LOCAL PRESS

 

First day of Belgrade-Pristina talks ends (Politika/RTS/Tanjug)

 

The Office for Kosovo and Metohija confirmed for Tanjug that they discussed the implementation of the agreement on telecommunications and judiciary, and that the Serbian delegation again launched with EU representatives the issue of the implementation of the agreement of the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities.

 

When it comes to the implementation of the agreement on telecommunications, Pristina should conduct today, on 29 November, the entire technical and administrative job necessary for registration of the company MTS d.o.o. Kosovska Mitrovica, i.e. transfer and registration of Telekom Srbija’s property as the property of the new MTS company in Kosovo and Metohija. If these elements of the agreement are implemented in line with agreement, Belgrade should send by 3 December a request to the International Telecommunications Union its consent to allocate the dialing code +383 for the geographical region of Kosovo.

 

Nikolic discusses Kosovo with Mitsotakis (Beta/RTS)

 

Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic in Belgrade met with Kyriakos Mitsotakis, leader of the Greek New Democracy party, to discuss bilateral relations. Nikolic expressed his gratitude to Greece for not recognizing Kosovo’s independence, according to a statement from the president’s office. “We are still determined to struggle to preserve our territorial integrity and to talk with Pristina with the aim of providing a better life for the citizens in the province, right until we are not requested to acknowledge Kosovo’s independence. We will never do so,” Nikolic stressed. He added that it would be fatal for mankind to allow the Albanians to take care of the Serbian Orthodox Church churches and monasteries in Kosovo. Mitsotakis said he did not expect Athens to change its position on Kosovo.

 

Vucic: Let kids play (Tanjug)

 

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic has commented on the creation of the Union of Albanian Municipalities. “What Albanian municipalities, these are games small kids play, they thought they were really tough... That’s a story for their voters. And what is this Omnia doing? Printing flags and pens,” Vucic said, when asked for a comment during his news conference with the leader of the Greek New Democracy party Kyriakos Mitsotakis. “And I’m asking you, what changed yesterday and today, in Presevo? Have they separated from Serbia? I wouldn’t say so. So, let the kids play, if that makes it easier for them... I haven’t lost much sleep,” Vucic said. However, the Prime Minister then remarked that "in a psychological sense this could be partially dangerous - because, as he explained, it might seem to some people that they have done something big, and on the other hand it certainly doesn’t contribute to better relations in the Western Balkans.

 

Drecun: They are provoking non-Albanian citizens; Arifi: Goal is to better prepare for EU (Novosti)

 

Tirana, Pristina, Presevo, Tetovo and Ulcinj formed the Union of Municipalities in the Region headed by Albanians, only one day on the eve of the Albanian Flag Day, when independence of Albanian was declared. That is why many interpreted this as a move into concrete action of creating a “greater Albania”. The Chairman of the Serbian parliamentary Committee for Kosovo and Metohija Milovan Drecun calls the formation of the Union a provocation: “Tetovo and Presevo are not Albanian towns. You have also Macedonians and Serbs living here. This seems as a non-tolerant and problematic project from the point of view of non-Albanian citizens who live in these regions.”

Presevo municipality head Sciprim Arifi tells Novosti that there are no nationalistic pretensions and that the point is for these five towns to prepare better for EU membership. “This is not a political union, it is not against the law, and similar ones can be created with a Serb majority from Albania, Bulgaria, and Serbia. I am the mayor of all Presevo residents, not only Albanians, but also Serbs and I believe this cooperation will be to the benefit of all who live in Presevo. I also cooperate with the Serbian government.”

 

Joksimovic: Serbia has achieved progress on IPAP (Tanjug)

 

Serbia has achieved progress in nearly all areas of the Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) with NATO, Brigadier General Slobodan Joksimovic from the Strategic Planning Department of the Serbian Ministry of Defense said Monday. The assessment has been made following the recent conclusion of the first IPAP cycle, with progress achieved in all areas except public diplomacy, where there are certain objections, Joksimovic said at the international conference Belgrade NATO Week, organized by the Centre for Euro-Atlantic Studies. “We expect further implementation of IPAP to contribute to further development of the cooperation with NATO and development of the defence system, to achieving interoperability of armed forces and to better bilateral cooperation with NATO member states,” Joksimovic said.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

Leaders of SDA, HDZ, SBB meet to discuss issues in work of authorities in Federation of B&H (Hayat/FTV)

 

SDA leader Bakir Izetbegovic, HDZ B&H leader Dragan Covic and SBB B&H leader Fahrudin Radoncic held a meeting at the B&H Presidency in Sarajevo on Monday to discuss the work of the ruling coalition in the executive and legislative authorities in the Federation of B&H. The three leaders concluded that political representatives must do everything to put the reforms on the agenda of both the Federation of B&H government and the Federation of B&H parliament. Following the meeting, Izetbegovic, Radoncic and Covic addressed a joint press conference and told reporters that the SBB B&H-SDA-HDZ B&H coalition is stable in spite of problems in functioning of the authorities at the Federation of B&H level. Asked by reporters to comment on the issue of Stolac, Izetbegovic underlined that leaders of the ruling parties in the Federation of B&H did not discuss the said topic at Monday’s meeting. However, he reiterated that SDA disagrees with the fact that the Central Election Commission of B&H has already elected the new Head of Stolac Municipality with its recent decision to suspend ‘Initiative for Stolac’ candidates from the election process. Covic underlined that the issue of implementation of the ‘Sejdic-Finci’ ruling should be solved by the end of January 2017 and assessed that it will be possible to discuss the model of election of members of the Presidency of B&H and delegates in the House of Peoples of the Parliament of B&H as soon as trust among coalition partners is restored. Radoncic confirmed that SBB B&H is committed to functioning of the ruling coalition and expressed confidence that the coalition will achieve results.

 

Ivanic: It will be hard to obtain EU candidate status if political climate in B&H does not change (Oslobodjenje)

 

The B&H Chairman Presidency Mladen Ivanic stated for Oslobodjenje that it will be very hard to obtain the EU candidate status, no matter how B&H answers the questions from the EU questionnaire, if the political climate does not change. Ivanic explained that this also means the issues such as elections in Mostar and Stolac must be resolved.

 

Sukalo interrogated by B&H Prosecutor’s Office in case of RS Day referendum (TV1)

 

NS leader and MP in the Republika Srpska (RS) Assembly Adam Sukalo was interrogated in the premises of the B&H Prosecutor’s Office in Sarajevo on Monday. He was interrogated as a witness in the case of a referendum on the RS Day. Sukalo said that that he was interrogated in the process against RS President Milorad Dodik “and others” and added that it is necessary to clarify who are “others” in this case. Sukalo referred to the process as “a classic theater of absurd”. Sukalo concluded by saying that he believes the Court of B&H and the Prosecutor’s Office of B&H are institutions in the service of politics. He assessed that Dodik is not someone who could be directly responsible for initiation and organization of the referendum, as it is clear that the RS Assembly passed such decision upon the proposal of all caucuses except the Caucus of the Coalition ‘Domovina’ in the RS Assembly.

 

Ethnic discrimination most prevalent form of discrimination in Croatia (Hina)

 

Croatia has laws that regulate discrimination issues, however, as elsewhere, the incidence of discrimination is quite present, but while in Europe discrimination is based on sexual orientation, in Croatia it is based on one's ethnic background, it was said at a conference on good practices and challenges in the collection of information on (in)equality in Zagreb on Monday. The two-day conference was organized by the Centre for Peace Studies (CSM) and the Croatian government's Office for Human and Ethnic Minority Rights and the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights. Its purpose is to discuss prospects of improving the collection of information in the field of prevention of discrimination and protection of human rights, so that in the future there could exist better public policies on the matter. Commenting on data from a survey on inequality, conducted by the CSM in the past two years, Maja Pleic said that the survey showed that there was no work on the labor market for people coming from ethnic minorities.

 

These are ministers in Dusko Markovic’s government (CDM)

 

All ministers in Dusko Markovic’s government have to prove their skills within 365 days. After a year, all those who fail to do a good job will be dismissed, said Markovic presenting the government’s program before the parliament. “Everyone will have one year to prove themselves. Those who are not up to the task will be dismissed,” Markovic said.

 

These are the ministers in his government:

Minister of Justice Zoran Pazin

Minister of Agriculture Milutin Simovic

Minister of Internal Affairs Mevludin Nuhodzic

Minister of Defence Predrag Boskovic

Minister of Foreign Affairs Srdjan Darmanovic

Minister of European Affairs Andrija Pejovic

Minister of Education Damir Sehovic

Minister of Science Sanja Damjanovic

Minister of Culture Janko Ljumovic

Minister of Economy Dragica Sekulic

Minister of Finance Darko Radunovic

Minister of Sustainable Development and Tourism Pavle Radulovic

Minister of Health Kenan Hrapovic

Minister of Transport Osman Nurkovic

Minister of Labor and Social Welfare Kemal Purisic

Minister of Human and Minority Rights Mehmed Zenka

Minister of Public Administration Suzana Pribilovic

Minister of Sport Nikola Janovic

Minister without Portfolio Marija Vucinovic

Deputy Prime Ministers: Pazin, Simovic and Rafet Husovic

 

Government composition, almost no Djukanovic’s staff and no representatives of Serbs (CDM)

 

The fact that there is almost no Milo Djukanovic’s staff among the ministers in the newly elected Prime Minister Dusko Markovic’s cabinet does not mean that Markovic is turning from his predecessor. Out of Djukanovic’s ministers, Markovic kept only Zoran Pazin and Predrag Boskovic in his government. “No, this is not a turn. The government’s composition is a response to the things Montenegro will face in the future,” Markovic told reporters after taking the oath. The reports asked what will be the new government’s response to certain statements from Russia containing threats with Ukrainian scenario and bloodshed in Montenegro. “Montenegro is capable of preserving its independence and defending its own interests. I understand the anxiety about our strategic interests,” he said. He also commented on the fact that there are no Serb representatives in the government. “The executive branch is multinational, but political circumstances are the reason why there are no representatives of Serb people in Montenegro cabinet. That's why I said in my closing argument that the government composition did not represent the end of the story and invited representatives of the opposition and every nation in Montenegro to find political and national reasons to enter the government. I am ready to open room for them,” Markovic said.

 

Mirko Velimirovic signed plea agreement (Dnevne novine)

 

Mirko Velimirovic from Zubin Potok in northern Kosovo, one of the suspects in the attempted coup case, has signed the plea agreement with the Special Prosecutor’s Office. In the next few days it is to be known whether Velimirovic will be granted cooperative witness status, after the High Court in Podgorica decides on that matter.

Velimirovic was supposed to conduct violence against certain people, purchase and store means for the commission of crimes, weapons and ammunition, to keep uniforms, which were supposed to be used during the commission of offenses and to provide accommodation for other organization members and storage room for the weapons and equipment. In addition, he was responsible for forwarding messages from organizes that he received from the suspect Aleksandar Sindjelic.

Having accepted this plan, Velimirovic took €30,000 for buying and transporting 50 automatic rifles and three boxes of ammunition to Montenegro that should be stored in a rented house in Podgorica. This weapon is said to have been intended to be given to so far unidentified persons who were supposed to be sent by Eduard Shirkorov, one of the Russian organizers. Those persons were supposed to come on Election Day and break into the Parliament disguised as police officers “along with DF protesters and arrest Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic”. Velimirovic reported all this to the police.

Velimirovic is not the only one who is to be granted cooperative witness status in this case. In fact, last week Sindjelic, one of the key protagonists of the failed attack, agreed granting this status with the Special Prosecutor’s Office. For the time being it is not known whether someone else would be freed in exchange for the disclosing the coup details. According to the order, Sindjelic was responsible for recruiting other members of the organization, transferring money between the organizers and members of the group, providing weapons, phones, buying police equipment, uniforms, shields, batons, body amours, tear gas, gas masks and other equipment that would be used by the group members during the attack on the parliament.

The latest prosecutor’s office’s document states that in addition to Shirokov, the Russian national Vladimir Nikolaevich Popov has also been mentioned as an organizer of the criminal group. They are suspected of organizing the criminal group at the end of September 2016 in the territory of Montenegro, Serbia and Russia, collecting funds and issuing orders to carry out an “undetermined number of criminal acts of terrorism and the murder of highest ranking representatives of Montenegro.”

 

SEC closes voters lists, right to vote have 1,784,416 citizens (MIA)

 

A total of 1,784,416 registered in the Voters List are entitled to cast ballots at the 11 December early parliamentary elections as the State Election Commission (SEC) closed the list on Monday. A total of 1,531,368 will vote in Macedonia, while 230,122 make up a special list, as according to the records of a relevant body, they are working abroad. Voting applications of 20,573 of them have been accepted and they will vote at the diplomatic consular offices, SEC chairman Aleksandar Cicakovski said. Thirteen internally displaced persons, 2,015 inmates are also entitled to cast their votes on 11 December.

 

INTERNATIONAL PRESS

 

‘Black Book’ Threat Alarms Bosnian Serb Free Thinkers (BIRN, by Maja Garaca Djurdjevic, 28 November 2016)

 

Critics of the ruling party in Republika Srpska fear the President’s threat to publish a blacklist of its enemies marks the start of a witch hunt.

The announcement by the head of the ruling party in the Bosnian Serb-led entity Republika Srpska that he will publish a “Black book” of the party’s enemies has drawn much criticism.

Some have condemned what they call an open witch hunt by Milorad Dodik, president of RS's strongest party, the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats, SNSD, aimed at amplifying pressure on government critics and silencing opposing voices.

“This needs to be taken seriously because we have had lists of unsuitable people and companies in the past,” said Srdjan Puhalo, a Banja Luka-based social psychologist. “It is only a matter of time before the SNSD increases pressure and controls all aspects of society,” he said. He himself has been targeted for his opinionated blog posts and criticisms of the Bosnian Serb government, Puhalo told BIRN.

Other targets of government bullying told BIRN that acknowledgement of a “Black Book” plan merely confirmed that the RS government intended to terrorize its critics. However, while some told BIRN that the best response is to ignore the threat, others said silence would only fuel the power-hungry ambitions of the SNSD leader and Republika Srpska President.

Controversy over the “Black Book” started after a video of Dodik addressing an SNSD victory rally held to celebrate its triumph in the October local elections was uploaded on YouTube.

In the video, Dodik could be heard promising that the SNSD would soon compile a “Black Book” of all those who had now or in the past done harm to his party. Once the list was compiled, action would be taken, he added.  “Through our organs and people in the government, we will lead the fight against these names. We need to do this,” Dodik said. When asked by BIRN what this meant, the SNSD did not reply by the time of publication.

 

Chilling effect on media and on open discussion:

Few were entirely shocked by the RS President’s words because he has made similar threats in the past. But there is concern. Such verbal threats completely violate democratic norms, Kurt Bassuener, a senior associate at the Democratization Policy Council, told BIRN. Dodik’s “Black Book” recalled former US President Richard Nixon's once-infamous “list of enemies,” he said. He also said Dodik’s words would have a chilling effect on the media environment and on public discourse in general. “As with previous challenges, I fear the international community will be silent or make statements that have no impact,” he added. “I would like to be wrong about that. But I suspect that the election of Donald Trump will encourage Dodik and all BiH politicians with unfulfilled agendas to push as far as they are allowed,” Bassuener judged.

As for how seriously to take Dodik, he noted that events this year had repeatedly demonstrated that those who dismiss his threats as rhetoric that can safely be ignored are deluding themselves.

Srdjan Puhalo told BIRN he is also concerned, not least for his own safety, in the current environment. “Realistically, my blogs are not as dangerous to the authorities as some others, but you can never be sure how something is interpreted,” he mulled.

A few days ago, the prolific blogger and trenchant Dodik critic Slobodan Vaskovic announced that he had suddenly left Bosnia for reasons to do with his own safety. Vaskovic had addressed the issue of the “Black Book” earlier this month with some vigour. “Dodik is a very dangerous person. Besides contempt, he deserves to be locked up because this is pure Nazism,” he wrote.

Although Vaskovic was no stranger to threats, they appear to have intensified after he drew attention to Dodik’s own threats. Media reports have mentioned Vaskovic as one of the first likely names in the RS President’s “Black Book”.

Puhalo says plenty of individuals in RS have made it their mission to lead bloggers like him and Vaskovic back onto the “right path”.  He also noted that although a list of Dodik’s perceived enemies had been published in the past, the current talk of a “Black Book” suggests the list has been refreshed and possibly amplified. If a new blacklist does indeed surface, Puhalo predicts that both pressure and resistance will grow. “Few people welcomed Dodik’s latest threat,” he added.

However, Miodrag Dakic, an activist at the Centre for the Environment, said Dodik was getting too much attention already and such furores only distracted the public from more serious issues, such as the indebtedness of the RS, attacks on workers' rights, the privatization of public assets and environmental degradation. “He [Dodik] and his propaganda team have for nearly 10 years been working intensively on creating a crisis, with the international community through to countries in the region to the political and religious representatives of the ethno-nationalist groups in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and with the opposition in the RS,” Dakic said. He also said that more and more limits to freedoms had been imposed through the adoption of successive regulations - which have not all been applied but are there for the authorities to take advantage of when the need arises. “What is worrying is that there is almost no public reaction to these legal restrictions,” Dakic observed.

 

Tool to encourage self-censorship:

Dakic also said that while the regime would like people to believe it is ready to defend itself from criticism in every way possible, its targets are not united and do not react to such threats cooperatively. “We lack developed mechanisms of solidarity between different groups and associations,” Dakic added.

Mirko Komljenovic, a comedian and opinionated critic of both society and government in the RS, told BIRN that Dodik’s latest threat was a cause for real concern because it was so open.

“He has proven that he is not the president of all citizens. He is the president of a single interest group called the SNSD and of those who support it,” Komljenovic said. Two years ago, Komljenovic appeared on a similar blacklist published by a US-based lobbyist, Stefan Karganovic. Karganovic called Komljenovic, then an activist in the NGO “Free Republic”, an advocate of the destruction of Republika Srpska. Karganovic listed a number of NGOs and Banja Luka-based media outlets that he perceived as a threat to the entity and its constitutional order.

The SNSD gave the list additional validity and force by publishing it on its official website.

“This was an open call for a lynch because nobody is fond of people wanting to destroy their country,” Komljenovic stated. Since such lists have been produced before, it is only realistic to expect another such publication, he added. He believes that while this public display of intimidation will not discourage all of those who champion a democratic society in the RS, some will feel fearful. “Some will continue to stick their heads in the sand until their own existence is endangered,” he judged, comparing this to self-censorship.  “We no longer need censorship because self-censorship is doing its job,” Komljenovic said, adding that fear must not be an excuse for inaction.

Banja Luka-based musician Djurica Stula told BIRN that people are accustomed to fear - and almost welcomed it. “I think it’s great that a ‘Black Book’ is in the making, because we don’t know how to live without fear and [political] patronage,” he jested, ironically. Witticisms aside, Stula added that he doubted Dodik would see his words through. “Our rulers and noble leader have banged out all sorts of things in the past year and made numerous statements and promises,” he recalled. “But I doubt that, in addition to fighting to preserve everything they have acquired, they will have time to get serious about their promises - including about the ‘Black Book,’” he concluded.

 

Croatian Opposition Elects New Leftist Leader (BIRN, by Sven Milekic, 27 November 2016)

 

First round favourite, Davor Bernardic, has won the elections for the president of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, by a landslide; with a pledge to return the party to its leftist course and bring back its traditional voters.

On Saturday, Bernardic, 36, was elected leader of the SDP, Croatia’s strongest opposition party, beating opponent and former interior minister Ranko Ostojic. With 91 percent of votes now counted Bernardic — who will be the youngest ever leader of the SDP — has a 64.5 per cent of vote. He was seen as a clear favourite to win after taking 46 percent in last week’s first round of voting. Ostojic took 23 per cent. “Today, the SDP has won, thank you all from the heart. I would like to thank Zoran Milanovic [incumbent party president] for everything he has done for the SDP.” “I would like to thank the people who have supported me all these years, through times when it was most difficult. Thank you, my comrades, from the heart,” Bernardic said in his speech on Saturday evening after the victory was declared in the party’s Zagreb headquarters.

Bernardic was President of the SDP Youth Organisation between 2005 and 2009 and a MP from 2008 onwards. After the SDP was criticised in recent years for shifting to a more centrist position Bernardic – and other six candidates standing in the first round of party elections - pledged to return the party to its leftist roots. However, while Bernardic is moderate politician with a strong support base in Zagreb he has also been criticised for not taking a firm position on key issues. On Saturday he announced an initiative to “build a new society” of equal opportunities. He also said the SDP would care for the poor and the workers, as well as reforming the healthcare and education systems, but did not give specifics on what these would be.

His rival during the party elections, Ostojic, congratulated Bernardic on his win. “I’ll give him my support. Congratulations to everyone who came out [to vote]. Congratulations to SDP on democracy. Congratulations to your victory Davor,” Ostojic said.

Zoran Milanovic, incumbent President and Prime Minister of Croatia between 2011 and 2016, also came to the headquarters to congratulate the winner but warned of “challenges” ahead for the SDP and urged party members to “be honest” with their new leader.

 

Austrian FM Defends Decision to Back Macedonia Ruling Party (BIRN, by Sinisa Jakov Marusic, 28 November 2016)

 

After a wave of criticism, Austria’s Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz has insisted that his speech at election rally for Macedonia's ruling VMRO DPMNE party should not be seen as controversial.

Kurz, who was accused of supporting authoritarianism after appearing at an election rally for Macedonia’s embattled ruling VMRO DPMNE party on Sunday, stated that he "attended the rally in my capacity as member of the European People's Party." The European People’s Party is a centre-right transnational coalition made up of other political parties. Kurz, who is also visiting Skopje today, drew a distinction between the rally appearance and his official meetings with Macedonian dignitaries on Monday, which he will attend in his capacity as Austrian Foreign Minister. Critics accused Austria’s top diplomat Kurz of hypocrisy and shameful conduct for openly endorsing Macedonia's ruling VMRO DPMNE party - which is accused of authoritarian tendencies - by speaking at its election campaign rally on Sunday in Skopje. Kurz also came under fire for saying that Macedonia is on the right path towards EU integration - an opinion which contradicts the last European Commission report on the country.

Florian Bieber, a lecturer at the Centre for Southeast European Studies and at the University of Graz, said that Kurz's backing for the party, which has been in power for ten years, was unacceptable. "You are endorsing an authoritarian gatekeeper over a democratic EU member candidate. Shameful," Bieber wrote on Twitter. Some critics reminded Kurz of the European Commission progress report, which said that the “state capture” of democratic institutions was disturbing, pinpointing many shortcomings in the rule of law and in freedom of speech. "The EC says state capture undermines the Macedonian democracy.

Sebastian Kurz is in Skopje to endorse the captors at their party rally," former Macedonian Deputy Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov, who is also the country’s former ambassador to the United States and the Netherlands, wrote on Twitter.

"So respect for rule of law turns irrelevant once you help keeping refugees out? Is this Austria's alleged support of Macdeonia's path to EU?" the deputy chairman of the European Stability Initiative, Kristof Bender asked on Twitter.

Kurz addressed the VMRO DPMNE rally in the capital on Sunday, backing the party for the December 11 early general elections and saying that it is a guarantor of Macedonia's Euro-Atlantic future. "We are especially happy that Macedonia is on a good path towards the European Union," Kurz said. He continued by praising the VMRO DPMNE-led government for helping his own country deal with the refugee crisis. “Macedonia is a very important partner for Austria and we are particularly grateful for the support we received from Macedonia in 2015 and 2016. The refugee crisis was a major challenge for Austria. Without your government, we wouldn't be able to close the Balkan Route,” he said. “I'm very grateful that you supported us in this very difficult situation,” he added. Although he said that he was there merely as a guest from a sister centre-right party, Kurz's hosts announced him in his formal capacity as the Austrian foreign minister. He also spoke of his admiration for his Macedonian counterpart, Nikola Poposki, who is now high on the candidate list of the ruling party.

 

Hague Tribunal to Open Information Centre in Sarajevo (BIRN, by Emina Dizdarevic, 28 November 2016)

 

The UN war crimes court will sign an agreement on Tuesday to set up an information centre at Sarajevo’s city hall offering access to all public documents from the Hague Tribunal’s trials.

An agreement between the Sarajevo authorities and the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia to set up the new information centre will be signed on Tuesday at the landmark Vijecnica city hall building, which reopened two years ago after being shelled during the wartime siege of the city. It will be the first centre of its kind in the former Yugoslavia and will offer access to documents and video materials from the ICTY. “The basic goal will be to provide an up-to-date, direct and safe electronic access to all publicly-available ICTY files and archive materials contained in the Tribunal’s databases to the general public,” said ICTY spokesperson Nenad Golcevski. Depending on funding, the centre will try to develop activities aimed at informing the public about war crime issues with the aim of making contribution to transitional justice and strengthening the rule of law in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the wider region, Golcevski said. “The Information Centre will have direct and safe access to all public files and ICTY archive material contained in its databases. This includes a database containing court files and appellate chamber decisions, as well as another database that is yet to be created,” he explained. “The aforementioned database will contain audio and video recordings of all hearings held before the Tribunal,” he added.

According to the agreement with the city, the ICTY will offer support to secure donation to fund the centre. The agreement will be signed on Tuesday by Sarajevo mayor Ivo Komsic and ICTY judge Fausto Pocar.