The Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina (PABiH) recently adopted amendments to the Law on the Ombudsman for Human Rights, which refer to the expansion of jurisdiction through the introduction of a preventive mechanism.
The amendments to the law specified the obligation to hold regular and thematic consultations with representatives of civil society organizations, international organizations, independent experts, and the academic community, as well as the financial independence of the Ombudsman of BiH.
“In accordance with the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, it is prescribed to carry out the activities of the preventive mechanism for preventing torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading, and treatment or punishment in BiH,” explained the Institution of the Ombudsman of BiH.
It is envisaged that the Institution of the Ombudsperson, which deals with human rights, will provide recommendations for the competent authorities in BiH in order to improve the treatment of arrested persons and ensure the necessary conditions in which they are found.
The institution is also responsible for providing proposals and comments on laws and other regulations for the protection and improvement of human rights and freedoms of arrested persons and cooperation with the United Nations (UN) Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
In the end, they concluded that the financial independence of the ombudsman of BiH is also a novelty and that it includes the functional independence of the ombudsman of BiH and its functioning without additional conditions.
