UN envoy welcomes Bosnia-Herzegovina court ruling on sexual violence in conflict
The ruling on the crimes committed in the so-called Kotor Varoš case – which dates back to the Balkan conflict of the early 1990s – was greeted by Zainab Bangura's Office in a press release hailing the decision as “a strong signal that there will be no sanctuary for perpetrators of conflict-related sexual violence.”
“Too many women throughout the former Yugoslavia are still waiting for justice, while the perpetrators of conflict-related sexual violence walk free,” the press release continued. “Yet, the court's ruling shows that no matter the time that has elapsed, perpetrators of humanity's gravest crimes will ultimately be held to account for their actions.”
According to Bangura's Office, the court's ruling also demonstrates the importance of legal aid and reparation for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence which, it added, must be “prompt, adequate, and effective.”
“It is essential that governments in the former Yugoslavia do their utmost to deliver justice, legal aid and comprehensive reparation programs for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence,” declared the UN official in the press release.
“I call upon the governments affected by conflict in the former Yugoslavia to take these measures on a regional and non-sectarian basis for the benefit of every survivor of one of wartime's most heinous atrocities.”
UN Photo/Evan Schneider
Support Our Journalism
We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism
IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.
Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
