The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) has filed, and the Court of BiH has confirmed this, the first indictment for glorifying war criminals. The application of the provisions of high representatives embedded into the Criminal Code of BiH, prohibiting the denial of genocide, has finally begun.
Vojin Pavlovic from Bratunac, president of the Eastern Alternative Association and former councilor in the Bratunac Municipality Assembly, is accused of glorifying Ratko Mladic, a legally convicted war criminal, by displaying banners in March of last year.
“In the above-mentioned manner, the accused caused disturbance and fear among the majority of residents in the area who saw the displayed banner, especially among the returnee population who suffered severe consequences in the past war,” said Boris Grubesic, spokesman for the BiH Prosecutor’s Office.
Vojin Pavlovic is well known to returnees in Bratunac and Srebrenica. Among other things, he proposed to erect a memorial bust to the controversial Austrian writer Peter Handke. On several occasions, he put up posters of Vladimir Putin. Because of the posters with the image of Ratko Mladic, he was charged. Various reports were filed against him several times. However, since our country did not have a law prohibiting genocide denial, he could not be held responsible for glorifying individuals convicted of genocide. Thanks to the changes to the Criminal Code, which were imposed by the former High Representative Valentin Inzko, Pavlovic should soon face charges. Genocide victims’ associations welcome the fact that the law is finally being applied, stressing that the judiciary must not stop at one indictment.
“If this is proven, it will be much easier in the coming period to bring charges for denial against those who are the most complacent about the situation in BiH, and who abuse it on a daily basis, such as Milorad Dodik and others,” points out Murat Tahirovic, president of the Association of Genocide Victims and Witnesses.
Fikret Bacic, president of the Association of Parents of Murdered Children of Prijedor, believes that the Court and the Prosecutor’s Office are going in the opposite direction: “Instead of prosecuting politicians who deny and glorify war criminals, deny genocide, they start with ordinary citizens.”
There is no shortage of criminal reports based on Inzko’s law in the drawers of the state prosecutor’s office. Denial of genocide and glorification of war criminals is witnessed daily. But, as usual in our country, it always starts from the tail. The crucial question is whether the head will also be addressed in due course.
“What happened must not be erased, must not be insulted, must not be forgotten. Let the courts do their job, and let the people come to their senses,” said Kada Hotic, vice president of the Association “Movement of Mothers of Srebrenica and Zepa Enclaves”.
There is no shortage of criminal charges based on Inzko’s Law in the state prosecutor’s office. We witness the denial of genocide and the glorification of war criminals every day. But as it usually happens in our country, it always starts from the tail. The key question is, will and when will it be the head’s turn?, Federalna writes.
