ANNOUNCEMENT: Presentation of the Report on the Implementation of the National Strategy for the Prosecution of War Crimes and a public opinion research on Citizens’ Awareness of the Wars in the 1990s
The Humanitarian Law Center (HLC) and the daily newspaper “Danas” invite you to a debate regarding the “Initial Report on the Implementation of the National Strategy for the Prosecution of War Crimes” and a presentation of public opinion research on “Serbian Citizens’ Awareness of the Wars in the ’90s, War Crimes and Trials of War Crimes Indictees”. The debate is scheduled for Monday, December 18, 2017, in the Grand Hall of the Media Center Belgrade (Terazije 3, II floor) starting at 11:00 a.m.
In February 2016, the Government of the Republic of Serbia adopted the first National Strategy for the Prosecution of War Crimes (Strategy) for the period 2016-2020. The HLC has been monitoring the implementation of the Strategy from the beginning, with the aim of offering independent research findings and conclusions on its implementation. The findings of the HLC are at the same time the only insight into the implementation of the Strategy, since the establishment of the official body for its monitoring has been delayed for 18 months, so that the public is still deprived of information on the implementation of the measures and activities envisaged.
The HLC’s Report on the Implementation of the National Strategy for the Prosecution of War Crimes provides an overview of the current situation in the eight fields covered by the Strategy, points out key weaknesses and identifies recommendations for improving the situation in those fields.
For the first time since 2011, the Research on Public Opinion represents citizens’ views on war crimes trials before domestic courts and the Hague Tribunal, as well as on the opening of the archives, regional co-operation of the judiciary, political rehabilitation of war crimes perpetrators, compensation for victims, establishing memorials, and reform of the educational programme, and speaks about the perceptions of guilt and responsibility for the crimes committed and the general public’s level of awareness with regard to the wars and crimes of the 1990s.
Representatives of the judiciary, competent ministries and government bodies, independent institutions, non-governmental organizations, the media, international organizations and embassies, and Members of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, are invited to the debate.
Speakers:
Višnja Šijačić, Humanitarian Law Center
Relja Radosavljević, Humanitarian Law Center
Jelena Diković, Daily newspaper Danas
Aleksandar Roknić, Daily newspaper Danas
Simultaneous translation into English is provided.
On Tuesday, November 28, 2017, the Humanitarian Law Center (HLC) filed a constitutional complaint on behalf of the victims in the Trnje Case for violation of their right to a trial within a reasonable time. This case is being processed before the War Crimes Department of the High Court in Belgrade. The trial in this case was from the beginning obstructed by the accused, who continued with impunity, and during the four years since the indictment was issued, only nine trial days have been held. The HLC considers this case to be a paradigm of war crimes trials in Serbia: all accused persons defend themselves undetained; hearings are scheduled with monthly intervals; a strategy of the defense has for its aim the constant delay of hearings, which is being tolerated; and the few victims who monitor trials believing that they may see justice, are being ignored and humiliated. 
On Friday, November 24, 2017, the Humanitarian Law Center (HLC), on behalf of the victims, filed an objection to the Office of the War Crimes Prosecutor’s (OWCP) decision not to prosecute General Dragan Živanović, the former commander of the 125th Motorized Brigade of the Army of Yugoslavia (125th mtbr VJ). The OWCP rendered this decision on March 1, 2017, and, contrary to the law, did not deliver it to the legal representative of the victims; however, the very next day, the prosecutor, Dragoljub Stanković, who conducted the investigation, informed Živanović and his defense attorney regarding the decision. The decision to drop the only investigation against a high-ranking officer of the VJ in secret, and thus to subvert the victims’ right to react in a timely manner, clearly shows that the OWCP, contrary to the obligations accompanying its process of EU integration, does not intend to abandon its habitual practice of guaranteeing impunity for high-ranking persons in the military, police and political structures.
