Srđan Dizdarević's, President of the Helsinki Committee for
Human Rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina, speech

Round table:
«Human Rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the light 
of the 11 September events»

Held in Sarajevo on 21 November 2001

The reason for convening this round table lies in a series of events that we registered in the period after 11 September in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which mean violation of human rights and freedoms.

Firstly, the SFOR members, beyond the mandate, conducted arrests and detentions of citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Secondly, during the arrests, actions were undertaken which can be qualified as torture, inhumane and humiliating ones. Bags and cans were put on the heads of the arrested persons, they were driven by car during which they were injured, there were also examples of psychical torture.

Thirdly, no less than 98 citizens had their citizenships revoked overnight, according to the information we received today and without respect to the legal procedure.

Fourthly, 20 extraditions or deportations were made to the countries wherein the threat of death punishment or any other rigorous forms of punishment existed against them, which contradicts the European Convention on Human Rights whose one of signatories BiH is. I would also like to mention here the inadmissible relations and no respect for procedures towards the foreign citizens. Further, there is confirmed information that the IPTF members were present during the conduct of illegal extraditions instead of protecting the law and monitoring behaviour of the police, they were involved in illegal treatment. Finally, there was also registered irregularity in the work of the local police, that is, detentions and abuse made by persons who did not have police accreditation or any other official insignia.

Another issue I would like to point out is that some legal texts or amendments to the existing laws, being in the so-called anti-terrorism package, were given officially in the procedure by the OHR, which contain elements that are not in compliance with the Resolution of the United Nations of 30 January 2001. The Resolution, among else, reads that all anti-terrorism laws should be in harmony with the United Nations Charter and should take into account the standards in the human rights field.

When speaking of these legal texts, then, I primarily think of the Law on Special Security Measures in Extraordinary Situations when the international security is threatened, and of amendments on the Law on Exile and Immigration, which, according to our opinion, should not be in the package of anti-terrorism measures because it implies that the issue of immigrants is linked to terrorism.

In order to avoid the confusion or dilemma, I would like to stress the principles, the respect of which seem to be of key importance in these times. Firstly, we condemn horrible 11 September attacks and are inviting all the states and citizens to contemn such actions and to confront to these and other similar attacks directed against innocent civilians. Secondly, we pay tribute to the victims of the terrorist attacks and express our solidarity with them and the members of their families. Thirdly, we are inviting the government to join their efforts in search of these crimes and in bringing perpetrators to justice. We also support preventive measures not to have such attacks repeated. Fourthly, we are inviting the governments, particularly the US Government to preserve the freedom and feeling of safety of each citizen regardless of his/her nationality i.e. citizenship. Fifthly, we support all those, including the religious leaders, who oppose to satanisation of the entire religious communities because of individual persons actions. We oppose to attacks, abuse, and expulsions of people because of their racial, religious, national or ethnic belonging or roots. We expect that crimes motivated with hatred be punished. Sixthly, we are inviting all the governments, specifically the US Government not to allow that the anti-terrorism campaign metamorphose into the human rights violation, but to continue to work on the promotion of human rights and freedoms. Seventhly, we are inviting all to express respect for the rules and customs of war, that is, for Geneva Conventions, focusing on the need of protection of civil population. Eighthly, we urge for securing passages for delivery of human aid to all those who need it, and we also urge for protection of refugees’ rights. Ninthly, we advocate for humane development, for security through national instances, we deem that building of just society in which civic, political, economic, social and cultural rights, with strengthening of the civil society and rule of law, with building of tolerance and freedom of expression, can present guarantees for the anti-terrorism campaign.

I would also like to mention that the International Helsinki Federation, the member of which is the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in BiH, in a public statement and in an open letter to the US President, Bush, confirmed more or less the same in line in which I have been speaking.

Finally, I would like to stress the basic message, which is that the anti-terrorism combat, attempts to prevent further terrorist actions are in no way confronted to human rights respect, contrary, we think that these two combats, combat for realization of human rights and freedoms and anti-terrorism combat can be conducted jointly, that they are complementary, not incompatible in any way. I am expecting, on behalf of the Helsinki Committee, that today’s meeting will put more light on the events that took place in the past weeks, and that we will succeed in inspiring both the executive and parliamentary authorities in BiH as well as the representatives of the international community to undertake appropriate measures which would eliminate such behaviour and reinstate the safety of citizens, confidence into the legal state and protect the idea of human rights.

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