Tag: Bosnia and Herzegovina

BIRN BiH Celebrates 20th Birthday by Unveiling New Look

Friends, donors and partners of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network of Bosnia and Herzegovina attended its 20th birthday party on December 13 – and were shown the new look of the Detektor portal and other new multimedia content that will be available in 2025.

More than 300 guests from all over the region joined BIRN in Bosnia and Herzegovina as it celebrated the first 20 years of its existence.

Friends and partners but also others who have in some way shaped the work of the Detektor team over the past two decades enjoyed remembering key moments in the development of the organisation.

BIRN BiH Executive Director Denis Dzidic expressed pride in the work of the entire organisation and his own satisfaction over having worked for Detektor in various roles over the past 17 years.

“We are ready to welcome the third decade of Detektor’s existence with a new appearance of all our content. I remember the beginnings, when this was a small team, and today I can proudly say that we are a large organisation with an important mission, whose existence, idea and essence are my motive for its even greater growth,” Dzidic said.

Guests were presented with the new look of the Detektor.ba website, as well as the new logo that the organisation will present to the public from the beginning of 2025.

New trailers and jingles for the monthly episodes of Detektor TV and Detektor Magazine were presented, which will be part of the new appearance of the entire organisation.

In addition, a newsletter was presented as a new communication channel through which all Detektor followers will receive a weekly overview of the most important happenings in Bosnia, the region and the world, concerning all investigative pieces, analyses, multimedia, and other content produced by the outlet as well as a publication on journalists’ work so far.

“This year, we presented two documentaries, Samir Mehic Bowie – Letters from Srebrenica and Justice and Truth. Both deal with the topics of memorialization, transitional justice and remembrance, and this is only the beginning because in the near future we will have premieres of many other films with different themes, which we have been preparing for years,” Dzidic announced.

The celebration was an opportunity for newer members of the team to meet those who have made a huge contribution to the existence of BIRN BiH over previous decades.

Nerma Jelacic, one of the founders of the organisation and president of the BIRN BiH Assembly, addressed the audience, expressing her joy about the growth of the organisation over two decades.

“I am glad to see all these people and how much the organisation has grown. I am happy with all the positive steps forward and I am especially grateful to all those who support BIRN’s work, and I hope they will continue to do so in future,” Jelacic said.

BIRN BiH is a non-governmental media organisation based in Sarajevo, specializing in monitoring and reporting on war crimes, corruption and terrorism trials.

BIRN BiH journalists have become a leading source for the public on transitional justice, the rule of law and extremism, as well as on malign foreign influences, cybersecurity, human and digital rights.

Over 20 years, almost 40,000 articles have been published on the Detektor.ba portal. They include numerous investigative pieces and analyses, documentaries, nearly 190 episodes of monthly TV Justice and Detektor Magazine, and more than ten publications and reports.

All content on the Detektor portal, as well as on its social media channels on YouTube, X (Twitter), Facebook and Instagram, is free of charge.

Detektor Doc About Justice in Ukraine and Bosnia Premieres on BIRN Anniversary

Pravda&Pravda explores the pursuit of justice through the eyes of three Ukrainians who served as peacekeepers in Bosnia’s war – before fighting in their own.

On the 20th anniversary of the foundation of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network of Bosnia and Herzegovina, BIRN BiH, a new documentary explores the pursuit of justice in Ukraine, where war is still ongoing, and in Bosnia, three decades since war ended there.

Pravda&Pravda, whose title combines the word justice in Bosnian and truth in Ukrainian, follows the experiences of three Ukrainian peacekeepers who were in Bosnia during the wear there in the 1990s – and are now back in Ukraine, in uniform.

The film can be seen on BIRN BiH YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbRuqYneEZo.

Thirty years ago, the three Ukrainians were part of the United Nations peacekeeping force in Bosnia; they did not expect they would have to don uniforms again in their own country.

After the 1992-5 war ended in Bosnia and Herzegovina, they testified before the Hague war crimes tribunal about their experiences in securing President Alija Izetbegovic’s convoy in Sarajevo and about coming face-to-face with Bosnian Serb commander Ratko Mladic in Zepa later on.

When Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, they had to go to the front line once again.

In the documentary, authored by Denis Dzidic, they talk about how they perceive justice. The film features a Nobel Peace Prize winner, the Chief State Prosecutor for War Crimes in Ukraine, employees of the War Childhood Museums in Sarajevo and Kyiv, as well as other lawyers with experience of transitional justice processes in Bosnia and now Ukraine.

Detektor will release the film on BIRN BiH’s 20th anniversary.

Detektor journalists Nino Bilajac and Enes Hodzic shot the film with Dzidic during their stay in Ukraine in the summer of 2024.

The film editor is Mirza Mokrovic, the music was done by Adnan Musanovic, the cameramen were Serhii Klymenko and Sergii Rozov in Ukraine, and Mirza Mrso and Anes Asotic in Bosnia.

The making of the film was supported by the Belgian foreign ministry.

As part of this project, BIRN BiH has also published a subpage https://tranzicijskapravda.detektor.ba/en/ containing an overview of the most significant successes and failures in transitional justice processes in Bosnia and Herzegovina, along with lessons that Ukraine can draw from them.

Broad Community Engagement is Key to Internet Governance in BiH

Engaging all stakeholders—including governmental and non-governmental organizations, academia, and the media—in the internet governance process is essential for Bosnia and Herzegovina to align its digital regulations with global standards, according to the first panel of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF).

In her introductory remarks at the IGF, Ingrid MacDonald, United Nations Resident Coordinator in BiH, stressed the importance of the country joining the global discussion on internet governance as soon as possible, especially given that these efforts have been initiated by civil society in BiH.

MacDonald warned of the daily risks associated with the digital space, emphasizing the need to recognize these dangers and respond to them adequately. She pointed to disinformation as a serious concern that is threatening human rights and undermining democratic processes worldwide. As examples, she highlighted the targeting of medical professionals during the coronavirus pandemic and the unprecedented levels of misinformation observed during the war in Gaza.

She especially emphasized the need to protect human rights and bolster general security in the digital space, with particular attention to children and other vulnerable groups.

“The protection of children is something that is crucial for BiH as well, to ensure there is safety in the online space and that sexual predators, as well as all others who exploit children and their video content, are stopped,” MacDonald said.

She also referenced the Global Digital Compact, an international framework for the governance of digital technologies and artificial intelligence, which offers unprecedented solutions for safeguarding human rights worldwide.

Dunja Mijatovic, a human rights and new technologies expert, said that the internet is now connecting people like never before, necessitating new approaches to managing this tool effectively.

She emphasized that communities around the world are facing unique challenges in the digital world today, and that only a joint effort from citizens, institutions, and the private sector can contribute to regulating this area.

This is  especially crucial, she added, in BiH, where regulation is lacking and the authorities are not moving towards addressing this important issue. For her, the media thus has a critical role in connecting all societal groups in this process.

“In the context of internet governance, the media has three key roles: to promote responsibility, media literacy, and to clarify local and global perspectives. Although they are often not included in the discussion on governance, it is important for this to change in BiH, but also globally,” Mijatovic added.

Denis Dzidic, Executive Director of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) in BiH, and Darko Brkan, Executive Director of the organization ‘Why Not’, also stressed the growing importance of internet governance issues.  Yet, in BiH, these discussions do not include the whole community, which must change in order for the country to align with global trends and regulate its information space and digital services.

At the first IGF panel, Edin Forto, State Minister of Transport and Communications, said that there was no consensus in BiH on how to govern the internet in any sector, and that building this consensus is the first step that must be taken.

In terms of security, he recalled a cyberattack on the BiH Parliament, when the data was preserved purely by chance, emphasizing that the absence of cybersecurity protocols leaves the entire society vulnerable to threats.

“We could have one serious cyberattack that freezes all processes in our society, and we wouldn’t know how to respond to it,” Forto warned.While acknowledging the revival of efforts to establish a Computer Incident Response Team (CERT) in Bosnian institutions, he also noted that this process had stalled—an apt illustration of the country’s vulnerability to risk.

To resolve these issues, he advocates adopting a new law on electronic communications in accordance with European Union legislation, as well as implementing measures to ensure transparency in media ownership, as the media must be a key partner in designing legal and strategic frameworks for internet governance.

Anja Gengo,  Program Expert at the UN IGF Secretariat, discussed the ongoing process of digital transformation, highlighting the need to effectively manage digital technologies. For her, capacity development is one means of addressing the challenges of the technological revolution, and artificial intelligence is one of the most pressing topics in this conversation.

In the context of BiH, Gengo highlighted both the opportunities presented by technological development and the challenges facing countries in transition, like BiH, in the digitization of private and public services.

“The administration is at the greatest risk. In that sense, this is a call to learn from countries already dealing with these issues,” Gengo said, citing Estonia as a leader in this field.

From a judicial perspective, Arben Murtezic from the Center for Education of Judges and Prosecutors in the Federation of BiH identified many factors beyond regulations and the judiciary that affect internet governance, all of which require sufficient attention.

“This is an area where processes depend very little on the judiciary or even on the legal framework, but instead rely mostly on the general culture in society,” Murtezic added.

He believes that in establishing a framework for internet governance, there must be a focus on combating crime, particularly pertaining to the collection and use of digital evidence. While this evidence can provide a multitude of opportunities, it may also be of questionable credibility.

Fedja Kulenovic, information expert and assistant at the University of Sarajevo Faculty of Philosophy,  concluded the panel by  advocating for dialogue between various stakeholders in the internet governance process and the implementation of different regulations across sectors.

According to Kulenovic, information ethics and information literacy are critical in the conversation about regulating the digital space, and it is important to consider all sectors where capacities need to be strengthened. He argued that the academic community can contribute to this process by bridging the gap between the governmental and non-governmental sectors to ensure the standardization of certain practices as well as assist in infrastructure development and facilitate a better understanding of all concepts crucial for effective internet governance in BiH.

BIRN Holds Conference on Future of Transitional Justice

Speakers in Sarajevo say vital opportunity to put subject back into public discourse created by EU accession talks must not be lost.

The future of transitional justice in Europe lies in putting victims and their needs in focus but also in strengthening the cooperation between key advocates who must use the EU accession talks of countries in the region to put transitional justice back into public discourse, a conference organised by the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network of Bosnia and Herzegovina BIRN BiH on November 15 heard.

During the conference on the future of transitional justice in Europe, which BIRN BiH organised in Sarajevo ahead of the 30th anniversary of the end of the war in Bosnia, participants discussed the problems facing all transitional justice actors in Bosnia but also in Ukraine, where war is still going on.

Yaroslav Simonov, of Ukraine’s embassy in Bosnia, said they had realized that transitional justice was a process coming after the war ends – but it was very important for its institutions to be formed already. For Ukraine, the experiences of Bosnia are important, and they should learn from them that this is a way to heal war traumas and create a healthy society, he said.

He added that Ukraine has already adopted some legal acts and initiatives, but more was needed for a comprehensive system of transitional justice, especially while war is still ongoing in the country.

Alena Lunova, of the Ukrainian ZMINA human rights centre, said they had begun to think about transitional justice already after Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.

For them, the biggest challenge is that a quarter of Ukraine is still occupied, as well as a public discussion on whether Ukraine really needs transitional justice or not.

“Justice comes in many forms but it must not be delayed. We hope that international experiences will help us,” Lunova added.

Dialogue with victims is essential

Bosnia’s experience in this field is one of those that has inspired Ukrainians to start dealing with transitional justice in the middle of the war – although the process of working on the Transitional Justice Strategy in Bosnia is still in its infancy, said Sanela Latic, of Bosnia’s Justice Ministry.

The process of drafting the Strategy was suspended in 2010 due to a blockade from Republika Srpska, Bosnia’s Serb-majority entity. The challenges ahead include establishing a working body with representatives of non-governmental and governmental sectors, launching a range of new activities and the risk of a new blockade.

“We emphasized that there will be as many dialogues, debates and talks as possible, in order to collect inputs from all relevant entities for designing the strategy,” Latic said, adding that the funds for relaunching the process would become operational in 2026.

Transitional justice expert Adrijana Hanusic Becirovic said Bosnia has seen many successes in the field but victims still face numerous difficulties. Conducting dialogue with victims and listening to their needs is a foundation for designing transitional justice policies, she said.

“For victims, justice is getting support of society, seeing that war criminals are not glorified, that judicially established facts are not denied and that places of mass suffering are marked,” Hanusic Becirovic explained.

Ukrainian experts said it was important to encourage cooperation with civil society organisations, as they were potential advocates of solutions that the authorities need to adopt. This is especially important when considering the situation of populations in the occupied territories.

Representatives of victims’ associations also referred to the processes of transitional justice in Bosnia, stating that trust and dialogue were crucial, but that political obstacles had to be removed and that, using the experience of Bosnia, Ukraine would have to overcome obstacles if it wanted to achieve reconciliation.

They reiterated that victims must be at the centre of that process and involved in creating solutions.

‘Dehumanization’ is becoming institutionalized

Sofija Todorovic, of the Youth Initiative for Human Rights, said that dehumanization, along with denial of crimes, was one of the most dangerous processes, and was being institutionalized in Serbia at present.

War criminals and topics from the past were the basis of election campaigns and in that way, Serbian society was trained in one narrative, she noted.

Speaking about global trends in transitional justice, she stated that they did not work in favour of activists, which was why it was time for societies in the region to rely more on domestic forces. “We have to stop relying on the international community and rely on each other, learn to talk, to cooperate,” Todorovic added.

BIRN BiH director Denis Dzidic expressed concern that fighters for transitional justice had become tired, and there was an urgent need not to come to a point where the process is irretrievably lost.

He also believes that the moment when countries from the region are negotiating on EU accession is ideal for additional efforts to be made in this field.

“I don’t say it will be easy, that we will make up for the 30 years lost, but this is the moment to fight with what we have, to insist on some things and to use mechanisms,” Dzidic said, urging civil society also to use the momentum.

Agnes Picod, senior advisor for human rights at the United Nations in Bosnia, said that, in the global trends of the fight for transitional justice, she saw a big problem with disinformation but also in the fact that dialogue and engagement in that topic are neglected, especially by politicians.

“At the heart of the transitional justice process lie the perspectives of victims and survivors, and I think we need to start from that. I think there are very few politicians who listen to victims,” Picod added.

However, she pointed out that there is also hope and that numerous programmes, such as the UN’s Peacebuilding Fund, support certain segments of transitional justice; the fight for a broader human rights framework can ensure the creation of a society that wants to promote truth and justice.

The discussion was concluded by Todorovic and Dzidic, who stated that the transitional justice process must take into account all new factors, such as malign foreign influences, as well as the fact that as countries from the region negotiate on EU accession, it is an opportunity for transitional justice to become part of the public discourse again – but that this time it must not happen behind closed doors.

The conference was organised as part of the project “Strategic Review of Transitional Justice Process through the Media”, which is implemented with the support of the Federal Public Service for Foreign Affairs of Belgium.

BIRN Investigation Wins EU Award for Best Investigative Journalism in Bosnia

Jury members praise probe into massive online pyramid scheme as ‘textbook example of good journalism, saying it ‘reads like a crime novel’.

Detektor journalists Nino Bilajac and freelance Selma Ucanbarlic won First Prize in the European Union’s Award for Investigative Journalism for their work on the pyramid scheme of eMagnetix that cost many people their investments.

Bilajac and Ucanbarlic shared the prize with Aljazeera Balkans journalist Arduana Pribinja, who was awarded for the story, “Female Patients’ Accusations of Sexual Harassment in Zenica Hospital”.

During the investigation, “Dream Jobs Become Nightmares for Bosnians Lured By Hungarian’s Online Pyramid Scam”, which was carried out in cooperation with Raskrinkavanje, Detektor infiltrated the scheme and discovered that its organiser had registered fictitious companies in European countries, one of which is already under investigation for fraud.

The jury composed of Nidzara Ahmetasevic, Ozren Kebo and Dragana Dardic called Detektor’s investigative piece “a rarely well-researched story with numerous international and domestic sources – a textbook example of good journalism”.

“The effort invested in organising and explaining all the facts is obvious, and that effort deserves a reward. The combination of several journalistic genres with an innovative approach makes this article read like a crime novel,” Dardic said at the award ceremony in Sarajevo.

She added that everything was supported by statements, field trips, interviews with lawyers, expert findings, and that the story went beyond the borders of Bosnia, following the suspicious operations of the Hungarian tycoon’s company and revealing how he had deceived hundreds of people.

“We hope that this award will make the story more visible not only to the public but also to journalists in the region, and that we will read more stories done in this way,” Dardic said.

Bilajac said almost the entire organization had worked on realizing the investigation, with he and Ucanbarlic as the final authors, because the investigation’s international character required a lot of time, resources and patience.

“Pyramid schemes are hard to stop but I hope that, following this, research, investigative and security agencies will have a little more motivation to prevent .. this type of fraud – and that all those who think they can make money by doing nothing will finally realize that it is impossible and that … in no way can you earn thousands and thousands by clicking on the Internet,” he said.

Ucanbarlic said the story explained how one of the most massive pyramid schemes in the region had developed.

“This is not just a story about this pyramidal scam; this story warns of the dangers of cybercrime that threaten our communities and citizens every day, and therefore it is really important that we continuously report on this topic and warn our citizens, so that they do not become victims of cybercrime,” she added.

Second Prize was awarded to Dejan Rakita, from Misli o Prirodi portal and Detektor correspondent, for the story, “Trgovska gora: Why and how it was chosen, what exactly is being built there and what dangers it brings us”.

Third Prize was shared between Zurnal journalists Zinaida Djelilovic and Azra Omerovic for the story “International University of Gorazde: Doctor of Dentistry Obtained Degree Even though Faculty Had No Students Enrolled”, and Azhar Kalamujic, a journalist from the Center for Investigative Journalism (CIN), for the research, “Call Beg for Parking”.

EU Ambassador to Bosnia Luigi Soreca said during the award ceremony that journalism without fear and intimidation was the cornerstone of democracy.

“Today I want to honour the courage and dedication of investigative journalists across BiH, especially since journalists are too often the targets of threats,” he said, adding that the EU would continue to insist on the institutional protection of journalists.

Bilajac joined Detektor in 2022 and has received numerous awards, including the Eco Journalist Award for 2022, the EU Award for Investigative Journalism in 2021, as well as the Award for Outstanding Merit in Investigative Journalism in 2018 given by the South East European Media Organization (SEEMO) and the Central European Initiative (CEI).

He was shortlisted in 2017 for the Young Journalist Award given by the Thompson Foundation, and the European Press Prize in 2021.

The EU Award for Investigative Journalism celebrates the best investigative stories produced in the previous calendar year.

It is awarded in all six Western Balkan countries – Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Turkey.

Call for Applications: BIRN BiH training on transitional justice for Ukrainian journalists and editors

The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIRN BiH) is announcing an open call for the training How and Why to Report About Transitional Justice, which will be held in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, from September 16 to September 18, 2024.

As an organization with 20 years of experience in reporting on complex transitional justice topics in post war Bosnia and Herzegovina, we want to share our knowledge and skills related to high-quality reporting on transitional justice issues and other such sensitive topics with journalists in Ukraine who are facing challenging times in their reporting. BIRN BiH is organizing a three-day specialized training for journalists from Ukraine in Sarajevo, the capital of BiH.

We will select 10 experienced journalists and editors who are ready to follow the complex topics and extensive curriculum of the training. The specially-developed curriculum will aim to introduce the journalists to the concept of transitional justice and give insights into the challenges journalists face while covering transitional justice issues, including court reporting.

After the training BIRN BiH journalists will provide mentorship and editorial help to the journalists from Ukraine, who will be tasked with producing a total of four in-depth analyses (individually or in teams) from Ukraine about the ways in which the country plans to deal with each of the four pillars of transitional justice, as well as 10 news/media analyses (at least one piece per journalist/editor). Production of pieces after the training is obligatory for all journalists/editors who attend the training.

The journalists from Ukraine – who will receive comprehensive journalistic training as well as mentorship regarding the production of highly sensitive media content – will develop an in-depth understanding of what lies ahead for Ukrainian society in transitional justice processes as well as how to investigate war crimes, report on war crimes trials, contact and communicate with journalistic sources, conduct interviews with war crime victims, find human angles in the stories, counter disinformation and utilize investigative reporting techniques.

WHEN

The training will take place from September 16 to September 18, 2024. The arrival date is September 15 and the departure date is September 19.

WHO CAN APPLY

  • Mid-career journalists from Ukraine
  • Editors from Ukraine

WHAT WE OFFER

BIRN BiH will fully cover transportation, accommodation and meal costs.

Working language is English.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Interested journalists should send their:

  • CV
  • letter of interest
  • if possible two written pieces related to transitional justice topics (Ukrainian or English language)

DEADLINE

All documents and any additional questions should be sent to Katarina Zrinjski at [email protected] by August 4, 2024.

Draft agenda

TRAINING: How and why to report about transitional justice

Sarajevo, September 15-19, 2024

Day 1, September 15

ARRIVAL DAY

Day 2, September 16

09:00 – 09:30 Introduction session

09:30 – 10:45 What is transitional justice – four pillars

10:45 – 11:00 Coffee break

11:10– 12:30 War crime prosecutions – how to monitor and report from the court

12:30 – 13:30 – Lunch break

13:30 – 14:45 Interviews with war crime victims – practical guidelines

14:45 – 15:30 Truth commissions – how to avoid mistakes from the former truth commissions: case study

15:30 – 15:45 Coffee break

15:45 – 16:45 Missing persons – how to report on missing persons

16:45 – 17:15 Summary and closing remarks

Day 3, September 17

09:00 – 10:00 Reparations – legal framework, focus on victims

10:00 – 11:00 Memorialization – challenges and recommendations

11:00 – 11:15 Coffee break

11:15 – 12:30 Role of media in post war countries

12:30 – 13:30 Lunch break

13:30 – 14:30 Institutional reforms – vetting

14:30 – 15:30 How to fight war crime denial; reporting on hate crimes

15:30 – 15:45 Coffee break

15:45 – 16:45 PTSD – dealing with war trauma

16:45 – 17:15 Summary and closing remarks

Day 4, September 18

Study visits to Srebrenica Memorial Center

Departure at 8am

Visiting exhibits; lecture on oral history; talking with genocide survivals

Day 5, September 19

DEPARTURE DAY

Transitional Justice Vital for Bosnia’s EU Path, Conference Says

Participants agree transitional judice is a priority for the EU and feelings of ‘fatigue’ must not get in the way.

A conference titled “Role of Transitional Justice in Bosnia’s European Path”, organised by the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network of Bosnia and Herzegovina, BIRN BiH, with support of the Belgian embassy, on April 4, put a focus on one of the five key priorities of the European Union, which advocates promoting an environment conducive to reconciliation and overcoming the legacies of the war.

Denis Dzidic, executive director of BIRN BiH, said the fifth priority of the EU should be additionally defined, especially in light of widespread hate speech, revisionism and denial of genocide and other crimes.

“All these things continue to deepen the gap between people and it is simply impossible to talk about other aspects of the European Union accession without making this segment clearer and more precise,” he said.

“For that reason, we wanted to open a discussion with a broad spectrum of people. Today, we have representatives of victims’ associations, who are manifestly living with the consequences of all that, but also representatives of judicial institutions and the international community,” Dzidic added.

He noted that, unfortunately, government representatives did not accept an invitation.

Benjamin Sturtewagen, acting charge d’affaires of the Belgium embassy, said his country had tried to affirm this topic as a priority in the UN Security Council a few years ago.

“Transitional justice is one of the priorities of the EU and that is especially highlighted in a Council of Europe’s decision of two weeks ago. So, this remains one of the focus points of our efforts and our activities. Just like with any other topic that is talked about a lot, public fatigue happens. That has happened with transitional justice too. But given it is the priority of the UN, European Union, BiH and all us actors, we must not let it be forgotten and the fatigue happen,” Sturtewagen said.

Results of an analysis of almost 30 years of work on prosecution of war criminals in Bosnia were presented at the conference by Dzana Brkanic, BIRN BIH deputy editor, and by Emina Dizdarevic Tahmiscija, BIRN BiH journalist.

Speakers included state prosecutor Ivan Matesic, Murat Tahirovic, president of the Association of Victims and Witnesses of Genocide in BiH, Joeri Maas, from the EU Office in BiH, Irma Zulic, political and development advisor at the United Nations in BiH, Mirza Buljubasic, a professor of Criminalistics, Criminology and Security Studies and Agnes Picod, senior human rights advisor at the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in BiH.

The participants concluded that civil society organisations, jointly with associations of victims and with support of the international community, must insist on this matter with the holders of authority.

Kerim Hodzic

Kerim joined Detektor (BIRN BiH) in 2023 as a Social Media Manager. He previously worked in Humanity in Action Bosnia and Herzegovina as a project officer.

His work is closely related to peacebuilding, non-formal education of youth and human rights of minorities in BiH. He was a member of BH Pride March, actively volunteers at ComPass071, a humanitarian organisation and daily centre for people on the move, and he takes part in Youth Movement Revolt as an alumni member. He expresses his creativity through street art murals and art-themed workshops that he does in local communities throughout the country.

Kerim is pursuing his Master’s degree in Marketing Management at the University of Sarajevo, School of Economics and Business, where he previously obtained his Bachelor’s degree. He speaks Bosnian, English, and German.

Handbook on Reporting on Missing Persons in Bosnia Introduced

The handbook ‘Media Reporting on Persons Missing Due to Conflicts in BiH 1992–1995’ was promoted at the Political Sciences Faculty of Sarajevo University.

Standards on reporting on missing persons, which have been established in Bosnia and Herzegovina, may be applied worldwide, said participants in the promotion of “Media Reporting on Persons Missing Due to Conflicts in BiH 1992–1995” Handbook held at the Faculty of Political Sciences of Sarajevo University.

The Handbook on reporting on persons who went missing during the 1992-5 war is a result of cooperation between the International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC, the Missing Persons Institute of Bosnia and Herzegovina, INO BiH, the State Prosecution, Balkan Investigative Reporting Network of Bosnia and Herzegovina, BIRN BiH, as well as women and men journalists from all over the country.

The document, as said during its promotion, is intended to assist all journalists in their work: as an incentive for editors and directors of media outlets to bring these topics back to prime time; as a reminder for professors to offer their students practical examples in addition to theoretical lectures; and also for all students and future reporters and journalists.

It is also intended for victims’ families, so they would know what to expect and what obligations the media has, but also for all others willing to learn more about the missing and how the media covers this topic.

Elmir Camic, Head of the ICRC Delegation to Bosnia, said the Handbook was a very high-quality document, which had met a wide response among his colleagues in the Red Cross all over the world, because the question of the missing also concerns areas of the Middle East, Ukraine, Central Asia and South America.

“I am glad that in BiH we are creating new standards that will be applied worldwide in the process of tracing the missing persons,” Camic said.

He recalled that around 7,600 persons, who disappeared due to the conflict are still being searched for in Bosnia, and that the lack of new and credible information on locations of individual and mass graves poses the biggest obstacle to the search process.

“A very high degree of politicization of the issue contributes to that, setting aside the needs and rights of families of the missing persons and coming down to a cheap accumulation of political points at their expense,” said the Head of the ICRC Delegation to Bosnia.

BIRN BiH executive Director Denis Dzidic expressed satisfaction at the fact that his fellow workers, who had been reporting on the missing as one of the segments of transitional justice for years, had a chance to draw up the Handbook to serve as a road map not only to journalists in our country, but also worldwide.

“Last week, a Detektor and Balkan Investigative Reporting Network team went to Ukraine, where we trained a group of journalists on how to report on transitional justice processes and we had a chance to introduce this same Handbook to them. There is a huge interest because journalists around the world lack the experience which Bosnian journalists have in reporting on this topic,” Dzidic said.

INO BiH spokeswoman Emza Fazlic said the Handbook was a leap forward when it comes to reporting on missing persons due to the sensitivity of the topic and its importance in society.

“Regardless of the passage of time and the fact that the families are searching for their missing members for 30 years, many stories have already been told, but, unfortunately, many still remain to be told. Only by covering this topic in the media will the process be accelerated in a certain way,” Fazlic said.

She added that the issue of missing persons falls also within the 14 priorities set for Bosnia on its road to joining the European Union.

Lejla Turcilo, a professor at the Sarajevo Faculty of Political Sciences, also expressed satisfaction that such content could be included in faculty curricula, because it was important to develop responsibility and sensitivity for reporting at the Department of Communication Studies / Journalism, and for journalists to begin their journalistic practice as prepared as possible.

“The Faculty of Political Sciences of the Sarajevo University truly seeks to enrich with practical experience what we teach our students in theory, and this is a good opportunity for our male and female students to hear and get first-hand material from which they will learn on how to report on this important but also very sensitive topic,” Turcilo explained.

During the promotion of the Handbook, which she developed jointly with her fellow worker Lamija Grebo, BIRN BiH journalist Emina Dizdarevic Tahmiscija said the objectives were primarily to save stories from oblivion, but also to leave a trace so those who once lived and were now considered missing could be talked about.

“With this Handbook, we can significantly impact the conscience of people who potentially know the locations of mass graves, so they would reveal their whereabouts. Likewise, it will help journalists achieve communication with families of the missing,” Dizdarevic Tahmiscija said.

As part of the promotion, an expert panel was held on the importance of reporting on missing persons in Bosnia, at which participants presented information on problems and shortcomings facing INO BiH staff members, challenges facing journalists and the fact that a high percentage of families of the missing have expressed dissatisfaction with the reporting on these issues.

The Handbook is available here.

BIRN BiH Presents ‘Verdict against Stanisic and Simatovic’ Digital Narrative

The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network of Bosnia and Herzegovina presented a multimedia research into Serbia’s role in the Bosnian war through international tribunal verdicts – with reference to the verdict against former Serbia State Security officials Jovica Stanisic and Franko Simatovic.

BIRN BiH Deputy Editor Dzana Brkanic pointed out in her opening remarks, that, besides presenting a digital narrative, the conference held in Sarajevo also aimed to start a discussion on whether there were potential implications for Serbia in the verdict – such as the possibility of payment of compensation to victims, and how facts from the verdict could be used to face the past and future processes.

“The page we are presenting today will also remain as an excellent source of facts for future students and researchers but also as a tool for combatting crime denial and glorification of criminals,” Brkanic said, recalling the tough and long-term journalistic work on the character of the conflict in the country through international verdicts.

Journalist and author of the research on “Serbia’s Role in the War – A Jigsaw Puzzle Through Court Verdicts” Haris Rovcanin, said that the initial Hague verdicts had addressed the question of whether the war in Bosnia was a conflict of international or internal character, primarily due to the role of the Yugoslav National Army, JNA, and its participation in the war.

“Some chambers determined that the war was of international character up until mid-May 1992, but only in a certain area, while some determined that it was of international character throughout the period covered by a specific indictment, usually the entire 1992,” he noted.

All the chambers determined, and it was not disputed by parties to the proceedings, that an armed conflict existed and that the crimes committed were related to that conflict, Rovcanin said.

During the research, Rovcanin spoke to victims who expressed readiness to sue Serbia for reparations should an opportunity arise, for the sake of the truth and future generations, also saying that while no verdict or punishment can bring back their loved ones, this type of satisfaction would suffice.

Klaus Hoffmann, prosecutor in the Stanisic and Simatovic case, who only spoke in a private capacity at the conference, stated that the final verdict against the former leaders of Serbia’s State Security Service was of great importance, as the two men are the only Serbian state officials convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Bosnia and Croatia during the wars that followed the collapse of Yugoslavia.

Although dissatisfied with the level of the prison sentences, Hoffmann determining the role of Stanisic and Simatovic in crimes was of extreme importance.

As he explained, the State Security Service of Serbia, under the leadership of its former head, Stanisic, played a crucial role in the wars in Croatia and Bosnia.

He added that the State Security Service was directly or indirectly heavily involved in the formation of Serbian units in both countries, in the training and equipment of those units, as well as their financing and coordination.

“Evidence has shown that there was an overall plan and a system to set up training camps and to install Serbian units in the targeted areas to become part of Greater Serbia and to expel non-Serbs from these areas. These units were made up of local Serbs, but always trained, equipped and led by members of the Serbian State Security, or at least on its behalf,” said Hoffmann.

He recalled that this included special units such as the infamous Scorpions, the Red Berets and Arkan’s Tigers, as well as units directly led by Simatovic, so-called Frenki’s Men.

In Hoffmann’s opinion, much of the war and many of the crimes would have not been possible without the support and contribution of the State Security of Serbia. It all followed an overall plan to create a “Greater Serbia”, which was shared by the two accused and other key players in Serbia.

He also reflected on the definition of the conflict, pointing out that the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia, ICTY, was not per se a truth commission, to present a full historical record. But he said it was important to understand that many of the early verdicts of the ICTY rendered findings on the existence of the armed conflict and its nature, as well as regarding general historical and political facts.

“In the present case, the evidence therefore did not focus on the nature of the armed conflict but rather on the personal role and contributions of the two accused with regard to the specific crimes as indicted. There was no dispute about the existence of an armed conflict as such. There was also no real dispute about some of the crimes committed in various locations in the two countries,” he said.

The core challenge for the Prosecution in this case, according to Hoffman, was to show that both accused were personally liable for those crimes, although no one ever alleged that either of the accused personally killed any of the civilian victims or committed any of the charged crimes on the ground.

“The fact that the Appeals Chamber after the retrial finally confirmed the charges and the personal responsibility of the two accused as perpetrators shows that the Prosecution team after all was successful in its work over many years,” he said.

As part of the conference, a panel discussion on “What next? – Potential implications of the verdict and impact on facing the past” was held.

This identified the fact that one of Serbian officials was convicted of participating in a joint criminal enterprise aimed at removing the non-Serb population from parts of Bosnia and Croatia as one of the most important facts of this verdict.

Nenad Golcevski, of the Serbian Fund for Humanitarian Law, said the verdict demonstrates the most direct possible connection of Serbia with the war, but also the social importance.

“The conclusion on the character was secondary for the Chamber, but for us it is equally important as the role of Serbia,” he said.

Golcevski pointed out that the facts about Serbia’s involvement in the wars can no longer be disputed, adding that silence had reigned in Serbia after this verdict.

“Not a single official from Serbia said a word about this verdict. That is Serbia’s reaction,” he said, adding that Serbia stopped for a moment only when a video of the Scorpios was published.

He also reflected on the possibility of reparation, stating that victims have the right to compensation because Serbian law recognizes the verdicts of international courts, but that such verdicts must also contain their names.

As he noted, the final verdict against Stanisic and Simatovic named one victim only.

“The Serbian prosecution should prosecute lower ranked perpetrators and then it will be possible to name victims and seek compensation,” he said. He added that this could be done either through criminal or civil proceedings. Civil proceedings are much more exhausting for victims, however, as they must go through traumas again.

Sarajevo-based attorney Sabina Mehic highlighted that the verdict was important both from the social and legal aspect, and that it could contribute to case law for using certain standards.

“It is significant from the aspect of involvement of officials from Serbia in a joint criminal enterprise and units that directly committed crimes,” she said.

She added that the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina should put more focus on compensation for non-material damage.

A video of Berizeta Pitarevic, sister of Sidik Salkic, one of the six men from Srebrenica killed in Godinjske Bare, was played at the panel discussion.

BIRN BiH has analyzed how verdicts delivered by the ITYCY and International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, as well as International Court of Justice, defined the character of the war in Bosnia with reference to the verdict against Stanisic and Simatovic.

Stanisic and Simatovic were found responsible for participating in a joint criminal enterprise and crimes committed in Bijeljina, Zvornik, Bosanski Samac, Doboj and Sanski Most, as well as murders of men from Srebrenica near Trnovo in BiH and on mount Dalj in Croatia.

The verdict also showed the role of Serbia in the war, which is of particular importance as different narratives about the war in Bosnia have co-existed for three decades.

The Global Initiative for Justice, Truth and Reconciliation supported this research and project.

You can find the multimedia page on this link.