The Government of the Republika Srpska (RS) has provided 500.000 BAM in aid to the families of those accused of war crimes, said Danijel Egic, Minister of Labor, War Veterans and Disabled Persons’ Protection in this entity, on Thursday.
Minister Egic said that in this way, regardless of the response of the institutions, funds would be provided for legal aid to persons who were arrested and accused, but not for those who were convicted. He notes that the money has already been forwarded to the Veterans Organization, which will distribute it further.
“It’s not a lot of money and it is not enough. I said my personal proposal and let it be my personal burden, to establish a fund, regardless of the institutions, so that we soldiers can help ourselves. We have 200.000 soldiers who receive a monthly veteran’s compensation. If they were to take one BAM, that’s 200.000 BAM to be poured into that fund,” Egic emphasized.
Moreover, he stated that someone who is accused has to go to Sarajevo several times a week, his employment is terminated, and the families live in unsatisfactory conditions.
Egic also appealed that the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) and the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) do not, as he said, arrest war crimes defendants in a theatrical manner, as was the case recently in Bijeljina and Zvornik.
“Why is SIPA harassing these people? They are only accused. In 99 percent of cases, these people respond to these indictments and court summons. We had certain problems with people to explain to them, we had a big revolt of people. Anything and everything can happen here (…) Those people are already stigmatized because of this way of working of the Court and Prosecutor’s Office of BiH,” Egic noted and added that there is no same treatment when it comes to the treatment of those accused of war crimes.
The Veterans’ Organization of RS (BORS) says that the funds were provided by the office of the President of RS. BORS President Radan Ostojic said that he is currently signing orders for aid payments to accused persons.
“The payout is made linearly, the number of payouts is as many people as there are. It is a one-time financial aid, based on the requests we received. We came into contact through our municipal and city veterans’ organizations with the persons who are in the process, that is, against whom indictments have been brought. There are 177 such persons,” said Ostojic, who also states that the defendants’ expenses for lawyers, going to hearings and other things are very high.
According to him, much larger funds are needed to help the accused.
“What we at BORS and in other organizations demand – that this issue be raised to the level of institutions and that institutions take care of it. So far, everyone has managed in their own way. (…) There should be a foundation to help these people, but not only them but also other people who are socially threatened”, Ostojic added.
The Government’s support for the accused does not surprise victims’ associations.
“This is in practice as it has been until now. The Government of the RS supported those who were tried in The Hague before. All I can say is that crime is supported, that crime is not punished, and because of that we cannot be indifferent to it,” stated Ahmet Grahic, president of the Association of Families of Prisoners and Missing Persons in Zvornik Municipality, noting that he personally condemns all crimes, regardless of who the perpetrator is, Detektor writes.
E.Dz.
