Ukrainian prosecutors visit FBiH office to learn about war crimes cases

The visit aimed to share experiences and best practices in prosecuting war crimes, an area in which Bosnia and Herzegovina has significant experience, both historically and ongoing.

According to a statement from the FBiH Prosecutor’s Office, advisory support to Ukrainian prosecutorial and investigative institutions is especially important given the current war in Ukraine. This support is intended to strengthen their ability to handle international crimes.

During the meeting, Chief Prosecutor Munib Halilovic and Deputy Chief Prosecutor Jasna Pecanac gave the Ukrainian delegation an overview of the country’s war crimes prosecution framework.

Chief Prosecutor Halilović also outlined how courts in Bosnia and Herzegovina approach these complex cases, noting the particular challenges posed by the country’s intricate governmental and legal systems.

He elaborated on the division of jurisdiction between entity-level judicial institutions and the state-level Court and Prosecutor’s Office of BiH when it comes to war crimes.

Deputy Prosecutor Pecanac shared statistics on recent war crimes cases in the Federation of BiH. She noted that in the past year, the FBiH Prosecutor’s Office submitted four indictments to the Supreme Court of FBiH, resulting in three convictions, one of which is final.

The Ukrainian delegation, made up of more than 25 prosecutors and investigators, will continue their visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina until May 12, the FBiH Prosecutor’s Office confirmed.