BOSNA IHERCEGOVINA БОСНА ИХЕРЦЕГОВИНА Institucija ombudsmena/ombudsmana Институција омбудсмена/омбудсмана za ljudska prava за људска права Bosne i Hercegovine Босне и Херцеговине _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 2016 ANNUAL REPORT ON THE RESULTS OF THE ACTIVITIES OF THE INSTITUTION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS OMBUDSMAN OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA Banja Luka, March 2017 INSTITUTION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS OMBUDSMAN OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA Press: TMP Društvo za zapošljavanje slijepih i slabovidih lica doo, Sarajevo Circulation: 80 2 2016 ANNUAL REPORT ON THE RESULTS OF THE ACTIVITIES OF THE INSTITUTION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS OMBUDSMAN OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA CONTENTS I INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................... 7 II SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................... 9 III STATISTICS ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS OMBUDSMAN OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA IN 2016 ................................................................................ 18 IV CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS .................................................................................... 20 4.1. Judicial system and legal aid .............................................................................................. 20 4.1.1. Courts ........................................................................................................................... 20 4.1.2. Special report on court fees in Bosnia and Herzegovina ............................................. 24 4.1.3. High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council ...................................................................... 25 4.1.4. The Constitutional court of Bosnia and Herzegovina .................................................. 26 4.1.5. Prosecutor’s Office ...................................................................................................... 28 4.1.6. Complaints against the work of lawyers/bar associations ........................................... 29 4.1.7. Free legal aid ................................................................................................................ 30 4.2. Freedom of expression, assembly and association ............................................................. 30 4.2.1. Freedom of access to information ................................................................................ 30 4.2.2. Freedom of expression ................................................................................................. 34 4.3. The right to property .......................................................................................................... 36 4.4. Administration .................................................................................................................... 37 4.5. Inspections .......................................................................................................................... 39 4.6. Status issues of citizens ...................................................................................................... 41 4.7. Police .................................................................................................................................. 44 4.8. Governmental and ministerial appointments ...................................................................... 46 V ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RIGHTS.................................................................................. 48 5.1. The right to work ................................................................................................................ 48 5.2. Severance pay in Republika Srpska and in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina .... 52 5.3. Utilities ............................................................................................................................... 54 5.4. The right to pension ............................................................................................................ 56 5.5. The right to health and social care ..................................................................................... 59 VI THE NOTION OF TORTURE AND ESTABLISHED OF A NATIONAL PREVENTIVE MECHANISM IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA ................................... 63 6.1. Monitoring the rights of prisoners/detainees ...................................................................... 63 6.1.1. Health care ................................................................................................................... 65 6.1.2. Use of privileges out of the establishments ................................................................. 66 6.1.3. Conditions of accommodation ..................................................................................... 67 6.1.4. Work ............................................................................................................................ 70 6.1.5. Transfer ........................................................................................................................ 71 6.1.6. Safety of persons deprived from liberty ....................................................................... 73 6.1.7. Communication with the outside world ....................................................................... 74 6.2. The situation in institutions for people with intellectual difficulties ................................. 75 VII CHILDREN’S RIGHTS ...................................................................................................... 77 7.1. The best interest of the child .............................................................................................. 77 7.2. Health care and education of children ................................................................................ 80 7.3. Participation of children ..................................................................................................... 83 3 INSTITUTION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS OMBUDSMAN OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA 7.4. Bullying .............................................................................................................................. 84 7.5. The children and the Internet ............................................................................................. 85 7.6. Juveniles in conflict with the law ....................................................................................... 86 VIII PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE GROUPS OF CITIZENS ..................................... 88 8.1. Persons with disabilities ..................................................................................................... 88 8.1.1. Professional rehabilitation of persons with disabilities ............................................... 94 8.2. Rights of the minorities ...................................................................................................... 95 8.3. The returnees ...................................................................................................................... 96 8.4. Women’s rights .................................................................................................................. 97 IX DISCRIMINATION ............................................................................................................ 100 9.1. Assessment of the situation according to the complaints lodged, drafting bylaws, special reports...................................................................................................................................... 102 9.2. Review of the situation– a comparison in relation to the previous period ....................... 103 9.3. Special Report on the rights of LGBT persons in Bosnia and Herzegovina .................... 103 9.4. Manual for actions of Ombudsman for Human Rights of Bosnia and Herzegovina in discrimination cases ................................................................................................................ 105 9.5. Individual examples of general significance .................................................................... 106 9.5.1. Determining of national origin of candidates in competitions .................................. 106 9.5.2. Names of streets and institutions ............................................................................... 107 9.5.3. Use of language in the educational process ............................................................... 107 9.5.4. Boksit Milići .............................................................................................................. 108 9.5.5. Mobbing ..................................................................................................................... 109 9.5.6. The use of unpaid leave for going abroad ................................................................. 109 X RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE OMBUDSMEN .......................................................... 110 XI COOPERATION WITH THE MEDIA ............................................................................ 111 XII COOPERATION WITH ORGANS AND INSTITUTIONS ......................................... 116 12.1. Cooperation with organs and institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina .......................... 116 12.2. Cooperation with international institutions and organizations ...................................... 118 12.3. Regional cooperation ....................................................................................................