European Union (EU) expects Bosnia's political leaders to support the international tribunals' verdicts and to refrain from statements casting doubt on the impartiality of the adjudication process, EU's top officials, Federica Mogherini and Johannes Hahn, said in a letter to the war crime victims in Bosnia. They reiterated that there is no place for war criminals' glorification in the EU.

“The EU fully respects the decisions of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the IRMCT (International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT). We reiterate the need for full cooperation with the IRMCT as the ICTY's successor. International criminal justice not only contributes to ending impunity but also to fostering broader trust and reconciliation within Bosnia and Herzegovina and in the region as a whole,” said the EU official, responding to the note that the associations of the genocide victims, rape victims and camp prisoners in Bosnia sent to the European Commission President, Vice-President following the final verdict in ‘Karadzic’ case.

They expressed expectations from all political leaders to support the decisions of the international courts and to refrain from any statements or actions “casting doubt on the independence or the impartiality of the adjudication process.”

“The leaders of the region must take full ownership and lead by example. They must avoid and condemn any statement or actions which would fuel interethnic tension and actively counter nationalist narratives,” said the EU's officials emphasising that “there is no place in the EU for inflammatory rhetoric, let alone for the glorification of war criminals from any side.”

“Denial or revisionism contradict the most fundamental European values. We continuously reiterate this message both publicly and in our contacts with individual letters.”

Mogherini, currently EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and Enlargement Commissioner Hahn recalled that the European Commission made it clear that further efforts towards reconciliation are “crucial to firmly anchor peace and ensure lasting stability in the region.”

“All countries must unequivocally commit, in both word and deed, to overcoming the legacy of the past, by achieving reconciliation and solving open issues well before their accession to the EU.”