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Spokesperson Liz Throssell said OHCHR Is deeply concerned by recent incidents in both countries in which individuals have glorified atrocity crimes and condemned war criminals, targeted certain communities with hate speech and, in some cases, directly incited violence.
The fear is that such acts – fueled by persistent nationalist and inflammatory rhetoric and hate speech by some politicians – will increase this year, on the eve of the elections.
“As we have repeatedly highlighted, the rise of hate speech, the denial of genocide and other atrocity crimes and the glorification of war criminals in the Western Balkans highlight the failure to comprehensively address the past. » she says.
Facing the survivors
The incidents occurred last weekend during religious holidays and took place in several locations in Republika Srpska, the Serbian entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as in Brčko in the north and in Serbian towns from Priboj and Novi Pazar.
Among them, large groups of people chanted the name of Ratko Mladić, a convicted war criminal and former military leader of the Bosnian Serbs, during torchlight processions, or sang nationalist songs calling for the capture of various places in the former Yugoslavia. In one incident, individuals fired into the air as they passed a mosque.
“These incidents, some of which took place in locations where large-scale atrocities were committed during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina… are an affront to survivors, including those who returned home after the conflict. » Ms. Throssell said.
Impartial investigation
The failure to prevent or punish them constitutes a major obstacle to building trust and reconciliation, she added.
“Serious incidents like these should be is the subject of a rapid, effective and impartial investigationto prevent them from recurring and being perpetuated, and also to foster public trust in authorities and institutions, as well as within communities, which is essential for building social cohesion and peaceful societies.
OHCHR was encouraged that some senior political officials, as well as religious leaders, condemned these acts and that the police opened an investigation.
Prevent recurrence
Ms. Throssell stressed the need for authorities in both countries to respect their international obligations to guarantee the rights to truth, justice and reparation.
“They should also adopt measures to prevent this from happening again and promote further reconciliation efforts,” she said. “We call on them to condemn and refrain from any call to national, racial or religious hatred. »
Furthermore, she recalled that the countries parties to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rightsof which Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina are part, are required to ensure that incitement to discrimination, hostility and violence is prohibited in law and in practice.
“All perpetrators and instigators of such acts must be held accountable,” she said.
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