Towards Strategy for the Prosecution of War Crimes in Serbia – Session on the Possibility of the Application of the Doctrine of Command Responsibility and Crimes Against Humanity For Crimes Committed in the 1990s

The fourth consultation session for the production of the Draft Strategy for the Prosecution of War Crimes in Serbia was held Monday November 17th, 2014, in the Library of the Humanitarian Law Center. The meeting was dedicated to the possibilities of applying command responsibility and crimes against humanity committed during the 1990s.

Towards Strategy for the Prosecution of War Crimes in Serbia – Session on the Protection of Witnesses and Victims of War Crimes

On Thursday, November 6th, 2014, in the Library of the Humanitarian Law Center (HLC), the third consultative session regarding the Draft Strategy for the War Crimes Trials in Serbia was held. The meeting was dedicated to the topic of protection of witnesses and victims of war crimes.

Towards Strategy for the Prosecution of War Crimes in Serbia – Pre-trial Phase in Cases of War Crimes Session

The second consultative meeting with regard to the Draft Strategy for the Prosecution of War Crimes was held on Tuesday, October 28th, 2014, in the Library of the Humanitarian Law Center (HLC). The meeting was dedicated to the pre-trial phase in cases of war crimes.

Towards Strategy for the Prosecution of War Crimes in Serbia – Support to Victims and Witnesses Session

The first consultation session regarding the creation of the draft Strategy for the Prosecution of War Crimes over the next ten years was held on Thursday October 9th, 2014, at the premises of the Library of the Humanitarian Law Center (HLC). The meeting was dedicated to the theme of support for victims and witnesses in war crimes cases in Serbia.

Presentation of the Analysis of the Prosecution of War Crimes in Serbia in the period 2004 to 2013

On September 30th 2014, the Humanitarian Law Center (HLC) presented its Analysis of the Prosecution of War Crimes in Serbia in the period 2004 to 2013. The Analysis encompasses the overview of practice, achievements and problems in the work of the institutions which were responsible for the enforcement of criminal justice in cases of crimes committed during the armed conflicts in the former Yugoslavia, as well as 75 recommendations to institutions and other stakeholders. The Analysis provides a starting point for drafting the strategic guidelines for the prosecution of war crimes in the forthcoming decade, which will be handed to the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Serbia at the end of 2014.

Analysis of the Prosecution of War Crimes in Serbia 2004-2013

The Analysis contains 15 chapters that portray the work of key institutions in the prosecution of war crimes, putting forward the issues important for the credibility of war crimes trials in Serbia, such as the compliance of indictments and convictions in domestic cases, with the facts established by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). The Analysis concludes with 75 recommendations to state bodies of the Republic of Serbia and international stakeholders on how to improve almost all aspects of the prosecution of war crimes in Serbia.

You can download the Analysis of the Prosecution of War Crimes in Serbia 2004-2013 here.

Racist Positions of the Court of Appeals in the Judgment in the Skočić Case

The War Crimes Department of the Court of Appeals in Belgrade (Court of Appeals Department) has quashed the judgment rendered by the Higher Court in the Belgrade War Crimes Department (Higher Court Department), by which seven members of “Simo’s Chetnicks”, a paramilitary unit, were found guilty of committing war crime in the village of Skočić (in the Municipality of Zvornik, B&H), and sent the case back for a new trial. The Humanitarian Law Center (HLC) holds that the judgment rendered by the Court of Appeals contains a number of controversial findings, and that the rationale based on racist positions are particularly unacceptable and utterly inappropriate for a court, as well as being highly offensive to the victims.

Presentation of Report on War Crimes Trials in Serbia in 2013, and ensuing Debate

On Tuesday, July 8th 2014, the Humanitarian Law Center (HLC) presented the Report on War Crimes Trials in 2013 and held a debate on the main findings of the report. The report is based on the monitoring of war crimes proceedings carried out before the War Crimes Department of the Higher Court in Belgrade, the War Crimes Department of the Court of Appeal in Belgrade and the courts of general jurisdiction in Požarevac, Niš and Prokuplje.

Report on War Crimes Trials in Serbia in 2013

The Report on War Crimes Trials in 2013 is based on the monitoring and analysis of war crimes trials before the Higher Court in Belgrade, Court of Appeal in Belgrade and the courts of general jurisdiction in Nis, Pozarevac and Prokuplje.

You can download the Report on War Crime Trials in Serbia in 2013 here.

Anonymization of Judgments in Cases of War Crimes is Illegal

The Commissioner for Information of Public Importance, acting upon the appeal filed by the Humanitarian Law Center (HLC), has found that the practice of anonymization of judgments is in violation of the Law on Free Access to Information of Public Importance and the Law on Personal Data Protection. In his Decision, the Commissioner issued an order to the Higher Court in Belgrade to deliver to the HLC the judgment without illegal anonymization, under the threat of the imposition of a fine.