Christian Schmidt at the ECtHR

The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) has criticized the actions of Mr. Christian Schmidt, the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, in connection with the case “Kovačević vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina” at the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). “Schmidt’s recent actions are incompatible with the mandate of the High Representative, the aim of which is to ensure that the civil aspects of the Dayton Agreement are implemented. Through his self-chosen intervention before the Grand Chamber of the ECtHR, he has now positioned himself against the rule of law and against impartiality – to which he should be committed. Instead, the High Representative must ensure that the court’s already legally binding rulings aimed at ending ethnic and political discrimination are actually implemented,” criticized Jasna Causevic, STP expert on genocide prevention and the Responsibility to Protect. “However, he is blocking all progress towards a democratic and equal society, furthering an ethno-nationalist division of the country.”
In a letter to, among others, UN Secretary General António Guterres, the STP called for compliance with the principles of a rule of law and equality for all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, demanding Schmidt’s appearance before the ECtHR to be condemned. Causevic also called on the German Federal Government to decisively demand implementation of the ECtHR rulings in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Thus, Germany should use its position in the European Union, the United Nations, and the Peace Implementation Council to demand all ECtHR rulings to be implemented. Further, the German Federal Government should send clear diplomatic signals and publicly criticize the appeal against the ruling in the case “Kovačević vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina”. By taking on an active and committed role, Germany could help to safeguard the rule of law and the protection of human rights in Bosnia, thus protecting the region from further destabilization.
The STP also appealed to the Foreign Office to consider the expertise of the Bosnian civil society in its political decision-making process. Thus, Adil Kulenović – President of Krug 99 – stressed the urgency of decisive human rights-oriented action: “We are convinced that Schmidt, with the self-initiated hearing in Strasbourg, is aiming to undermine the establishment of a modern European state and the restoration of traditional values of coexistence and a conflict-free society. This is against European law. We are calling for the appointment of a new High Representative who will then aim to implement all rulings of the ECtHR and recommendations of the Venice Commission – in the scope of a democratic transformation of Bosnia and Herzegovina into a modern Bosnian state.”
The letter to the UN Secretary General and the appeal by Krug 99 can be found in the attachment.

The letter to the UN Secretary General can be found here and the appeal by Krug 99 here.

Sie erreichen Adil Kulenović, Präsident von Krug 99, unter adil.kulenovic@krug99.ba