The Minister of Justice in B&H Josip Grubesa said yesterday in East Ilidza that the construction of the prison of B&H should be terminated within the planned timeframe, by the end of August next year, and emphasized that it will be the first detention facility in B&H to meet the highest European standards for the accommodation of convicts.
Grubesa pointed out that the construction of the prison of B&H is one of the significant activities in the process of the reform of judiciary in B&H, which also includes the reform of criminal sanctions execution system, and especially the adjustment of the domestic judiciary to the best world practices, which is a part of obligations from the Stabilization and Association Process with the EU.
“This project of the construction of the Institute for the execution of criminal sanctions, detention, and other measures, was initiated in order to build a correctional institution with high degree of security for 348 prisoners to whom a verdict is imposed before the Court of B&H”, said Grubesa during the presentation of the realization of the project of the construction of prison in B&H at the locality of Naklo in Vojkovici, Municipality East Ilidza.
Special Representative of the EU to B&H Lars-Gunnar Wigemark pointed out that this prison, in a broader context, should be a “symbol of the rule of law in B&H and an important element on its path towards the EU”.
“This prison will have an important role in the process of reconciliation among the peoples after the war, as well as for the stabilization of general circumstances in B&H”, said Wigemark, who is also the Head of EU Delegation in B&H.
Wigemark reminded of the words of the Russian writer Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky, who emphasized that the degree of civilization of society can be measured by its prisons.
According to Wigemark, this facility will have a high degree of safety in accordance with the highest European standards and with full acknowledgement of the human right of prisoners, who will be sentenced for the most serious crimes such as war crimes, organized crime, terrorism, and corruption.
“In one word, the level of safety for all the citizens of B&H will be improved”, Wigemark pointed out.
The Director of the Project realization unit Zoran Basic has presented in detail the so-far course of the construction of prison, pointing out that half of the work has been done and that the construction works are being executed according to the planned dynamics.
According to Basic, the construction of the prison of B&H was funded with a loan by the Development Bank of the Council of Europe in the amount of 19.3 million EUR, B&H invested 6.45 million EUR, donations by the EU amounting to 9.15 million EUR, technical assistance of the European Commission 1.7 million EUR, donation of Sweden in the amount of two million EUR, and 1.1 million US Dollars donated by the Government of the USA for the training of prison staff.
(Source: klix.ba/ photo rtvbn)
