The Chief Prosecutor of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Milenko Kajganić, submitted the 2025 annual report on the work of the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC). He stated that nearly 300 individuals are currently indicted for war crimes before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, while significant results have also been achieved in cases related to organized crime, corruption, and terrorism.
He also responded to questions regarding why certain prosecutors, including those who had worked on a complaint filed against him, were reassigned to other departments.
Kajganić announced intensified work on organized crime cases, particularly those based on evidence obtained from the SKY and ANOM applications, as well as efforts to strengthen the capacity of the Prosecutor’s Office. Responding to journalists’ questions, he said there had been no dismissals of prosecutors within the Prosecutor’s Office, but rather a redistribution of capacities. He also noted that the Prosecutor’s Office has no authority over political blockades within the legislative branch.
Nearly 300 Individuals Indicted for War Crimes before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Kajganić stated that there are currently 51 criminal cases for war crimes before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina involving 234 defendants.
Five cases against 11 defendants are being conducted before the Appellate Division of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In addition, 43 indictments have been issued against 50 individuals who remain unavailable to judicial authorities.
“Therefore, nearly 300 individuals are currently indicted before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina for war crimes,” Kajganić said.
So far, 585 individuals have been convicted of war crimes, while around 245 people are currently undergoing trial proceedings.
The Age of Defendants and Witnesses as a Major Challenge
Kajganić emphasized that one of the main challenges in these cases is the fact that both defendants and witnesses are often of advanced age.
“For that reason, we are not satisfied with the pace of trials as they are progressing, but these are circumstances we simply cannot influence,” he said.
He added that the large number of defendants per case is the result of the Prosecutor’s Office strategy in recent years to focus on the most complex war crimes cases, which often involve more than ten defendants in a single case.
All Indictments from 2023 Confirmed
Kajganić stated that in 2023 the Prosecutor’s Office filed 11 indictments against 25 individuals and that all of them were confirmed.
These indictments include one case concerning a war crime against prisoners of war, five indictments related to war crimes against civilians, three indictments for crimes against humanity, and two indictments for aiding in the crime of genocide.
High Percentage of Convictions
According to Kajganić, 80 percent of first-instance verdicts in war crimes cases result in convictions, while 71 percent of final and binding verdicts are also convictions.
He emphasized that this represents a significant result considering that these crimes were committed more than 30 years ago, which makes collecting evidence particularly difficult.
More Unavailable than Available Suspects
Within the War Crimes Department, 162 criminal cases against known perpetrators are currently under investigation.
Of these, 76 cases concern suspects who are available in Bosnia and Herzegovina, while in 86 cases one or more suspects are unavailable, mostly residing in neighboring countries.
Kajganić emphasized that cooperation with countries in the region remains a key challenge in prosecuting these cases.
Organized Crime Cases and SKY and ANOM Evidence
Speaking about organized crime, Kajganić said that in recent years the Prosecutor’s Office has focused on cases involving evidence obtained from the SKY and ANOM applications.
So far, 20 indictments have been filed against 105 individuals based on such evidence. The accused include members of several police agencies, including the Border Police of Bosnia and Herzegovina, SIPA, the Ministry of Interior of Republika Srpska, the Ministry of Interior of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, and the Ministry of Interior of the Sarajevo Canton.
Among the accused are also a former advisor to the Minister of Security, two lawyers, and several other individuals.
During the past year alone, 10 indictments were filed against 37 individuals.
Confiscation of Property Worth Nearly 29 Million BAM
Kajganić stated that last year the Prosecutor’s Office proposed the permanent confiscation of illegally obtained assets in organized crime cases worth nearly 29 million BAM, which is four times more than in the previous year.
He also noted that in five indictments against 34 individuals, organized crime related to money-laundering offenses was prosecuted.
First Final Verdict Based on SKY Evidence
Last year also saw the first final and binding verdict in which SKY and ANOM evidence were accepted as lawful.
This occurred in the Damjanović case, where the court at both the first and second instance concluded that the evidence was legally obtained.
Kajganić also highlighted the case involving the murder of Radinko Bašić, the head of the Police Administration in Prijedor, where the perpetrators, organizers, and accomplices were identified in cooperation with the Ministry of Interior of Republika Srpska.
2026 to Focus on Organized Crime Cases
Kajganić announced that 2026 will be a year of intensified work on cases involving the SKY and ANOM applications, considering that more than five years have passed since the information was shared with police agencies and prosecutor’s offices.
In order to strengthen work in this area, prosecutors have been reassigned within departments, and a recruitment procedure for six new prosecutors is currently underway.
Corruption Cases despite Low Number of Police Reports
In corruption cases, the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina received 197 reports last year. However, police agencies submitted only five official reports on criminal offenses, and none concerned high-level corruption.
Despite this, the Prosecutor’s Office filed 15 indictments against 24 individuals, which is twice as many as in 2022.
Among the most notable cases are the indictment against the suspended President of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ranko Debevec, and the former director of the Intelligence-Security Agency (OSA), Osman Mehmedagić, as well as the indictment against Jelena Majstorović, head of the Investigations Department at the Indirect Taxation Authority.
The Prosecutor’s Office also indicted 20 individuals from the Indirect Taxation Authority and the Border Police for corrupt activities at border crossings.
Increase in Convictions for Corruption
According to Kajganić, 77 percent of first-instance verdicts in corruption cases result in convictions, while 73 percent of final and binding verdicts are also convictions.
He noted that only a few years ago the conviction rate in such cases was around 40 percent.
Among significant cases he also mentioned the final and binding verdict in the case of Vasvija Vidović.
Investigations against Nešić and Galić
Kajganić stated that the focus in the coming period will be on completing investigations in cases against former Minister of Security Nenad Nešić and former Director of the Border Police Zoran Galić, who is currently a fugitive.
Terrorism and Foreign Fighters
The Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina currently has around 30 arrest warrants issued for citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina who joined armed groups in Syria, as well as around 15 cases against individuals who participated in armed formations in the war in Ukraine.
At the proposal of police agencies, 11 citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina have been placed on a list of persons subject to enhanced financial monitoring in order to prevent the financing of terrorism.
Strengthening International Cooperation
Kajganić stated that the Prosecutor’s Office cooperated in three cases with the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) based on an agreement signed with Chief Prosecutor Laura Kövesi.
An agreement with Eurojust has also been ratified, which will facilitate the exchange of evidence through international legal assistance.
Work is also underway on agreements with prosecutors’ offices in South American countries, particularly in cases involving drug trafficking and human trafficking.
Kajganić: There Were No Prosecutor Dismissals
Responding to journalists’ questions about alleged dismissals within the Prosecutor’s Office, Kajganić said that no prosecutors had been dismissed, but rather reassigned.
“I did not dismiss anyone. I simply redistributed capacities in accordance with my rights and responsibilities in order to direct resources toward the matters that are currently the most important,” he said.
He added that two prosecutors had been reassigned within the Organized Crime Department.
Why Prosecutor Pašić Was Assigned to the War Crimes Department
Kajganić confirmed that prosecutor Džermin Pašić had been temporarily reassigned to the War Crimes Department.
The reason, he explained, lies in cases in which Pašić’s name appears in official records, which made it necessary to avoid any possible suspicion of bias.
“In order to avoid any suspicion of biased conduct, I temporarily assigned colleague Pašić to the War Crimes Department,” Kajganić said.
