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Amnesty International
Direct Link to Full Report in English:
Direct Link to Full Report in Bosnian:
Bosnian Muslim women protest the UN war crimes tribunal's
failure to charge two men with rapes they committed in the 1992-95 war
© Private
Sabrina was only 13 years old when she was raped during
the 1992 - 1995 war in
© Robin
Hammond/Panos Pictures
30 September 2009
"This nation forgets everything. They forget about us victims. But I
will never forget about what happened to me." - Sabiha, interviewed by Amnesty
International
"I do not know if it is
possible to punish this crime. If justice exists at all?... Maybe somewhere but
not here in
Successive governments of
"During the war, thousands of women and girls were raped, often with
extreme brutality; many were held in prison camps, hotels, private houses where
they were sexually exploited. Many women and girls were killed," said
Nicola Duckworth, director of Amnesty International's
"To this day, survivors of these crimes have been denied access to
justice. Those responsible for their suffering, members of military forces, the
police, paramilitary groups, walk free. Some remain in positions of power or
live in the same community as their victims."
"The government of
"For this to happen, the authorities must ensure comprehensive
investigations that lead to prosecutions of war crimes of sexual violence in
the country. Without meaningful justice and full and effective reparation,
victims continue to suffer the effects of these horrific crimes."
The report, Whose
justice? Bosnia and Herzegovina’s women still waiting,
outlines the failure of the justice system in the country. It also focuses on
the failure of the authorities to provide the women with reparations, including
compensation for the crimes committed against them, and the violations of their
rights.
"Many women who have survived sexual violence during the war cannot get
any compensation due to the complex structures of the judicial and social
welfare systems in the country. In comparison to other war victims, they
suffer discrimination in access to social benefits," said Nicola
Duckworth.
Jasmina, a survivor of sexual violence during the war, told Amnesty
International: "I can’t sleep without pills. I still get upset easily when
people mention the war. An image, a memory, a TV spot can be a spark. I can’t
stand it … I need help."
The authorities in
A Bosnian NGO told Amnesty International that the vast majority of survivors of
war crimes of sexual violence are not receiving any psychological assistance.
Thousands of women survivors also lost family members. Many are not able to
find or maintain jobs because of their psychological condition. Many remain
without a stable source of income and live in poverty, unable to buy the
medicines they need.
As rape continues to be a taboo subject, in most cases the women face
stigmatization rather than the recognition and vital assistance they need to
help them rebuild their lives.
"The authorities must work with NGOs in developing a comprehensive
strategy to ensure that survivors receive reparations, including adequate
pensions, assistance with access to work and the highest achievable standard of
heath-care. The government should support survivors of war crimes of sexual
violence, to give them a voice to demand their rights and combat discrimination
and stigmatization they face in every day life," Nicola Duckworth said.
The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) was
established in 1993 to prosecute serious violations of international
humanitarian law, including sexual violence.
However, the ICTY was only able to prosecute a limited number of the violations
of international humanitarian law which took place during the wars in the
former
The War Crimes Chamber of the State Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina was created
in 2005, to investigate and prosecute crimes that could not be prosecuted by
the ICTY. To date, only 12 men have been convicted for crimes of sexual
violence.
Amnesty International has called on the parliament of
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