OFFICIALS OF THE PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE OF BIH ATTENDED CONFERENCE ON DESTRUCTION OF RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL FACILITIES DURING CONFLICT

Acting Chief Prosecutor of the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH - Gordana Tadić, ICTY Chief Prosecutor - Serge Brammertz, Prosecutors from Croatia and Serbia, as well as a large number of scientists, civil servants and representatives of NGOs documenting the consequences of war destruction, discussed the recovery of the countries of the region from the consequence of the severe destruction, ensuring justice and establishing the responsibility of the perpetrators, as well as post-war reconstruction and trust-building.

Among those participating at the conference organized by the SENSE Center for Transitional Justice and the Center for Dealing with the Past - Documenta, were the Acting Chief Prosecutor of the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH - Gordana Tadić as well as other officials of the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH. The regional conference was related to the activities of the judiciary in the ICTY and the countries of the region, NGO sector and scientific institutions when it comes to investigating and processing war crimes cases in which cultural and religious monuments were destroyed.

The Prosecutor’s Office of BiH works on more than 40 cases in which the destruction of cultural and religious facilities of all confessions in all parts of BiH were investigated and prosecuted.

A large number of cultural sites and protected cultural monuments, as well as churches and mosques were destroyed throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina during the war. Those matters were prosecuted by the Hague Tribunal and continue to be prosecuted by the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH and the judiciary of BiH as well as the judiciary of the countries of the region.

The SENSE Documentation Center in Pula also prepared an exhibition on court proceedings and facts concerning the destruction of cultural and religious facilities. The conference participants had the opportunity to talk with the prosecutors from the region as well as relevant experts from BiH, countries of the region and the rest of the world, who have investigated and documented war crimes focusing on the destruction of cultural heritage.