The Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina has received a report sent by Dr Bakir Nakaš on behalf of several persons, due to the (non)conduct of responsible persons and the severe consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lives and health of the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
As part of this case, activities of institutions’ officials and legal and natural persons in the process of the necessary procurement of vaccines, immunization and citizens’ health care will be monitored, all for the purpose of determining the possible existence of criminal responsibility, due to the severe consequences that the escalation of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused and continues to cause to the lives and health of the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Criminal charges were filed to the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) against Zoran Tegeltija, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of BiH, Ankica Gudeljevic, Minister of Civil Affairs of BiH, Fadil Novalic, Prime Minister of the Federation of BiH (FBiH), and Vjekoslav Mandic, Minister of Health of FBiH, for not obtaining coronavirus vaccines.
They are accused due to the existence of grounds for suspicion that from September 18th, 2020 to March 18th, 2021, while being aware of their legal obligations, they did not perform their official duties regarding providing and directly procuring vaccines needed for immunization of the population.
“Their malversation results in the uncontrolled spread of a contagious disease, the death of a large number of people, the denial of the right to health care to health insured individuals, and the collapse of the health system in BiH,” the report stated.
The submitter of the criminal complaint is Dr. Bakir Nakas, as well as the citizens on whose behalf it was submitted such as Abdulah Sidran, Anto Domazet, Almir Kurt, Bojan Hadzihalilovic, Dino Mustafic, Esad Bajtal, Jasmin Durakovic, Maja Gasal Vrazalica, Mehmed Kundurovic, Mirsad Djugum, Miso Maric, Mustafa Demir, Natasa Gaon Grujic, Nerzuk Curak, Ramiz Mehmedagic, Ranko Rihtman, Senad Pecanin, Senad Zaimovic, Slobodan Andric, Suad Kurtagic, Zlatko Dizdarevic, Zlatko Sose, Zvonimir Nikolic, and Zarko Papic.
The Council of Ministers of BiH and the Government of the FBiH are responsible for devotion for the realization and protection of basic human rights, and the right to life and health is one of the most important human rights.
“If the Council of Ministers of BiH and the FBiH Government did not provide timely vaccines against the virus for immunization of the population, then it is obvious that they violated and endangered the right to life and health of BiH citizens. Besides, the laws impose that BiH Ministry of Civil Affairs and FBiH Ministry of Health are competent in the field of health, ie health protection of the population, ” as was noted.
Also, the laws stipulate that the ministers who head these ministries are responsible for the situation in the areas under the jurisdiction of their ministries.
“There is no doubt that the Minister of Civil Affairs of BiH and the Minister of Health of FBiH are personally responsible for the situation in the field of health, and that certainly means for the procurement of vaccines that prevent the spread of the epidemic and protect the health of the population. Thus, it is quite certainly their responsibility, ” the submitters believe.
From September 18th, 2020 until the day of filing the criminal complaint, the Council of Ministers of BiH held 19 special and 14 regular sessions. The fact that the officials of the Council of Ministers of BiH did not discuss the direct procurement of vaccines during those sessions shows that they did not perform their duties. It is devastating.
At the time of filing the criminal report, the immunization of the population in the FBiH has not even begun. The reason for the intolerably delay in the process of vaccine procurement is only irresponsibility and violation of the legal obligations of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Health of the FBiH, as was stated, among other things, in the report.
They added that the people they reported were fully aware of the danger that threatens in case of failure to procure vaccines, at least for the most endangered categories of workers in the health industry, as well as for the most affected groups of the population, Klix.ba writes.
E.Dz.
