The president of the Association of Independent Intellectuals “Krug 99” Adil Kulenović said on Thursday, at a protest organized opposite the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, that the participants of the protest are demanding the appointment of a new High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, because they believe that the current one, Christian Schmidt, is not acting in the interest of the state BiH.
Slaven Kovačević, appellant before the European Court of Human Rights, as one of the participants in the protest of intellectuals and other public figures in front of the OHR, thanked the gathered citizens, emphasizing that his address to the European Court was not a personal fight for Bosnia and Herzegovina, but that he was an exponent of like-minded people whose the goals are also a modern and democratic state.
“No one can scare me. I will go to the end and I will not give up, because of you. We will win, I want to assure you,” Kovačević also said in an address to the participants of the protest regarding the fact that Schmidt, at his personal request, will testify in the “Kovačević” court case before the European Court for human rights in Strasbourg.
According to Kovačević, there are two visions of Bosnia and Herzegovina – one, civic, in which there is room for everyone, and the other, “whose exponent is Schmidt, who wants a country where there is no room for everyone”.
Kovačević also said that Schmidt is the only former high representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina during whose mandate three incredible events took place – the most civil protests in front of the OHR, exceptional bias and efforts to protect the system created during the genocide, and, according to Kovačević’s further statements, Schmidt succeeded in lowering the reputation of the international community.
The organizers of today’s public press conference and protest in front of the Office of the High Representative announced the participation of more than 50 intellectuals and public figures, including those from “Circle 99”.
The public press conference was held as a sign of protest due to the persistent anti-Bosnian, anti-European and anti-democratic actions of High Representative Christian Schmidt, it was stated in the press release on the eve of this event signed by Adil Kulenović on behalf of the organizer.
“The intention of the high representative is to abuse the authority of this important institution of the international community for Bosnia and Herzegovina in order to invalidate the upcoming final verdict in the “Kovačević” case after six judgments of the European Court of Human Rights. Convinced that this act is blocking the construction of a European, modern the Bosnian state and the restoration of traditional values of common life and a non-conflict society, we call on all patriots for political unity”, was also highlighted in the explanation of the protest, Fena news agency writes.
