Daily e-newspaper • N° 3644 • Sarajevo, October 7, 2015 SARAJEVO Court Renders First Verdict for ISIS Links The state court in Sarajevo convicted four men of financing terrorist activities and recruiting people to fight for the Islamic State in Syria - a first under a new law meant to stop Bosnian nationals from fighting in foreign wars BiH Court sentenced Husein Erdic to three The four were arrested in February as state parliament passed a law envisaging jail and a half years in prison for organizing the Husidic and Keserovic tried to depart for terms of up to 20 years to curb recruitment departure to Syria of Nevad Husidic and Istanbul from Sarajevo Airport. Cukovic, and discourage young Bosnians from going to Merim Keserovic, while Husidic and reading out the verdict, said Erdic had acted fight abroad. Police estimate around 200 Bos- Keserovic were jailed for a year for attempt- in cooperation with unnamed individuals in nians, including women and children, have ing to join the Islamic State. A fourth man, Turkey. She said the investigators had inter- left to join Syria's civil war over the past three Midhat Trako, was convicted of organizing cepted his Skype conversations with years, of whom more than 50 later returned and financing the departure of Husidic and Husidic and Keserovic which revealed home, while around 30 were killed. Keserovic to Istanbul, a stop-off point on the details of recruitment. There are currently 17 people on trial for way to Syria, and jailed him for 18 months, Bosnia has taken a tough line on suspected suspected links with militant groups in Syria Judge Biljana Cukovic told the Court. supporters of Islamist militants. Last year, the and Iraq. Vlado Azinovic, professor: Entire Adis Arapovic, Centers of Civil Denis Hadzovic, Center for Security families depart (to join ISIS in Syria), Initiatives: The state should work on Studies: We all must join the fight against and in most of those cases, there is no conditions that will make people want to terrorism more vigorously, and convince law or repressive measure to dissuade live here; people need a prospect of those young people that it is not their those people from what they believe is future. Then they will feel no need to fill future and a way to influence the devel- their mission in life the gaps in life with terrorism adventures opments in our society and globally BOSNIA NEWS BiH CoM Passes Draft Decision to Ratify Border Deal with Montenegro By Vlastimir Mijovic The Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina passed a Senior Editor draft decision on the ratification of the state border agreement between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, which will be "Historic" sent to the BiH Presidency for further ratification procedure Verdict he decision finalizes the procedure of mented by state institutions in 2015 and esterday, the BiH Court rendered a Tdefining the state border between the 2016 on their own or in cooperation Yjudgment that some media immedi- two countries, which is an important step in with the entities. ately called "historic". Four Bosnian the region, said the Information Service of More than 50 measures are contained in the nationals were sentenced for taking part the BiH Council of Ministers. Action Plan, which will be implemented in in joining the foreign paramilitary forma- The Council of Ministers also adopted the areas of public finance, taxation and fis- tions in Syria and Iraq. It is the first judg- the Action Plan for implementation of cal sustainability, business environment and ment made on the basis of amendments to the Reform Agenda on the level of the competitiveness, the rule of law and effi- the Criminal Code which BiH adopted Council of Ministers, which includes a cient management and public administra- among the first in the world. package of measures that will be imple- tion reform, said CoM. The first accused Husein Erdic was sen- tenced to three and a half years in prison; United Response to Refugee Crisis Midhat Trako was sentenced to a year and a half; Nevad Husidic and Merin after Luxembourg Meeting Keserovic to one year in prison. Prosecu- BiH Minister of Foreign Affairs Igor Crnadak meeting in Luxembourg, and that there tion is satisfied with the verdict. pointed out the importance of the first Euro- will be more room for joint action to over- Erdic, Trako, Keserovic and Husidic pean ministerial gathering on Middle Eastern come the crisis in the best way possible. were arrested on 18 February this year refugees, with emphasis on the Mediterranean "I expect special attention to be paid to on suspicion of financing terrorist activ- and Western Balkan route. That meeting will countries that have been under greatest ities, public incitement to terrorist activ- be held in Luxembourg on Thursday. In addi- pressure lately, also the transit countries, ities and organizing to join the terrorist tion to Crnadak, BiH will be represented by such as Serbia, Macedonia, which cannot group ISIL in Syria. SIPA carried out a Minister of Security Dragan Mektic. carry the burden they deal with. I find it is major action then, codenamed "Damas- Crnadak expects a united response of good that ministers of Turkey, Lebanon cus 3". Europe to the crisis, and that Europe will and Jordan will attend the meeting, In this way, BiH practically demonstrat- confirm its solidarity after Thursday. He because those countries received four mil- ed its membership in the global coali- added he hopes there will be no tension lion migrants," said Crnadak at a press tion to fight terrorists of the so-called between countries in the region after the conference in Banja Luka. Islamic State. A clear message was sent to individuals that this type of activity will not be tolerated in BiH. It is expect- Ten Persons Charged with War Crimes ed that the law will be consistently Annually on Average applied in future similar cases. Also, a trial is ongoing in BiH Court against Over the past ten years, the state prosecution ments refer to cases of sexual violence, rape, Bilal Bosnic, informal leader of the has charged 509 persons with war crimes and sexual abuse during war. Wahhabi community in BiH, for public committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In "An indictment was rejected in only one recruitment for terrorism, and 12 more the past two and a half years alone, 235 peo- case, while all the others were confirmed. In persons who are charged with organiz- ple were indicted. our current practice, convictions are handed ing a terrorist group. "The indictees, who are accused of war down in more than 81 percent of cases, According to the latest data of the State crimes by the state prosecution, come from which speaks for itself in regard to the qual- Investigation and Protection Agency all ethnic groups and from entire Bosnia and ity of the indictments and the professional (SIPA), 23 children and 33 women from Herzegovina, and they are charged with attitude towards the work on those cases," Bosnia and Herzegovina are in the Syri- crimes committed from 1992 to 1995," the state prosecution statement reads. an warzone. International Centre for the reads a state prosecution statement. The prosecution emphasized the need for Study of Radicalization at King's College The indictments are related to crimes com- cooperation with countries in the region, in in London said that as many as 330 citi- mitted against victims of all ethnicities. The order to prosecute suspects hiding in neigh- zens of Bosnia and Herzegovina fought in state prosecution said those include crimes boring countries. The prosecution also that region in 2014. of genocide, crimes against humanity, war described their cooperation with partner Many of them returned to BiH. Are they crimes against civilians and prisoners of institutions, stating that war crimes suspects also being sought, and will they be tried - war. According to the state prosecution's were extradited from the United States, so far there are no indications. statement, a significant number of indict- Spain, Norway and other countries. Bosnia Daily, October 7, 2015 2 OPINION HIGHLIGHTS President of Republika Srpska and SNSD leader Milorad Dodik scheduled a Friday The Truce meeting with representatives of the ruling political parties in Republika Srpska and rep- Sheeple can celebrate: it was proven that there is life after Eid resentatives of the RS parties in the state- his year's Eid can be considered histori- the two fought for the position that one of level ruling coalition. They will discuss the Tcal: some day, kids will learn about it in them claims based on the birth certificate, current situation in the RS and Bosnia and school, and some of them might even say that and the other based on his results. The brutal- Herzegovina. Dodik told reporters in Banja their grand-grandfather was there in person ity of that fight never had to do anything with Luka that he invited representatives of when history was made; he maybe brought a essential differences in understanding the SNSD, DNS, SP, SDS, PDP and NDP. They toothpick to Fahrudin Radoncic or a glass of politics or vision of BiH, because those dif- will discuss, he said, political topics that are elderberry juice to Bakir Izetbegovic as the ferences don't exist. of general interest. two negotiated a partnership between SDA Izetbegovic and Radoncic weren't reunited The president of the High Judicial and and SBB at Kibe's restaurant in Sarajevo. by fond memories of the times they enjoyed Prosecutorial Council of Bosnia and Herze- In the short and infamous history of multi- together, but by interests with postponed out- govina Milan Tegeltija said that the HJPC party system in Bosnia, all sorts of combina- come.