Detainees Used for Daily Political Purposes

The non-existence of the laws on the right of detainees is one of matters that former detainees are being used for daily political purposes and manipulated – this was concluded at a meeting of “United against Torture” network held in Brcko.

“Detainees are the only population group arising from the past war, which has been requesting the passage of a law on its rights for 18 years already. These activities too have been organised with the aim of contributing to the passage of a law on the rights of torture victims at the state level in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” said Fadil Redzic, President of the Association of Detainees of Brcko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
 
During the meeting the participants said that the law should specify that detention camps and detainees existed in Bosnia and Herzegovina and provide the exact numbers, because the number of torture victims was nowadays used for daily political purposes and being manipulated with.
 
Data used by the Association of Detainees of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which has been gathered on the basis of data collected from three associations of detainees, suggest that 200,000 people were held in detention camps during the past war.
 
“As far as the minimal basic rights, which should be regulated under this law, are concerned, we are requesting the determination of validity, reparation for torture victims, free health protection and marking of detention and murder locations,” said Jasmin Meskovic, President of the Association of Detainees of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
 
Bakira Hasecic of the “Women, Victims of War” Association, pointed out that women and men, who survived rape and sexual abuse, had a special category status only in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. 
 
Alija Sutovic, psychiatrist with the Psychiatry Clinic of the University Clinical Center in Tuzla, said that there was no future until the past was elaborated in the right manner on the basis of facts, science, history and statistics.
 
“Science has proved that 20 years have had to pass in order for people to face their traums and request what they are entitled to,” Sutovic said.
 
The meeting was organised by representatives of the Association of Detainees of Brcko District in the memorial room in “Luka” detention camp in Brcko.