Latest News from Bosnia and Herzegovina
Iran Denies General Planned Terror Attacks in Bosnia
Claims that the late Iranian General Qasem Soleimani planned a terrorist attack in Bosnia and Herzegovina were "baseless allegations" against "the hero of the fight against terrorism and the symbol of victory over Islamic State," the Iranian embassy in Sarajevo stated in a press release.
Human Rights Progress Faltering in South and Central Europe: HRW
The latest report from Human Rights Watch, published on Tuesday evening, says that discrimination and violence against minorities, domestic violence, pressure on media and problems with dealing with the wartime past continued to be major issues for Balkan states and Central Europe last year.
Serbia Tries Bosnian Serb Ex-Fighter for Wartime Rape
The trial of Dalibor Krstovic, a Bosnian Serb fighter during the Bosnian war who is charged with raping a Bosniak woman in the town of Kalinovik in August 1992, started on Monday at the Higher Court in Belgrade.
Bosnian Capital Chokes “In Own Category” of Air Pollution
The Swedish embassy to Bosnia, a long-time advocate of tougher air pollution action in the country, tweeted that Sarajevo was "in a category of its own" as the air pollution levels on Saturday were so high that categorizing the health hazard level made no sense. It called for urgent action.
Time for Policy Change on Western Balkans Emigration
See also: Brain Drain: Will the Last Doctor in Kosovo Turn Out the Lights?
The National Medical Council of Serbia annually issues around 800 certificates needed by doctors when applying for jobs abroad. In Kosovo and Bosnia, national medical workers' associations report that hundreds of highly qualified doctors leave each year.
Two Bosnian Courts Reject Ban on Serb Chetnik Associations
Courts in the towns of Doboj and Sokolac have rejected requests to ban 16 associations whose titles contain the words 'Chetnik Movement' or 'Ravna Gora Movement', while three more courts in Bosnia's Serb-majority Republika Srpska entity are still considering requests to ban the associations, BIRN has learned.
Bosnian Serbs celebrate Statehood Day defying court ban
Bosnian Serbs on Jan. 9 held celebrations to mark the anniversary of the founding of the small entity -- Republika Srpska -- in defiance of Bosnia's top court ruling.
A parade in northern Banja Luka city -- de facto capital of the entity -- started the celebrations, which was supported by the senior members of the Republika Srpska government.
Culture of Denial: Why So Few War Criminals Feel Guilty
The denial of war-related responsibility remains prevalent throughout the former Yugoslavia, and some of those who have denied their guilt are treated as heroes in their home countries.
"Someone who admits to his guilt is [seen as] a traitor," said Dusko Tomic, a lawyer from Sarajevo who has defended people accused of war crimes.
Bosnian Serbs Mark ‘Illegal’ Holiday With Grand Parade
More than 2,400 participants took part on Thursday in celebrating the disputed Day of Republika Srpska, ignoring condemnation from Bosniak leaders and a ban imposed by the country's Constitutional Court.
Bosnia’s Courts Convict More Migrant Smugglers
More than 90 per cent of judgments were pronounced on the basis of plea agreements. Sanctions ranged from conditional sentences to three years in prison. Ancillary penalties of several dozen thousands euros were also imposed and the proceeds of migrant smuggling worth over 10,000 euros were seized, along with several vehicles used to execute the crimes.
Newspaper Helps Keep Turkey’s Bosniak Diaspora Alive
Huseyin Agovic and his friends in Istanbul's so-called 'Bosniak ghetto' publish Turkey's only Bosniak diaspora newspaper - so helping to preserve its identity and the connections between Bosnia, Sandzak and Turkey.
Bosnian Court Upholds Policemen’s War Crimes Acquittal
The appeals chamber of the Bosnian state court has upheld the first-instance verdict acquitting ex-policemen Jadranko Saran, Samir Sabic and Zijad Kadic of wartime crimes against civilians and prisoners of war, one of the men's lawyers told BIRN on Wednesday.
Bosnian Croat Hague Tribunal Convict to be Buried
Drago Josipovic, who served a sentence for his participation in an attack on the village of Ahmici in April 1993 in which over 100 Bosniaks were killed, was due to be buried on Monday afternoon at a Catholic cemetery in Vitez in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Josipovic died on Saturday at the age of 65.
Bosnian Train Massacre Trial: Witnesses Find Convenient Scapegoat
The first year of the trial in Belgrade for the abduction and killing of 20 passengers from a train at Strpci station in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the war in 1993 has heard testimony from relatives of the victims, other passengers, policemen, Bosnian Serb Army soldiers and the defendants themselves, as a fuller picture of the crime more than 26 years ago began to emerge.
Croatians to Elect New President in Sunday Run-off
Croatian citizens on Sunday vote in the second round of the presidential election, which pits the incumbent conservative, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, against the Social Democratic former prime minister Zoran Milanovic.