Maria Zakharova, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, commented on the decision of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Valentin Inzko, on banning the denial of genocide in BiH and the glorification of criminals.
“We are deeply outraged by the extremely unacceptable interference of Valentin Inzko, the High Representative in BiH who will soon leave this function, when it comes to the internal affairs of this sovereign and independent European state,” Zakharova stated.
Also, she added that his decision to amend the Criminal Code of BiH in the part that is criminalizing the denial of certain crimes – “is nothing but an obvious abuse of power” and a direct violation of the agreement of the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) to transfer all responsibility to Bosnian side.
”Valentin Inzko’s ‘illegal actions’ contradict his Dayton mandate as an impartial and objective mediator, ” she noted.
“The Russian Federation, as a guarantor of the Peace Agreement and a member of the PIC Steering Board, sees this as an open attack on the sovereignty of BiH, its constitutional order, and powers. We are convinced that changes in legislation in a democratic and legal state, which is BiH without any suspicions, are implemented through the established parliamentary procedure, and not by the move of a foreign citizen,” it was stated in the announcement that was published on the official Facebook page of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
As she said, “such irresponsible amateurism of Inzko causes an unprecedented internal political crisis.”
“Interethnic dialogue and all the achievements of the post-conflict period are at stake. The wave of outrage which isalready rising in BiH can only meet understanding. Unfortunately, Inzko did not learn a lesson from the situation in 2015, when an attempt to make the draft resolution through the Security Council of the United Nations (UN) failed. The High Representative’s decision cannot have legal consequences. The role of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH in the law-making process can be underestimated, replaced, or ignored. The fate of BiH is only in the hands of its peoples, and the High Representative is finally and irreversibly discredited now,” said Zakharova.
She concluded that this event “clearly confirms the justification of Russia’s consistent position in favor of closing this institution of external control, which only creates issues and undermines peace and stability in the country.”, Klix.ba writes.
E.Dz.
