Latest News from Bosnia and Herzegovina

Ratko Mladic Calls for New Postponement of Appeal Hearings

Former Bosnian Serb military commander Ratko Mladic's defence lawyers have requested that appeals hearings scheduled for June 16 and 17 at the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals in The Hague be postponed because of restrictions on cross-border movement imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Bosnia’s Long Search for Wartime Missing Persons in Croatia

According to the Bosnian Missing Persons Institute, 102 Bosnian citizens, including Andrea Beganovic, were reported missing in neighbouring Croatia as a result of the war in the 1990s.

"Out of that number, 46 victims have been found, exhumed and identified so far, while the search for 56 people continues," said Missing Persons Institute spokesperson Emza Fazlic.

Bosnian Serb Chief Shrugs Off Illegal Wiretapping Charges

Bosnian state presidency member Milorad Dodik on Thursday dismissed illegal wiretapping charges filed by Bosnian Serb opposition parties and human rights groups as a joke.

Government of Bulgaria Grants Financial Assistance to Western Balkans and Vietnam

The government of Bulgaria approved the granting of EUR 112,000 of financial assistance to the countries of the Western Balkans and Vietnam.

The money is for coping with the consequences of Covid-19 and will be used for the implementation of 6 projects in fulfillment of the Team Europe initiative - the global EU response to Covid-19.

Bosnia Probes Alleged Scam Over Visas for Pakistan Citizens

The Bosnian State Prosecutor's Office is investigating a report from the State Border Police about the allegedly illegal issue of visas for thousands of citizens of Pakistan, Boris Grupesic, a spokesman for the Prosecutor's Office, confirmed to BIRN.

WWII Commemoration Dispute Shows Balkan Weaknesses and Strengths

Some also noted that this controversial issue might have been deliberately politicised and used to fuel party campaigns ahead of elections that will be taking place across the region in the coming months. Croatia and Serbia are to hold general elections at the end of June while Bosnia is scheduled to have local elections in October.

"Grenel speeds up agreement, demanding Kosovo issue to be resolved by September"

Focusing less on the content of the text, Grenell expressed expectation that an agreement between the two sides should be reached by September.

Bosnian Streets and Squares Named After War Criminals

These are just a few examples of respectful tributes that have been paid to war crimes defendants and convicts in public spaces in Bosnia and Herzegovina over the past few years.

Migrants Trapped in Balkan Camps Find Ramadan a Trial

After making several unsuccessful attempts to cross the Croatian border into the EU, his odyssey remains unfinished.

Meanwhile, he is spending the holy month in a camp that he cannot leave at all now due to the movement restrictions imposed in Bosnia because of the coronavirus.

IOM says it is doing its best:

Political Rows and Pandemic Overshadow Bosnia Local Elections

Bosnia has scheduled local polls for October, but the coronavirus pandemic and a fierce political battle over the election commission all hang over the vote - which is unlikely to produce big changes.

No Quarantine for Bulgarians in Need of Medical Treatment in Turkey

From May 20, 2020, Turkey will freely allow all Bulgarian citizens in need of treatment in Turkish hospitals to come in the country with up to two escorts without being placed under a 14-day quarantine. We were informed about this by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey with a note sent to our embassy in Ankara.