Human Rights Chamber Public Hearing in Banja Luka

Human Rights Coordination centre,
a cooperative effort within the
Office of the High Representative.

On 9 November, the Human Rights Chamber held a public hearing in Banja Luka in the Case no. CH96/29, Islamic Community versus the Republika Srpska, regarding the destruction of mosques in Banja Luka. The hearing was held despite continued problems faced by the Chamber in securing a location for the hearing. On two separate occasions, the venue for the hearing was cancelled, including premises for which the Chamber had secured a written contract. This cancellation occurred two days before the hearing was scheduled to take place. In both instances, political pressure was cited as the reason for the cancellation. Further, the government of the Republika Srpska failed to send an Agent before the Chamber to represent the government at the hearing.

The Human Rights Steering Board strongly condemns any activities of authorities or individuals to obstruct the work of the Chamber. The Steering Board reminds the authorities of the Republika Srpska of their obligations under Annex 6 of the Peace Agreement that they "undertake to provide all relevant information to, and cooperate fully with the Chamber". Failure to comply with these obligations is a direct violation of the Peace Agreement.

Human Rights Steering Board:

• Office of the High Representative (OHR)
• Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
• United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMIBH)
• United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR)
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
• Council of Europe (CoE)
• European Union (EU)
• European Commission Monitoring Mission (ECMM)
• International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
• OXFAM