Over the past ten years, the Bosnian state court has ordered hundreds of suspects in war crimes cases into custody for a time period of approximately 290 years or 105,000 days during investigations and trials.
The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina marks the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the special Department of War Crimes, the work of which represents a turning point in the fight against impunity for war crimes in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Department of War Crimes of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina was established ten years ago, with the aim of processing the most complex war crimes offenses committed during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
On the tenth anniversary since the Bosnian state court started prosecuting war crimes cases, renowned lawyers and transitional justice experts gave their comments and judged how satisfied they are with the achievements.
War crimes cases prosecuted by judicial state institutions won’t be completed by the end of the year as envisaged by the National Strategy for War Crimes Processing.
The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has rendered second instance verdicts against 140 people in total, sentencing them to 1881 years in prison for war crimes.
The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which used to serve as an example of good cooperation between the judiciary and the public, has been increasingly withholding information about war crime trials from the public since its inception.
Over the past ten years, the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has accepted 27 plea agreements in cases of war crimes, which have resulted in a total of 229 years in prison for the convicted parties.