Model Strategy for the Prosecution of War Crimes Committed During and In Relation to the Armed Conflicts in the Former Yugoslavia

The objective of the Model Strategy for the Prosecution of War Crimes Committed during and in relation to the Armed Conflicts in the Former Yugoslavia (Model Strategy) is to stimulate the relevant institutions to adopt an official state strategy for the prosecution of war crimes committed in the armed conflicts during the 1990’s on the territory of the former Yugoslavia, and provide a comprehensive, informative and objective contribution to the production of this Strategy.

The Model Strategy is based on the research undertaken by the Humanitarian Law Center (HLC), ‘Ten Years of War Crimes Prosecution in Serbia – Contours of Justice (Analysis of the Prosecution of War Crimes in Serbia 2004-2013)’, and the conclusions reached during five consultative sessions with the key actors involved in the prosecution of war crimes in Serbia. The analyses of political and media discourse on war crimes trials published by the HLC in November 2014 also represent the factual and analytical basis of the Draft Strategy.

The Model Strategy defines the activities, activity leaders and resources necessary for the fulfilling of objectives aimed at the resolution of the problems encountered in the prosecution of war crimes, and also at the significant intensification of the work on these cases in the following 10 years. The Model Strategy covers the period 2015-2025, since this period represents the key period for bringing responsible individuals to justice. In the period following 2015-2025, the intensity of court proceedings is expected to drop, owing to the passage of time and life span of witnesses, perpetrators, and survivors; however, it is not expected to stop completely. In this sense, the Model Strategy represents a valuable guideline for the work of institutions even in the period following 2025.

You can download the Model Strategy for the Prosecution of War Crimes Committed During and In Relation to the Armed Conflicts in the Former Yugoslavia  here.