The Information Center of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in Sarajevo, was opened by the Mayor of Sarajevo, Abdulah Skaka, Gabrielle Mclntyre on behalf of the President of Mechanism for International Criminal Courts, and the former judge Faust Pocar.
“The establishment of the Information Center and its promotion has a historic importance for both the city of Sarajevo and the state of BiH. This center represents one step closer to the truth and justice, facing the past, and building peace and reconciliation,” stated Mayor Skaka.
The mandate of the Information Center Sarajevo is to provide an up-to-date, direct and safe electronic access to all available files of the Hague Tribunal and archive materials that is contained in the online databases of the ICTY. The Center is placed in the City Hall and it will work as a special organizational unit of the City Administration of the City of Sarajevo. The entire public, as well as researchers, students, the academic community, the media and all interested citizens will have the opportunity to examine the full electronic archive of the Tribunal together with the expert staff of the City Administration.
The attendees were also addressed by Ivo Komsic, the President of the Council of Mayors of the Information Center, who stated that the Center should represent a unique place in this part of Europe where war crimes will be researched from the legal, historical, sociological, philosophical, political and psychological aspect.
“The ICTY was a pioneer institution and the first international court of the modern age, and it proved that responsibility for the tragic events and horrific crimes that happened in the territory of the former Yugoslavia is possible,” stated Gabrielle McLntyre.
The opening ceremony of the Information Center together with the exhibition “The siege of Sarajevo through verdicts of the ICTY” was attended by the high delegation of Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals, which is a legal successor to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), as well as representatives of executive, legislative and judicial authorities in BiH, the international community, as well as members of associations of war crimes victims.
(Source: Sarajevo Times)
