LOCAL PRESS

 

Djuric: Nobody’s child in Kosovo and Metohija can be a victim of violence (Tanjug)

Nikola Saveljic, a boy who was injured in Kosovska Mitrovica and who is successfully recovering, was stabbed in the back, brutally and without reason, the Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric adding that neither Serb nor Albanian children in Kosovo and Metohija can be victims of such violence. He stressed that the Easter holiday is a real opportunity to send a message to Kosovo and Metohija that “nobody’s child, either Serb or Albanian, should be a victim of such violence and no one's parents should shed tears because of mindless act of violence such as this one”. As Djuric said, Easter is a message of peace to all and “we need to calm down, hold our hands to each other and remain united and together”, reiterating that this is also the message that Serbia will always be with its people in Kosovo and Metohija.

 

Vulin condemns violence in Kosovska Mitrovica (Novosti)

Serbian Minister of Labor Aleksandar Vulin Monday acted on behalf of the Serbian government and condemned recent acts of violence in Kosovska Mitrovica. “On behalf of the Serbian government, I condemn every act of violence against Serbs and Albanians and any other resident of Kosovo and I want to see someone punished for incidents of the past few days already,” Vulin told reporters in Klokot. Vulin warned that the spiral of incidents was not likely to stop until those who had started the series of incidents the week before were punished. He pointed out that Pristina had not yet not officially condemned the stabbing of a Serb young man in Mitrovica on 9 April, stressing that nobody had been arrested for that yet. A little more than two years ago, a bomb blast in Kosovska Mitrovica injured three-year-old Serb Borivoje Vucetic, who has since lived with pieces of shrapnel in his body, Vulin said, stressing that nobody had been held responsible for that crime either. He said that he expected the international community to take responsibility and find the perpetrators.

 

Mihajlovic: Incidents in Kosovo and Metohija over nervousness (RTS)

The Head of the Media Relations Office Milivoje Mihajlovic told the morning broadcast of Radio and Television of Serbia (RTS) that the incidents that occurred on both sides of the Ibar River are linked by big nervousness that has been lasting for 15, 16 years. “Many incidents are occurring at a time when there is a political crisis between Pristina and Belgrade and there is nervousness among the Albanians who are trying to obstruct the agreements reached in Brussels,” says Mihajlovic. He points out that there is also nervousness among the Serbs who are living in isolation not only in Kosovska Mitrovica, but also in the enclaves south of the Ibar River. He says that tensions in Kosovo and Metohija are a potential source of troubles and such incidents. “As long as the situation is where incidents end without an investigation and the attacks on the Serbs end by being forgotten and the attackers are not found and punished, it will always be the same,” says Mihajlovic.

 

Boljevic: Serb judges in Kosovo and Metohija will be requested to accept Kosovo citizenship and renounce Serbian citizenship (Politika)

The position of judges in Kosovo and Metohija is extremely difficult. We found ourselves in a situation that the judges of the Republic of Serbia will apply for employment in the Kosovo courts that are outside the Serbian judicial system, according to the advertisement by the Kosovo institutions that we do not recognize as an independent state. Leaving aside the obvious non-constitutionality of the abolishment of the judicial authority in Kosovo and Metohija, the integration of Serbian judges into the institutions that are outside the Serbian legal order entails a number of serious issues.

How does one resolve the problem of judges in Kosovo?

“The main question is whether these judges will be able to work in courts in Serbia. If this is their free will, there is no problem for them to accept pensions, and to also apply for this job, but what about those who do not want to do this? They must remain judges of Serbia. The others should know that those judges who apply for jobs in the Kosovo courts will be subsequently requested to accept Kosovo citizenship and renounce Serbian citizenship since nobody wants the judge to be a foreign citizen. The principle of non-relocation of judges as one of the guarantees of independence in his/her work is not valid there. The situation will be where a judge is trying in Mitrovica today, and then he/she will be transferred in five months or one year to Pec or Djakovica where, realistically, his/her safety will be at endangered if he/she doesn’t try according to the will of criminal groups, and if he/she refuses relocation, he/she risks being dismissed. Also, the pension system of the so-called Kosovo is undeveloped so pensions there are between 70 and 90 Euros,” Dragana Boljevic, the President of the Serbian Association of Judges and the judge of the Appellate Court in Belgrade, told Politika.

 

Kocijancic: Serbia knows well what it needs to do (Danas)

The requirements and criteria for progress in EU integration are completely clear and defined in advance and there are no new requirements, which Serbian officials know well, spokesperson of the EU High Representative Maja Kocijancic has said. Commenting on Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic’s recent statement that new requirements would always be set for Serbia in EU integration, the spokesperson of Federica Mogherini told Danas that Serbia knew very well what it needed to do regarding EU integration. The entire Balkans has a European future, she noted, adding that it was the EU policy, and that Serbia was a candidate for full membership in the EU and was on its way to achieving that. All the requirements and criteria are perfectly clear and defined in advance, she stated, pointing out that the EU integration process was extremely transparent, so both the EU and Serbia knew very well what needed to be done.

 

Brammertz: Order Seselj back in custody immediately (Tanjug)

The Hague Tribunal prosecution has sent an urgent proposal to the Appeals Chamber on the execution of the decision to end Vojislav Seselj’s provisional release. The proposal was signed by Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz and asks the Appeals Chamber to order the Trial Chamber to revoke its decision on the provisional release within one day after deciding on the proposal. Recalling that on March 30 the Appeals Chamber ordered the Trial Chamber to "immediately" issue an order to revoke the decision on Seselj’s provisional release and order him to return to the detention unit, the prosecution claims that two weeks later the Trial Chamber failed to carry it out. The decision of the Appeals Chamber was unambiguous, said the prosecution, adding that the Trial Chamber was not given the right to decide whether to act on it, or a period of time in which to do so.  However, the Trial Chamber has not yet implemented the decision and instead waited ten days before taking any action - and then only to order the registry to obtain medical information pertaining to Seselj’s health. The prosecution sees this as “undue delay” in carrying out the unequivocal order of the Appeals Chamber and adds that Seselj’s health condition is irrelevant for the implementation of the decision, cannot prevent it, considering that his health should suffer no damage from his return to The Hague.

 

Ivanic: B&H can join NATO only if Serbia does (Politika)

The Chairman of B&H Presidency Mladen Ivanic has said that B&H could join NATO only if, and when, Serbia does as well. “There cannot be a stance clearer than that. Any other option would mean divisions within the Serb people. We do not need referendums. In fact, this topic does not even need to be opened, because the conditions are not there for B&H’s membership in the NATO until Serbia joins the alliance,” he told Politika. Asked whether B&H can conduct a policy that will not be burdened by aligning with either side, Ivanic answered affirmatively, and said the country can do so by carrying out its policy, minding its own interests. “Our interest is to have fair relations with Russia, as well as good relations with the EU. If they force us to choose one, then that one is no longer our friend,” said Ivanic. Regarding Albanian PM Edi Rama’s statements about a Greater Albania and announcements that Ante Gotovina would be appointed to advisory bodies in Croatia, Ivanic said he believes that the current approach of Belgrade, and even of the Serb factor in B&H, is very positive and we will benefit from this. “It is slowly emerging that, in view of reconciliation, the most normal part of the political elite in the Balkans at this time are is actually the Serb cadre,” he was quoted as saying. “Very soon, this benefit will be demonstrated practically, because the world will support those who do not want conflict and build their authority on the belief in their own strength instead of on conflict. Leaders of Serbia and even of the Serbs in B&H feel that strength,” said Ivanic, who is a Serb representative in the B&H Presidency and an opposition politician from the Republika Srpska (RS). Ivanic also stated that he was in favor of the Office of the High Representative (OHR) in B&H to be completely shut down. “There will never again be agreement for the OHR to reach for the Bonn powers, because there are no conditions for that. The presence of the OHR represents more a desire of some international actors to be present in B&H without being reduced to the level of embassies,” said Ivanic.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

Radmanovic: SNSD defending the Dayton Agreement, freedom and independence of RS (Srna)

Chairman of the Executive Board of the SNSD Nebojsa Radmanovic said that with the resolution, prepared by the authorities of the party, SNSD defends the Dayton agreement, by which Republika Srpska (RS) and its people gain their freedom and independence.

“Now we are being robbed of the agreement and some parts have already been taken. The essence of the resolution is to tell them that they cannot do so. This is particularly of note to those who think that they can, in the name of Serb people, choose their officials,” said Radmanovic. He said that he has no intention of discussing the issue with the EU or OHR spokesman or any foreign embassy department, ​​and that it would be courteous that all who have raced in recent days to condemn the resolution first wait that it is brought, and then read it. By noting that the resolution is not yet complete Radmanovic explained the reason why the resolution wasn’t explained more thoroughly in its announcement, and pointed out that he didn’t even mentioned B&H during his. “When the resolution is made, the reactions from various spokespersons, that are giving us lectures about sovereignty, will look ridiculous, while they all know that B&H is not sovereign. Sovereignty implies self-management on its territory, we are being managed by the foreigners,” said Radmanovic. Radmanovic’s announcement that the SNSD is going to adopt a resolution on the free and independent RS at the Council that is scheduled for 25^th of April, and the announcement that the party is ready to lead the people along that path, has been criticized by the SDA, OHR, the US Embassy and by the representatives of the EU Delegation to B&H.

 

SDA warns SNSD: Don’t play games with B&H’s territorial integrity! (Oslobodjenje)

The Party of Democratic Action (SDA) strongly condemns the SNSD’s statement that Nebojsa Radmanovic announced to the media. “We warn the SNSD and its leadership not to play games with the territorial integrity of B&H. Any such activity in this direction would fundamentally mean a negation of the Dayton Peace Accord and would not lead to an independent RS, but to its disappearance. We call on the institutions that implement the law in B&H to monitor this activity, which would represent an entry into a serious criminal act, and react. In addition, we call on the institutions of the international community to use their mandate and in time prevent this dangerous activity,” the SDA press office said in a statement.

 

Indictment for crimes in Strpci (Srna)

The B&H Prosecution has filed the indictment against 10 people for war crimes against kidnapped passengers from the train station Strpci on 27 February 1993, it was announced from the prosecutor’s office. In a joint operation conducted last year, the Prosecution of B&H and Serbia arrested 15 people suspected of crimes in Visegrad and Strpci when at least 20 persons were kidnapped (18 Bosniaks from Serbia and Montenegro, one person of Croatian nationality and one person of unidentified origin) from the train on route Belgrade - Bar. The arrested were members of the Army of RS (VRS) and paramilitary formation ‘The Avengers’. It is suspected that the kidnapped persons were first robed and then killed. Their bodies, as stated in one of the indictment in this case brought against five people in Serbia, were thrown into the Drina River.

 

Interview with PDHR David M. Robinson (Nezavisne)

Nezavisne novine: The drama about forming the governments is finally over. How optimistic should we be to expect them to work together on complex and challenging reforms when they had so much trouble in just forming the government?

David M. Robinson: I don’t think it should be a question of optimism, but rather one of expectation. The problems that affect peoples’ lives are obvious. I’m talking about lack of jobs, a judicial system that does not apply the law equally and fairly to all, rampant corruption which serves a powerful minority, unacceptable delays in completing the reforms needed for Euro-Atlantic integration. These are some examples. Citizens should expect and I think that these last elections demonstrated that they do expect their elected representatives to address these problems. I think they are tired of hearing politicians use ethnic or political division as an excuse for maintaining the status quo just because it benefits them personally. People don’t want to hear about why elected officials from different groups can’t work together. They want to see results. Much more energy needs to be spent on getting things done rather than preventing things from happening. So let’s give the new authorities a chance to demonstrate their commitment and deliver on the promises made during the election campaign. My key message to your readers is that this country must pull together if ordinary citizens are to see a better future for themselves and their children.

Nezavisne novine: How do you see the EU initiative? It seems to me that the EU is doing more than enough to give us the push we need, but that the response in B&H is more like that our politicians are not willing to do even the smallest steps without huge amount of energy?

David M. Robinson: The EU has extended a hand of partnership to B&H and this initiative is proof of their commitment. The important question that domestic political leaders need to answer is: how serious are they about their stated objective of ensuring that the country becomes a member of the EU. All of us in the international community want to see B&H as a stable, peaceful and prosperous country. The best way to achieve this goal is for newly elected Governments in B&H to deliver the steps that are necessary to get the country back on track towards European integration. They must show that their verbal pledges to the EU future during the election campaign were not just empty words. Let’s see some urgency. The sooner we see results the better. We are all watching to see what the governments can do in their first 100 days.

Nezavisne novine: What is the current role of the USA in B&H? Have USA somehow “handed down” this country to the Europeans?

David M. Robinson: When it comes to B&H, the international community, including the US and the EU is united: we all want to see this country become successful, self-sustainable and prosperous. The fact that we sometimes have minor differences of view as to how to achieve that goal does not imply that the goal has changed. Quite the opposite, it only means that we all care about the future of this country.

Nezavisne novine: There are two ‘schools” about the future of the OHR. One is that it should be closed as soon as possible and the other is that OHR should be here as long as B&H is irrevocably on the EU path. What is your idea?

David M. Robinson: It was never envisaged that the OHR should stay in B&H indefinitely. However, in order for us for complete our mission, all the remaining conditions for OHR to close have to be fulfilled. This includes a positive assessment of the political situation in B&H. It is for the Peace Implementation Council to determine when all the remaining conditions have been met. But let me be clear:  the OHR in no way represents an obstacle to B&H moving forward. Quite the opposite, instead of some political leaders portraying the OHR as an enemy or an obstacle, they should use our presence and good offices to help accelerate much-needed reforms. We are here to assist those who need our help.

Nezavisne novine: Does its staying here imply that situation in B&H is still not stable since OHR is devised with such broad competences because of fear that B&H could go back to chaos?

David M. Robinson: The situation in B&H now is not the same as twenty years ago when the OHR was established. For that reason exactly, the role of the OHR has changed over time to mirror the path of B&H. We wanted to see less Dayton and more Brussels and the primary driving force behind reforms in B&H should be the pull of EU and NATO membership, and not the executive powers of the High Representative. As I already said, the country’s leaders should know better and use the presence of international community actors in B&H to help them speed up much needed reforms.

Nezavisne novine: Some say that time of the "strong OHR" are long gone, and that HR would "never dare" to use Bonn Powers to remove someone for grave violation of the Dayton Accords. Is that true?

David M. Robinson: The fact that the executive powers are no longer being used in the same way as ten years ago does not mean they do not exist anymore. The prevailing view in the international community is that, twenty years after the Dayton Peace Agreement, the executive powers of the High Representative should be used only as a last resort. While we hope not to have to use them, the executive powers remain at the High Representative’s disposal if necessary.

Nezavisne novine: In 2012 Brcko Supervisor decided to suspend his functions. Are you continuing this policy and does that mean that the OHR is no longer performing any active role in the District?       

David M. Robinson: The Supervisor is no longer involved in the day-to-day business in the District, in accordance with the Decision of one of my predecessors. We do, however, continue to monitor the situation in the District and to lend our good offices on certain issues. For instance, my associates are participating in efforts to draft four laws in the financial domain, dealing with the matters of payment transactions, accounting and auditing, foreign currency operations, and fiscal registers. This assistance is designed to help in the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding on Institutional Cooperation and Data Exchange, concluded among the three Tax Administrations in B&H and the Indirect Taxation Authority, which is an IMF requirement. According to information available to me at this point, the drafts of the above four laws have already been developed and are ready for legislative procedure. These laws will not only enable high quality cooperation among the tax administrations, but will also harmonize Brcko’s regulations in these domains with those that are in place in other parts of B&H.

 

INTERNATIONAL PRESS

 

Kosovo Police on Alert After Stabbing of Serb Teen (AP, 10 April 2015)

Kosovo police say they have increased security in the town of Mitrovica after five hooded assailants crossed from the ethnic Albanian southern part of town into the Serb northern part to a stab a Serb teenager. It was the first serious ethnically motivated incident in years. Deputy regional commander Besim Hoti said Friday that police are studying surveillance camera video to identify the attackers. He said three policemen have been suspended for failing to stop the teenagers, whose violent intent was clear in the video evidence. The surveillance video was not made public. The victim is recovering from chest wounds. Hoti said two ethnic Albanians and Kosovo Bosniaks were beaten by Serbs in apparent retaliation following Thursday's stabbing. Serbia rejects Kosovo's 2008 declaration of independence.

 

Serb 'Protection Force' Members to Join Kosovo Police (BIRN, by Una Hajdari, 14 April 2015)

The process of integrating the Serb-run Civilna Zastita (Civil Protection) force in northern Kosovo into the regular police is expected to begin next week. The integration of the former members of the recently disbanded Civil Protection Forces or “Civilna Zastita,” which served as a de facto security force in the Serb-majority northern Kosovo, is expected to start work next week. Belgrade is expected to hand over the list of “premises and observation points” which are currently manned by the members of the Civilna Zastita. Three of the current observation points on the road between Mitrovica and the Jarinje crossing between Kosovo and Serbia are expected to the removed by Monday, April 20th. The observation point on the northern side of the main bridge in Mitrovica, which is on the Serbian side of the ethnically divided town, is expected to be handed over to the Kosovo Police by Monday as well. In an agreement reached at the end of March, it was agreed that the Civilna Zastita be disbanded and its members integrated into the Kosovo system and institutions. The agreement was reached as part ongoing EU-facilitated dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia in Brussels. By April 24th, Belgrade is obliged to “inform the EU facilitator in writing that the Civil Protection in Kosovo will no longer exist within the Serbian system.” They will be also confirming that the payment of salaries will be discontinued by September 2015. According to a list submitted by Belgrade, the Civilna Zastita consisted of 751 individuals – for now, Pristina will offer employment for 483 of them. The individuals are required to be in the possession of a valid Kosovo ID, or proof of application for a Kosovo ID. The individuals will be chosen by panels created for the respective positions, which will include two representatives from the Kosovo institutions, a former member of the Civilna Zastita and one EU representative. For positions related to cultural heritage, a representative from Kosovo for the Serbian Orthodox Church will be on the panel. The panels are expected to conclude work “no later than August 14th, 2015, and all employment contracts will be signed until September 1st, 2015,” when the integration process will be completed. The Civilna Zastita, usually a formation which is meant to react in humanitarian crises and exists in similar forms in other former Yugoslav republics, has taken on the role of a “security force” – the Pristina government has gone so far as to claim that they take on the role of a “paramilitary formation” in the Serb north.

 

 

 

Serbia's letter to the UN: Rama's statement, provocative and dangerous (Albeu, 11 April 2015)

Serbia's Ambassador to the United Nations, Milan Milanovic, has sent a letter to the President of the Security Council of the UN, Dina Kawar, on April 8th, regarding the "concerning statements" of Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, over "the unification of Albania and Kosovo". The letter in question, says that Rama's statements are a provocation and Minalovic says that they and pose a threat to the peace and stability in the region. "Your Excellency, I am obliged to draw your attention over the statement made by Mr. Edi Rama, Prime Minister of the Republic of Albania, in a joint interview with Mr. Hashim Thaci in a television on Monday, April 6th, 2015. In the interview, Mr. Rama said that "Albania and Kosovo will join "classically" 'if the European Union will not open the way for Kosovo's integration and visa liberalization. The statement is provocative and extremely problematic for relations in the region, particularly for those between Serbia and Albania, and represents a serious threat to peace and stability in the region. In complete disregard to the Resolution 1244 (1999) of the Security Council and equivalent to a call to redraw international borders, the statement opposes the spirit of cooperation, mutual understanding, good neighborliness. Drawing your attention to this statement, I would like to emphasize that the Republic of Serbia has consistently supported the above mentioned values and principles embodied in the Charter of the United Nations and expects them to be respected completely by other countries in the region also. My country expects the international community to condemn the nationalist rhetoric that hinders the process of reconciliation and progress in the region", reads the letter according to "Express" . Reactions from Serbia came after a joint interview of Rama and Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci, where they talked about relations of Albanians in the region, their future and Europe. Rama said that the joint meetings of Governments, is a way of national unity by XXI Century means.

 

Serbian Citizens support Russia, Not EU – German Newspaper (Die Welt, 11 April 2015)

Serbia is at a crossroads, as it is still unclear which union the country will choose – European or Eurasian. Serb leaders are seeking to join the process of European integration, but the position of the Serb population is ambiguous, the German newspaper “Die Welt” wrote. The European Union has invested significant amounts of money in Serbia, but many of the country’s residents still express their support for Russia, instead the EU, “Die Welt” reported. The EU has provided Serbia with significant financial support, when the devastating floods in May 2014 affected the country. And this was not the only investment, the newspaper wrote. All in all, since 2007 the EU has provided some 12 billion euros in assistance to Serbia. Thus, Brussels is spending a lot of money, "to help this country find its way into the European community," the article said. The Serbian authorities seem to appreciate the help, with Prime Minister Alexander Vucic consistently reiterating his country’s intention to join the EU in 2020. The government in Belgrade is seeking to open the first round of talks with representatives of the European Commission and to proceed with the reforms, which the EU and the IMF require. However, the final decision will be made by the population, which is, in fact, divided into different camps. According to surveys, only 44% of Serbs support the idea of their country’s entry into the EU. At the same time the most popular foreign politician among Serbs is Vladimir Putin, the newspaper wrote. The majority of Serbian citizens seem to have more sympathy for Russia than for the EU.  The main reason for this is, according to “Die Welt”, the Russian position on the Kosovo problem. The former Serbian province declared independence in 2008, and is currently recognized by more than 100 countries in the world. However, Serbia does not recognize Kosovo as a state, which remains a potential hotbed for a military conflict. Russia has not recognized Kosovo's independence either, and Serbs count on its support if a new conflict arises.

 

Biden Calls Serbian PM to Washington to counter Cooperation with Russia (Sputnik, 12 April 2015)

The US Vice President issued a hasty invitation for the Serbian Premier to come to Washington, after the Serbian government's decision to attend the May 9 Victory Day parade in Moscow.

US Vice President Joe Biden sped up the process of issuing an invitation to Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic to come to Washington, after the decision by the Serbian government to take part in the May 9 Victory Day commemoration in Moscow, which this year will mark 70 years since the surrender of Nazi Germany at the end of World War Two. Sources in western diplomatic circles told Blic.rs that the timescale of Vucic's visit to Washington, which was already slated for the coming year, was pushed forward due to US fears about Serbia's close ties and continued cooperation with Russia. According to the paper, the call is a reflection of a recent statement from US Secretary of State John Kerry that Serbia is "in the line of fire" between the West and Russia.  "Visits by international leaders to Washington are usually planned around six months in advance," a diplomatic source told Blic, noting that the US ambassador to Serbia extended the invitation to Vucic on April 9.  Biden's plan, however, "would see Vucic in Washington in May, or the beginning of June." According to the source, the catalyst for Biden's hasty invitation to Washington is the decision by Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic to accept Russia's invitation to attend the May 9 celebrations and the president's April 6 announcement that members of the Serbian armed forces would also take part in the parade on Red Square. The formal invitation to Washington follows a verbal invitation Biden gave Vucic at last month's Munich Security Conference last month, when Biden also, according to local media, proposed the institution of a new gas deal with Serbia, via the construction of a terminal on the Croatian island of Krk, which the US administration says would be provided with gas by ships from the US, Algeria, or Qatar. The proposal follows the obstruction late last year of the South Stream project, which aims to provide Serbia and other European countries with a secure supply of natural gas from Russia, using a pipeline running under the Black Sea to mainland Europe.

 

Bosnia indicts four over recruiting militants for Syria and Iraq (Today’s Zaman, 14 April 2015)

Four Bosnians were charged on Friday with financing terrorist activities and recruiting fighters for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) under a new law designed to stop people from joining militants in the Middle East. The indictment by Bosnian prosecutors accuses Husein Erdic of organizing the departure of Nevad Husidic and Merim Keserovic, with the aim of joining ISIL. It said Erdic had acted in cooperation with unnamed individuals in Turkey. It also said Erdic had put Husidic and Keserovic in touch with the fourth suspect, Midhat Trako, who was due to provide funding for their transport to Istanbul. Police estimate around 200 Bosnians, including women and children, have left for Syria over the past three years, of whom more than 50 returned to Bosnia while more than 20 were killed. Most Bosnian Muslims, known as Bosniaks, practice a moderate form of Islam. But some youths, particularly from rural areas, have in recent years adhered to the puritanical Salafi sect. The sect had been virtually unknown in Bosnia before its bloody 1992-95 war that followed the collapse of communist Yugoslavia. The courts will decide whether to confirm the charge and put the suspects on trial. They could be jailed for up to 20 years if found guilty under the law passed by the state parliament last April and aimed at discouraging young Bosnians from going to fight abroad.