COUNTER TERRORISM TASK FORCE MEETING HELD. PRIORITY ACTIVITIES OF THE JUDICIAL INSTITUTIONS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES IN DETECTION, PREVENTION AND SANCTIONING OF CRIMINAL OFFENSES RELATED TO TERRORISM DISCUSSED

Counter Terrorism Task Force constitutive meeting was held in Sarajevo. Pursuant to the decision of the Minister of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina the Task Force consists of representatives of judicial institutions, police and security agencies in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Goran Salihović, Chief Prosecutor of the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH was appointed Chairman.

Future joint activities that will be aimed at detecting and preventing terrorist activities, as well as criminal prosecution and sanctioning of the perpetrators of these crimes were discussed in accordance with the plan for improvement of security situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina within the upcoming process of European integration.

The highest officials of the judiciary, police, security and intelligence agencies, along with officials from the institutions responsible for tax and financial related affairs, made arrangements for joint actions aiming to prevent any activities that are related to terrorism including funding or supporting of terrorist activities and all other activities that could be linked to terrorism.

Meeting participants discussed the analysis of the situation in relation to the dangers of terrorism in Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as the plan of organization, work and activities of the Task Force up to the end of 2013, its pace of activities and other relevant issues.

The Task Force is a natural continuation of activities that the state of BiH has taken to strengthen its capacity to fight terrorism back from 2001, following the September 11 attack, and subsequent establishment of operative and task forces to fight terrorism that were formed after 2004.

The representative of the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH informed the members of the Task Force with the recently pronounced  final verdict for the committed  criminal offense of terrorism in the case v. Zijad Dervišević et al.,  which determined that the criminal offense of terrorism was committed for political reasons in Zenica on April 11, 2011 when an explosive device was planted under the vehicle of a political official. The perpetrators of this crime, in the course of which fortunately there were no casualties, were sentenced to several years of imprisonment.

To ensure support to the activities of the judicial institutions and law enforcement agencies in BiH in the fight against terrorism, the meeting was attended by officials of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as well as officials of the European Union delegation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The joint conclusion of the meeting participants was that all competent authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina should actively participate in the fight against terrorism through joint activities, cooperation and exchange of information, especially if the terrorist activities are to be detected and prevented in time, or in the event that that they do occur, to effectively detect and sanction the perpetrators.

Today’s Counter Terrorism Task Force meeting included the high ranked invitees and attendees from the following institutions:

-        PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE OF BIH

-        MINISTRY OF SECURITY OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

-        INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY AGENCY OF BIH,

-        DIRECTORATE FOR COORDINATION OF POLICE BODIES OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

-        STATE INVESTIGATION AND PROTECTION AGENCY

-        BORDER POLICE OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

-        BIH SERVICE FOR FOREIGNERS’ AFFAIRS

-        INDIRECT TAXATION AUTHORITY OF  BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

-        FEDERATION BIH PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE

-        BRCKO DISTRICT OF BIH PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE,

-        REPUBLIKA SRPSKA PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE,

-        MINISTRY OF INTERIOR OF REPUBLIKA SRPSKA

-        FEDERATION MINISTRY OF INTERIOR,

-        FEDERATION POLICE DEPARTMENT

-        REPUBLIKA SRPSKA POLICE

-        BRČKO DISTRICT POLICE

-        TAX ADMINISTRATION OF REPUBLIKA SRPSKA

-        TAX ADMINISTRATION OF THE FEDERATION OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

-        FBI OFFICIALS IN BIH

-        ICITAP PROJECT IN BIH.