HRW: RS authorities to condemn threats

The RS authorities must publicly condemn threats against human rights activist Branko Todorovic and his family, says HRW. In a statement, Human Rights Watch (HRW) says that the staff of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in the Republic of Srpska (RS), led by Todorovic, received several phone threats on July 23. The police launched an investigation, and put Todorovic and his family under police protection HRW: RS authorities to condemn threats "The RS authorities should ensure the safety of human rights activists. It’s a good thing that the police placed Todorovic under protection, but RS Prime Minister Milorad Dodik should also publicly support the work of the NGO sector and condemn the threats,” says Wanda Troszczynska-van Genderen, HRW researcher for the Western Balkans. The staff of the Helsinki Committee told HRW that recent threats to Todorovic might be a result of his work connected to investigations into war crimes. Todorovic is a firm critic of the sluggishness in prosecuting alleged war criminals in the RS. He and his organization have been actively working on ascertaining responsibility for crimes committed during the war, especially in Bijeljina, where the Helsinki Committee’s head office in the RS is located. They have accused the RS authorities of not investigating these crimes sufficiently or prosecuting suspects. Dusko Kondor, co-founder of the RS Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, was murdered in an armed assault that also left his daughter seriously injured. Even though it seemed, at the time, that the assault had nothing to do with Kondor’s work, his colleagues accused the police of not responding to his numerous appeals for police protection after he received a number of threats, HRW say. The statement reads that the RS Helsinki Committee for Human Rights is not the only NGO that is being pressured in the Bosnian entity. Transparency International for Bosnia-Herzegovina temporarily shut down its office in Banja Luka, because, according to International High Representative for Bosnia Miroslav Lajcak, the RS authorities led a “propaganda campaign” against the organization. Dodik accused Transparency International of racketeering and extortion, and offered full protection to citizens who offered information on alleged embezzlement, the statement said. Dragomir Babic, a human rights activist in the RS, sent an unsigned letter to the Office of the High Representative in February, setting forth all the details of the RS authorities’ plan to stage the campaign against Transparency International. After the office was shut down in July, it was revealed that he had written the letter, since when he has received anonymous death threats on several occasions.

HRW: RS authorities to condemn threats

"The RS authorities should ensure the safety of human rights activists. It’s a good thing that the police placed Todorović under protection, but RS Prime Minister Milorad Dodik should also publicly support the work of the NGO sector and condemn the threats,” says Wanda Troszczynska-van Genderen, HRW researcher for the Western Balkans.

The staff of the Helsinki Committee told HRW that recent threats to Todorović might be a result of his work connected to investigations into war crimes.

Todorović is a firm critic of the sluggishness in prosecuting alleged war criminals in the RS. He and his organization have been actively working on ascertaining responsibility for crimes committed during the war, especially in Bijeljina, where the Helsinki Committee’s head office in the RS is located.

They have accused the RS authorities of not investigating these crimes sufficiently or prosecuting suspects.

Duško Kondor, co-founder of the RS Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, was murdered in an armed assault that also left his daughter seriously injured.

Even though it seemed, at the time, that the assault had nothing to do with Kondor’s work, his colleagues accused the police of not responding to his numerous appeals for police protection after he received a number of threats, HRW say.

The statement reads that the RS Helsinki Committee for Human Rights is not the only NGO that is being pressured in the Bosnian entity.

Transparency International for Bosnia-Herzegovina temporarily shut down its office in Banja Luka, because, according to International High Representative for Bosnia Miroslav Lajčak, the RS authorities led a “propaganda campaign” against the organization.

Dodik accused Transparency International of racketeering and extortion, and offered full protection to citizens who offered information on alleged embezzlement, the statement said.

Dragomir Babić, a human rights activist in the RS, sent an unsigned letter to the Office of the High Representative in February, setting forth all the details of the RS authorities’ plan to stage the campaign against Transparency International.

After the office was shut down in July, it was revealed that he had written the letter, since when he has received anonymous death threats on several occasions.