Yesterday, a session of the Joint Commission of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina (PABiH) for Defense and Security was held, attended by representatives of all police agencies. Conclusions were adopted regarding the first agenda item, which concerns security in BiH, and after a break, discussions on the remaining items followed. Ivica Bosnjak, Deputy Minister of Security of BiH, who attended the session, stated that the security situation in BiH is under control. He also denied claims that certain State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) employees had transferred to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Republika Srpska (RS), calling on all societal actors to be cautious in disseminating information.
Bosnjak stated that each representative of law enforcement agencies responsible for this area presented the security situation in BiH at yesterday’s Commission session.
“And it was precisely there that it was stated – and I must also assure you – that we coordinate and communicate daily, especially within the narrow collegium – the Directorate for Coordination of Police Bodies in BiH, SIPA, the Border Police of BiH, and other police agencies, where we must meet more frequently due to operational matters. We made clear statements that the security situation is under control, and ultimately, we appealed to all actors in BiH – the executive and judicial authorities, political bodies, and even you in the media – to lower the tone, reduce tensions, and make our work easier. To stop adding fuel to the fire,” Bosnjak said.
He stated that he presented to the Commission members that police agencies are led by experienced directors with many years of experience.
“Who have handled various pressures and risks and have proven themselves, regardless of all the difficulties – material-technical resources, staffing levels, and all these procedures in BiH. They have handled it excellently, and there is no reason for panic,” he added.
He emphasized that all attendees were very satisfied with the meeting and that the Commission members unanimously gave full support to the police agencies.
“We even discussed a whole range of other issues, including the retirement of employees, to get through this year as smoothly as possible. I formed a Commission to draft a Law on Police Employees so that we can gather the necessary approvals and send it into parliamentary procedure. I would ask representatives and delegates in the House of Representatives and the House of Peoples to support these legal amendments in an urgent procedure. However, the main purpose is precisely to strengthen the capacity of the Border Police, as they are operating on reserves, given that they lack 600 police officers and that in the next two to three years, just as many will retire,” Bosnjak stressed.
He also addressed recent events covered in the media regarding the transfer of SIPA employees to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of RS, which was requested by the president of that entity, Milorad Dodik, giving the green light for the adoption and entry into force of controversial laws passed in the National Assembly of RS (NARS). These laws, primarily aimed at banning the work of the Prosecutor’s Office and Court of BiH, SIPA, and the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC) in the RS territory, were soon suspended by the Constitutional Court of BiH with a temporary measure.
“There were no transfers, and the talk about people leaving last Friday was related to March 8th. People are under pressure precisely because of this kind of disinformation, and that is why we all need to lower the tensions to make our work easier,” Bosnjak emphasized. Accordingly, it is important to note that Dodik claimed that 20 SIPA employees transferred to the RS Ministry of Internal Affairs, even though they had been regularly coming to and leaving work in the previous days.
Bosnjak was asked how authorities would proceed in the case of Dodik’s questioning, as he had refused to appear and later claimed that he had never received a summons from the Prosecutor’s Office, where he is a suspect in undermining the constitutional and legal order of BiH due to the aforementioned actions. The question was raised whether his potential arrest could follow if he refused the summons twice.
“I listened, and I don’t know whether he received the summons or not. But I repeat, when we receive any order or instruction from the prosecutor, we assess when and to what extent to undertake specific operational measures to resolve the issue optimally,” Bosnjak concluded.
