complement the work of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), as well as the domestic struggle against organized crime and corruption.
Should the international judges and prosecutors not have their mandates renewed by December 14th, a number of ongoing cases will have to be restarted. Years of effort toward ensuring justice will have been wasted and a number of investigations and cases would need to be re-started. Furthermore, the viability of the Court of BiH may well be in question.
The letter on the extension of international judges and prosecutors in the Court of BiH, was conveyed to the High Representative Valentin Inzko yesterday, and also sent to the attention of the PIC Ambassadors. It was signed by former High Representative Christian Schwarz-Schilling and a number of European politicians, international justice professionals, civil society actors, including Human Rights House of Sarajevo, as well as other concerned persons.
Full letter with complete list of signatories is available for download.
Documents:
- Letter to HR Valentin Inzko
In English, with full list of signatories included
