The sixth issue of the bulletin through ACCESSION towards JUSTICE

The new issue of the bulletin through ACCESSION towards JUSTICE has been published!

The sixth issue brings to attention the discussion on rare war crimes indictments filed against high-ranking members of the military and police, as well as the possibility to prosecute for command responsibility and crimes against humanity.

A researcher from the Amnesty International, Sian Jones, poses the question as to why an adequate investigation of those suspected of planning, instigating, ordering and covering up war crimes in Serbia still does not exist despite its numerous announcements. Ivan Jovanović, a Consultant for international criminal and humanitarian law, argues whether command responsibility and crimes against humanity can be prosecuted in Serbia and why.

The News column provides an overview of the latest developments in the field of transitional justice and the European integration of Serbia.

Send us your opinion and comments on the bulletin and/or topics that it initiates to the e-mail address towardsJUSTICE@hlc-rdc.org. Discussion is also welcome on Twitter/#towardsJUSTICE.

Download your copy of the bulletin here.

The fifth issue of the bulletin through ACCESSION towards JUSTICE

The fifth issue of the bulletin through ACCESSION towards JUSTICE published!

This issue triggers discussion on the significance of creating the Regional Commission for Establishing the Facts about War Crimes and Other Gross Violations of Human Rights Committed on the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia (RECOM). It also reminds us about one rather forgotten issue – the rights of the citizens who were forcibly mobilized after fleeing to Serbia from the war zones in Croatia and B&H.

And, at the end, there are columns in the Bulletin offering an overview of events and war crimes trials in the period following June 15th, 2014.

The bulletin wishes to underline how important it is for a country aspiring to join the community of European nations, but also for the EU itself, to initiate the process of dealing with the past. History has shown that unresolved issues of the past are always present, hampering the functioning of a political system, be it a state or a community of states. Therefore, both the Republic of Serbia and the EU Member States have an obligation to secure a stable political and legal system for their citizens, a system governed by the rule of law, which will guarantee the protection of and respects for human rights of its citizens.

Please send any comments on the Bulletin to the following email address towardsJUSTICE@hlc-rdc.org and join the discussion on Twitter /#towardsJUSTICE.

Download your copy of the bulletin here.

The fourth issue of the bulletin through ACCESSION towards JUSTICE

The fourth issue of the bulletin through ACCESSION towards JUSTICE published. Eric Gordy, Professor at University College London, writes about the importance of knowing and understanding the events from the past. In his opinion, these processes are important for the democratization of the society and for the European perspective of the states striving towards the membership in the EU. He also alleges that the sluggishness of the education system greatly contributed to the fact that majority still does not know what really happened during the wars on the territory of the former Yugoslavia. Education is a topic that Marijana Toma, the Deputy Director of HLC, also writes about in another article. She alleges that education is an important component of the process of dealing with the past and the development of a stable democratic state.

And, at the end, there are columns in the Bulletin offering an overview of events and war crimes trials in the period following May 1st, 2014.

You can send us your comments on the newsletter at:  towardsJUSTICE@hlc-rdc.org and join the discussion at Twitter/#towardsJUSTICE.

Download fourth issue of the newsletter here.

The third issue of the Bulletin Through ACCESSION towards JUSTICE

This issue of the Bulletin deals with matters relating to EU legislative solutions in the area of the rights of victims and the inevitable harmonization of local regulations with the provisions applicable to states striving to become members of the EU. Even though it seems as if this area of interest did not find a place in Serbia’s EU accession process negotiations, the Director of the British non-governmental organization Redress, Carla Ferstman, maintains that this will inevitably become part of the matters under negotiation.

The Bulletin also communicates the exceptionally relevant experience of the Croatian civil society in their recently completed EU accession process. The Director of the Croatian human rights organization Documenta, Vesna Teršelič, writes about the problems, challenges and opportunities that the EU accession negotiations bear for civil society organizations, as well as the importance of the political will within future member states and the European institutions, as regards their involvement in the process.

And, at the end, there are columns in the Bulletin offering an overview of events and war crimes trials in the period following April 1st, 2014.

You can send us your comments on the newsletter at:  towardsJUSTICE@hlc-rdc.org and join the discussion at Twitter/#towardsJUSTICE.

Download third issue of the newsletter here.

The second issue of the newsletter through Accession towards JUSTICE

The second issue of the newsletter through Accession towards JUSTICE contains pieces written by International Center for Transitional Justice President Mr. David Tolbert and Sense Agency journalist Nemanja Stjepanović.

The newsletter wishes to underline how important it is for a country aspiring to join the community of European nations, but also for the EU itself, to initiate the process of dealing with the past. History has shown that unresolved issues of the past are always present, hampering the functioning of a political system, be it a state or a community of states. Therefore, both the Republic of Serbia and the EU Members States have an obligation to secure a stable political and legal system for their citizens, a system governed by the rule of law, which will guarantee the protection of and respects for human rights of its citizens.

You can send us your comments on the newsletter at:  towardsJUSTICE@hlc-rdc.org and join the discussion at Twitter/#towardsJUSTICE.

Download second issue of the newsletter here.

Bulletin through ACCESSION towards JUSTICE

The HLC has launched a number of activities by which it seeks to advance the process of dealing with past crimes in the context of the EU integration. Given the fact that the processes of dealing with the past have been pushed aside for years by Serbian institutions, the upcoming EU accession process represents a unique opportunity for putting the issue of the responsibility for war crimes on the agenda and incorporating transitional justice standards in the legal and institutional framework of the Republic of Serbia.

The newsletter wishes to underline how important it is for a country aspiring to join the community of European nations, but also for the EU itself, to initiate the process of dealing with the past. History has shown that unresolved issues of the past are always present, hampering the functioning of a political system, be it a state or a community of states.  Therefore, both the Republic of Serbia and the EU Members States have an obligation to secure a stable political and legal system for their citizens, a system governed by the rule of law, which will guarantee the protection of and respects for human rights of its citizens.

You can send us your comments on the newsletter at:  towardsJUSTICE@hlc-rdc.org and join the discussion at Twitter/#towardsJUSTICE.

Download first issue of the newsletter here.