Serbian assemblywoman of Bosnian parliament praises Russia’s war in Ukraine, despite BiH’s Criminal Code condemning terrorist activities
In an interview for a Russian newspaper, the Serbian member of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sanja Vulic, said in mid-June that “the Serbian people are looking for hundreds of ways and occasions to show their commitment to Russia.”
“I will remind you about those who are spoken about in a whisper, but with pride – these are the volunteers in Donbas and those who do not miss the opportunity to march in T-shirts with the symbol Z, to cheer in support of Vladimir Putin at football matches and to organize concerts on Victory Day or Russia Day,” added Vuliq.
This kind of emphasis on pride for volunteers in Donbas, a Ukrainian region part of which Russia has occupied since 2014, is in direct contradiction to the articles of the Criminal Code that was adopted by the very Parliament, of which Vuliq is a member. more than a decade ago.
Vulić could be charged with incitement to commit a crime, which is punishable under the BiH Criminal Code, says Senad Dupovac, a lawyer who has represented many accused of participating in foreign conflicts, particularly in Syria and Iraq. He believes that the situation would be different if someone praised the Bosnian volunteers in Syria.
“Immediately he would be accused of incitement to commit a criminal offense,” he believes.
After the departure of dozens of BiH citizens to foreign conflicts in Syria and Iraq, the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH approved in 2014 changes to the Criminal Code related to the punishment of terrorist activities. Any kind of participation in foreign conflicts was made punishable by a special article of the Law where the formation and joining of foreign paramilitary and parapolice formations was described as illegal.
In particular, it has also been emphasized that persons who publicly, through the means of information, distribute or in any other way send a message to the public – aimed at inciting another to commit this criminal offense – will be punished with imprisonment from three months up to three years.
It is also legally punishable to remove obstacles or make plans or agreements with others, that is, taking any action that creates conditions for the direct commission of this criminal offense.
Vuliq, also the head of the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) club in the House of Representatives of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly, did not respond to Detektor’s requests for an interview.
“It is clear that SNSD members and officials have completely lost their way,” says MP Shemsudin Mehmedović, one of Vulić’s colleagues in Parliament.
He recalls that the law, approved precisely by the State Parliament, requires criminal liability for such statements and acts, and that incitement to go to foreign conflicts is especially dangerous when said by high state officials.
This can be characterized as incitement to commit a criminal offense, that is, incitement of people to go to foreign conflicts, and this has elements of a criminal offense. Therefore, let justice do its job,” he adds.
The former security minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dragan Mektić, during whose mandate the attention to volunteers in Syria was greater, explains that the Criminal Code is clear and that going to foreign conflicts and supporting such actions are punishable.
“This is criminalized as a criminal offense and, at least when I was there, it was prosecuted. Regardless of which conflict is in question, a BiH citizen cannot go to foreign conflicts, except as defined by law,” explains Mektiq.
The current minister of security, Nenad Nešić, did not answer the questions of Detektor journalists about this statement of Vulić.
For participation, attempts to go, incitement and recruitment to go to foreign conflicts, so far 36 decisions have been given in BiH courts, of which two have been acquitted. All convictions were handed down to former ISIS volunteers, which BIRN BeH has previously reported through the Terrorism Convictions Database.
Despite information from domestic security agencies about volunteers in Ukraine, so far only Gavrilo Steviq has been prosecuted. He has been released from responsibility for joining foreign paramilitary or parapolice formations. This indictment was related to combat activities during 2014 in the Ukrainian region of Luhansk. Since the beginning of the full Russian occupation of Ukraine in 2022, local justice has not filed any indictment for involvement in this conflict.
The BiH Prosecutor’s Office told Detektor that they are working on several cases against reported and suspected persons related to participation in foreign conflicts.
“A small part of the reported persons is also related to the conflicts in Ukraine,” replied the BiH Prosecutor’s Office, emphasizing that they do not provide information about the names of the persons due to the interest of the investigation.
In a previous research, it was discovered that Dario Ristić is one of the people who fights in the ranks of the “Perm Bears” unit. He has published photos and videos from his journey – from recruitment and training in Russia and Ukraine to the Donetsk region, where he is part of the unit in which volunteers from Serbia are also fighting, who are threatening to return for him after Ukraine. protect “Serbian sanctuaries”.
The State Agency for Investigation and Protection has not been able to provide data on the official number of Bosnian citizens on foreign fronts, saying that this data can only be provided to competent judicial institutions.
Mektic thinks that it is unacceptable for holders of high positions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, like Vulic, to speak positively about going to foreign fronts and that this deputy is fully aware that such statements constitute a criminal offense in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“I don’t know what goals you’re talking about, but whatever it is, this complicates the whole situation, it’s disrespect for the law, and I think this has a completely political background. She probably supports going to Russia, while on the other hand, when someone goes to some other front, then the question of terrorism, participation in extreme terrorist groups and the like arises,” says Mektic.
“I can’t help noticing that if the Bosnian volunteers who went to Syria – instead of going through Istanbul – had happened to go through Russia, they probably wouldn’t have been charged at all, but praised by MP Vulić,” says Dupovac.
