OSCE Mission and EU Delegation present OSCE report on war crimes proceedings in Serbia

BELGRADE, 27 October 2015 – The OSCE report on War Crimes Proceedings in Serbia, covering the period from 2003 to 2014, was presented today by the OSCE Mission and the European Union Delegation in Belgrade. 

The publication was produced by the OSCE Mission to Serbia as part of the EU-funded War Crimes Trial Monitoring project implemented by the OSCE. The project aims to contribute to enhancing Serbia’s rule of law system in the area of accountability for war crimes.

“The Report provides a concise analysis on achievements and challenges in addressing war crimes in Serbia,” said the Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia, Ambassador Peter Burkhard. 

“It is one of the results of the OSCE’s long-standing engagement in monitoring war crimes proceedings in Serbia and contains recommendations on how to address shortcomings in this field.”

The Head of EU Delegation to Serbia Michael Davenport said: “We are glad to note that some of the crucial recommendations from the Report have already been included in the draft Action plan for Chapter 23.”

“Processing of war crimes cases is significant for strengthening the rule of law and ensuring protection of human and fundamental rights, which are also important for EU integration. As the end of the mandate of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) approaches, the role of national prosecutors and judges is becoming increasingly important. They have the key role in bringing war criminals to justice.”

The OSCE Mission to Serbia remains committed to working closely with national stakeholders in their fight against impunity.

The EU Delegation to Serbia, throughout the negotiations under the Chapter 23 referring to judiciary and fundamental rights, will continue to carefully monitor the progress in processing war crimes cases in particular the concrete results achieved in this area.

The full text of the report is available at //www.osce.org/serbia/194461.