Jezerca Tigany, deputy director of AI's Europe and Central Asia programme, said that nearly two decades after the end of the war the authorities were ignoring the commitments they had taken on to punish all perpetrators of war crimes, including sexual abuse cases.
AI has documented hundreds of forms of rape and other forms of sexual violence against women and girls in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Justice is crucial for ensuring a lasting peace. Failure to prosecute the perpetrators may trigger further conflicts and encourage the perpetrators to continue abuse, she said.
Based on AI's recommendations from 2010, the Bosnian state authorities undertook to prepare a legislative framework to ensure that victims received justice and reparation.
Unfortunately, nothing has been done to date, Tigany said, urging the authorities to honour their commitments towards victims of sexual crimes.