Bosnia and Herzegovina

From the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Bosnia and Herzegovina:

Courts and prosecutors’ offices in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) have been dealing with cases of war crimes since the end of the 1992-1995 war. In 2003, the newly established Court of BiH andBiH Prosecutor’s Office were given jurisdiction over these cases and a significant number of cases – approximately 100 – have been processed successfully since the institutions became fully operational in 2005. In addition, war crimes proceedings are still ongoing in a number of courts in the entities and Brcko District, as the laws and policies in force in BiH foresee the processing of less complex war crimes cases before the cantonal and district authorities.

Since 2004, the OSCE Mission to BiH has monitored approximately 340 proceedings concerning war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide before the domestic courts of BiH. The main goal of the Mission in this area has been to give an objective and accurate assessment of the ability of the judicial system to prosecute and try these cases in an effective, human rights compliant and expeditious manner. The Mission also continues to be active in highlighting the need to increase the capacity and efficiency of courts and prosecutors’ offices at the entity level and to ensure that state level institutions continue to receive adequate support and resources.