War Criminals May Receive Benefits from Republika Srpska Government
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The convicts who would benefit from this law are Momcilo Krajisnik, Radoslav Brdjanin and Biljana Plavsic, who’ve been sentenced to a total of 61 years in prison, as well as war crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic.
The law on the rights of Republika Srpska representatives from 1991-1996 was proposed by Republika Srpska president Milorad Dodik. The National Assembly will discuss the law at its next session on September 15.
The president, deputies and delegates at the Republika Srpska National Assembly from the war period have the right to receive financial remuneration in the amount of one and a half of an average salary, which amounts to approximately KM 1,200. About 95 individuals would receive this type of remuneration.
The law also states that individuals who participated in the establishment of Republika Srpska during the war, would also receive financial benefits.
“It’s estimated that financial resources in the amount of around KM 2,109,000 would be needed for implementation of this law,” the draft law indicates.
Karadzic was the Republika Srpska president, Plavsic was the vice president, Krajisnik was the president of the National Assembly and Brdjanin was an assembly delegate during the war.
“In the case of the death of a beneficiary, his spouse and children inherit the right to the remuneration,” the law states.
In addition to financial benefits, they have the right to attend all ceremonial sessions of the National Assembly, as well as ceremonies organized on Republika Srpska’s national day and other holidays.
While Karadzic is awaiting the Hague Tribunal to pronounce his verdict, Brdjanin is serving his imprisonment sentence, while Krajisnik and Plavsic were given early releases.
Karadzic, the first president of Republika Srpska, is on trial for genocide in Srebrenica and seven other municipalities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the persecution of the Bosniak and Croat population, terrorising the local residents of Sarajevo and taking UNPROFOR members hostage.
Krajisnik was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the persecution and deportation of non-Serb civilians from ten municipalities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. As per a Hague Tribunal decision, he was granted an early release in August 2013.
Brdjanin was sentenced to 30 years for persecution, torture, rape, confiscation of property, deportation, murder, and the destruction of cities, towns and villages. He is in detention in Denmark.
Biljana Plavsic was found guilty for implementing the persecution of the non-Serb population in 37 municipalities, which resulted in the death and deportation of a large number of people. After pleading guilty, she was sentenced to 11 years in prison. She was granted early release in 2009.
