Schmidt invites MPs to introduce genocide denial ban so he can annul imposed law

Christian Schmidt (Faruk Zametica/N1)

Christian Schmidt, the international peace envoy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, addressed the state parliamentarians inviting them to adopt a new law that would ban the genocide denial so that the one imposed by his predecessor, former High Representative Valentin Inzko, is annulled, MP Damir Arnaut told public broadcaster BHRT.

If the new law is adopted, i.e. if it is in line with the international standards, the law that was imposed earlier this year will be annulled, reads a letter that Schmidt sent to the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The news comes a day after Schmidt told the media he would invite the Parliament to adopt a law that would treat and sanction the denial of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and glorifying of war criminals, “because this is in the context of the European Union's standards, international standards and those standards must be obeyed.”

Using the special powers vested in the High Representative by Article 10 of the Dayton Peace Agreement, former envoy Valentin Inzko imposed the law changes to the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina earlier this year, sparking strong reaction among the leadership of Republika Srpska, Bosnia's Serb-majority entity, whose representatives in response started boycotting the work of the central institutions while entity parliament rejected the High Representative's decision.

They generally disagree that the crimes that occurred in the Srebrenica region in 1995, in which more than 8,000 Bosniak boys and men were killed, was an act of genocide, despite the rulings of two international courts.

In addition to the boycott of institutions, the leader of the ruling SNSD party and Serb member of Bosnia's tripartite Presidency Milorad Dodik announced that the Republika Srpska Natinal Assembly would hold a special session and discuss the withdrawal of Republika Srpska's consent from the state-level institutions, including the tax administration, top judicial bodies and armed forces.

The entity parliament is set to convene for the special session on Friday, not allowing the representatives of the Office of the High Representative to attend it.