LOCAL COMMUNITY OUTREACH ROUNDTABLE FOCUSING ON THE WORK OF THE BIH JUDICIAL INSTITUTIONS HELD IN KAKANJ

Representatives of the Prosecutor's Office of BiH participated in a round table in Kakanj, which was organized with the aim of presenting the work of the Court and the Prosecutor's Office of BiH to local communities throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Employees of the Prosecutor's Office of BiH presented on the history and organization of the Prosecutor's Office, statistical data concerning the work of the Prosecutor's Office of BiH, as well as previous work on war crimes cases to representatives of the local community, among whom were the Municipal Mayor and representative of the Municipal Council and about 70 representatives of victims' associations, local authorities, the police, the judiciary, non-governmental organizations, and interested citizens.

The efforts of the Prosecutor's Office of BiH were presented by Irisa CEVRA, Senior Advisor in the Special Department for War Crimes and Boris GRUBEŠIĆ, Head of the Public Relations Office of the Prosecutor's Office of BiH.

Roundtable participants heard the presentations on the structure of the Prosecutor's Office and the Special Department for War Crimes, and the specificity of the work on war crimes cases, which relate to events that occurred 17 years ago or more.

To better understand the work of the Prosecutor's Office of BiH, the audience was presented with the complexity of the work on war crimes cases in which it is often necessary to hear dozens of witnesses and gather evidence including several hundred pieces of material within just one case.

Attendees were explained that because of this issue war crimes cases require more time, as well as what needs to be done in a case through all stages, from initiation of the investigation to indictment, through the trial stage to the final verdict.

Roundtable participants had the opportunity to ask representatives of the Prosecutor's Office about everything that interests them that is within the domain of the Prosecutor's Office of BiH.

Roundtable in Kakanj was organized by the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Republika Srpska with the support of the U.S. Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Representatives of the Prosecutor's Office of BiH regularly participate in outreach round tables and conferences aiming to better inform the local communities and citizens throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina about the work of the Prosecutor's Office of BiH.