CHIEF PROSECUTOR MET WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON MISSING PERSONS (ICMP)

Ambassador Knut Vollebaek, Commissioner of the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) visited the Prosecutors Office of BiH and met with the Chief Prosecutor - Goran Salihović.

The process of tracing and identifying those that went missing during the war in BiH was discussed at the meeting.

Given that our country is still searching for some 7.000 missing persons and that tracing and identifying the missing is a very important process as well as evidence of war crimes, the Chief Prosecutor pointed out that BiH institutions must invest the maximum of efforts in this area and that the help of the international community is required.

The Chief Prosecutor informed Ambassador Vollebaek about the capacity strengthening of the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH, in particular of the Special Department for War Crimes, and added that better results are expected in the prosecution of war crimes this year. He also pointed out that the Prosecutor’s Office is putting forth the maximum of efforts in exhumations and tracing and identifying the missing persons but that it needs assistance of the international community in the process.

Ambassador Vollebaek and ICMP’s Director-General Ms. Kathryne Bomberger pointed out that about 23.000 out of a total of 30.000 missing persons have been found and identified to date, which is a huge job done in this area, and that activities on tracing and identifying the missing persons will continue in the future.

Representatives of ICMP in BiH have pointed out that these activities shall continue to be implemented particularly when those concern complex and large mass grave sites in order to expedite the identification of recovered remains.

It was pointed out that the activities related to recovery and identification of victims from mass grave Tomašica that were undertaken in recent months required a great commitment of the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH and ICMP in BiH, which is an example of their active cooperation and dedication to this task.

The process to review cases of unidentified mortal remains in 11 BiH mortuaries, which is currently taking place in Goražde and was completed in Mostar and Nevesinje, is to continue in the remaining 8 mortuaries, including Visoko and Tuzla where the largest number of mortal remains are located.

This process, which will be actively carried out in the coming period, will require great assistance of the international community in order to ensure that the identification of remains found is completed.

During the course of the meeting it was emphasized that attempts will be made to try to detect new locations of mass graves in Bosnia and Herzegovina with the help of satellite imagery.

ICMP officials have expressed their support to the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH in its efforts to establish the rule of law and prosecute war crimes, as well as in its activities related to exhumation and identification of missing persons. The officials of the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH participate in such activities on daily basis and on multiple locations in all parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina.