OMBUDSMEN POINT TO ILLEGAL ARRESTS IN FEDERATION OF BH

SARAJEVO, July 8 (Hina) - The ombudsmen of the Federation of Bosnia- Herzegovina, Vera Jovanovic, Esad Muhibic, and Branka Raguz, demanded the Federation authorities to urgently pass a new amnesty act, which would cancel numerous indictments issued due to crimes committed during or before the war. The new amnesty act would be based on regulations of the Dayton Agreement, and its passing is necessary in order to accelerate the return of refugees and displaced persons to their pre-war homes, read a statement issued by the ombudsmen office in Sarajevo on Thursday. The ombudsmen had forwarded a special report to the Federation parliament, Prime Minister Edhem Bicakcic, Justice Minister Ignjac Dodig, as well as the Office of the High Representative, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The report read that the existing legal regulations do not properly regulate the right to amnesty, which is included in the Dayton Agreement. The newest initiative was motivated by frequent arrests conducted by the BH police and based on arrests warrants issued due to crimes committed during or before the war, even though the amnesty was envisaged in the Dayton Agreement. The ombudsmen assessed the courts' legal proceedings led to numerous violations of human rights, and the fact that the majority of the arrested persons were citizens of the Republika Srpska, indicated that the Republika Srpska authority could take similar actions, which could have a negative impact on the return of refugees. (hina) it