Bosnia blasts Serbian war crimes court

Bosnian Foreign Minister Bariša Čolak has Friday strongly criticized Serbia’s War Crimes Chamber.

Izvor: B92

Saturday, 08.09.2007.

11:53

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Bosnian Foreign Minister Barisa Colak has Friday strongly criticized Serbia’s War Crimes Chamber. He said it was “unacceptable and illegal” that the Chamber dispatched subpoenas to Bosnian citizens directly, calling for their testimonies in a case known as the Tuzla Column. Bosnia blasts Serbian war crimes court Colak announced he would send a letter of protest and warning to the Foreign Ministry, pointing to a direct violation of not only the interstate agreement between Bosnia and Serbia on providing legal assistance, but the European convention on mutual assistance in criminal matters as well. “My letter will not seek to bring tensions to our relations. Quite the contrary, our goal is to make our relations better, but for that to happen, similar incidents cannot be repeated,” he told Sarajevo daily Dnevni Avaz on Friday. According to Colak, the agreement and the convention compelled the Serbian side to collaborate with Bosnia’s Justice Ministry. The Convention stipulates that subpoenas should be forwarded to a competent court in the other state that will arrange their delivery. “It is forbidden to directly summon witnesses. The subpoenas from Belgrade contained sanctions in the event of a witness refusing to comply and take the stand, which could not have happened, even though these sanctions have no legal bearing in Bosnia,” he explained. Asked how the judiciary in Belgrade obtained the addresses of Bosnian citizens listed as witnesses, Colak replied that apart from speculation, he could not give a concrete answer, leaving the issue to Bosnia’s security and judicial systems. The Tuzla Column is a case that seeks to bring to justice those responsible for the deaths of over 200 JNA troops, who were in 1992 withdrawing from that Bosnian town under a previously signed agreement, when they came under fire from an ambush.

Bosnia blasts Serbian war crimes court

Čolak announced he would send a letter of protest and warning to the Foreign Ministry, pointing to a direct violation of not only the interstate agreement between Bosnia and Serbia on providing legal assistance, but the European convention on mutual assistance in criminal matters as well.

“My letter will not seek to bring tensions to our relations. Quite the contrary, our goal is to make our relations better, but for that to happen, similar incidents cannot be repeated,” he told Sarajevo daily Dnevni Avaz on Friday.

According to Čolak, the agreement and the convention compelled the Serbian side to collaborate with Bosnia’s Justice Ministry.

The Convention stipulates that subpoenas should be forwarded to a competent court in the other state that will arrange their delivery.

“It is forbidden to directly summon witnesses. The subpoenas from Belgrade contained sanctions in the event of a witness refusing to comply and take the stand, which could not have happened, even though these sanctions have no legal bearing in Bosnia,” he explained.

Asked how the judiciary in Belgrade obtained the addresses of Bosnian citizens listed as witnesses, Čolak replied that apart from speculation, he could not give a concrete answer, leaving the issue to Bosnia’s security and judicial systems.

The Tuzla Column is a case that seeks to bring to justice those responsible for the deaths of over 200 JNA troops, who were in 1992 withdrawing from that Bosnian town under a previously signed agreement, when they came under fire from an ambush.

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