After the conflicts that happened in Kosovo and Serbia last week, reaction spread out on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina as well. Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina sharply reacted on the attacks on religious sacraments in some places in the country.

Since the International Community cares for the whole region, particularly for Kosovo last years, the General secretary of NATO Jap de Hop visited Pristina, the capital of Kosovo last week. He said that it is obvious that some extreme groups among Albanian community organized violence that took place in Kosovo and Metohija. The happenings from the last week are shameful, disgraceful and have to be convicted. He emphasized that “the confidence is lost and it has to be done everything to return it back”. There is no illusion that doers of these criminal acts realize their political ambitious about Kosovo. The President of Kosovo Ibrahim Rugova, after he talked to Mr Shefer, promised that state institutions would do everything to calm the situation down, and be more efficient so the violence does not repeat again. In Belgrade, the reactions also were very strong, demonstrations horrifying including ruining religious sacraments.              In a fear that the conflicts spreads out widely on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Presidency of BiH held a meeting on Friday, where they denounced and criticized last happenings in Kosovo, and invited authorities to do everything what is needed to avoid “similar incidents”. “We invite citizens, politicians and religious officers in BiH not to allowed similar behavior on the territories where they act, also to be reasonable and responsible if it happens”. That was the general conclusion of that meeting where the Ministry of security of BiH and the chairman of the Ministry council were presented. The Presidency reminds that the experience BiH had shows that violence does not solve poitical problems, it multiplies them. But, even though the police reinforced supervision upon the sacral objects and diplomatic-consular institutions, the incidents happened. On Monday, unknown persons threw 2 bombs on the mosque “Carska dzamija” in Orahovo near Bosanska Gradiska, northern Bosnia. The day before, a few stones were thrown on the mosque “Babe Besira” in Mostar. In the village near Bugojno, the roof on the Orthodox Church burned, after someone set a fire. In Zvornik and Banja Luka some Islamic objects were attacked and ruined. Unfortunately, material damages after all these attacks are obvious.

Yesterday, on 23-MAR-04, Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina sent a statement to some important political, eminent persons and institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and to most of the media. In the statement HCHR BH criticizes each single attack that happened last days in the country. These acts of vandalism and barbarism threaten the peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina. With these acts, security, multiethnicity and multireligion are under the question. Also, the Committee emphasizes the responsibility of leading parties for the negative atmosphere wherefrom these incidents happened. For example, open hostilities between political parties and the lack of understanding for differences challenged some extreme nationalists and criminals to cause these kinds violence. This is a kind of ethnical cleaning. HCHR BH appeals on the International Community to understand the situation more seriously, to be more active in solving probably the most difficult and the most dangerous phase in settling the peace in this country. The police, attorneys and courts have the full rensposibility and obligation to sanction doers and commanders of these acts.