The Ministers of Justice of BiH and Macedonia Bariša Čolak and Blerim Bexheti signed today in Skopje three agreements: Agreement on amendment on legal assistance in civil and criminal matters, agreement on mutual execution of court decisions in criminal matters and agreement on amending the treaty on extradition.
By signing the first two contracts, there should be progress in the overall mutual legal assistance between BiH and Macedonia, and significant changes are expected that should contribute to a faster solution to criminal proceedings, announced the BiH Ministry of Justice.
In accordance with this, the possibility for direct communication is provided with the agreement, in the provision of legal assistance in administrative matters and call for submission of inheritance proceedings or taking an inheritance statement in probate proceedings, possibility to communicate directly with the body responsible for the conduct of criminal records in the procedures of obtaining a criminal record, and the possibility of forming joint investigative teams.
With this, criteria on the basis of which it is passed on to the prosecution is expected, and among the priorities is the opportunity to ensure the presence of the accused, possibility of temporary detention before submission of the request, possibilities of entry to the personal status of citizens in the appropriate registers, regardless of the procedure for recognition of judicial decisions.
The possibility was also made for the execution of judicial decisions in criminal matters by the courts of one contracting state against nationals of another contracting state, or against any person on its territory who has permanent residence and without the consent of the convicted person, which was not the case until now.
With the signing of the agreement on amending the extradition treaty, states allow for the extradition of its own citizens for the purpose of conducting criminal proceedings or the execution of criminal sanctions for criminal offenses of organized crime, corruption, and money laundering.
In doing so, the provisions on the agreement should not be referred to the extradition of its own nationals for war crimes or other crimes against humanity and international humanitarian law, or the portion committed before the signing of the treaty.
