Pismo Ustavnom sudu BiH

February 16, 2012

 

Open letter to the Bosnian Supreme Court regarding deletion of the article 48

 

The Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Commission on Human Rights at the Constitutional Court of BiH

Reisa Dž.ÄŒauševića 6

71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

 

Honorable members of the Constitutional Court and members of the Commission on Human Rights,

 

We are writing to you, representatives of the institutions whose primary function is to protect the human rights and dignity of citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and regarding the recent vote on the Census legislation from which the Article 48 was deleted. As I am sure you are aware this Article anticipated that the results of the ethnic structure of population from Census of 1991 would apply during the formation of government until the full implementation of Annex 7 of the Dayton Peace Agreement, or until the return of refugees and displaced persons to their homes.

 

We would like to take this opportunity to remind that the Census without the Article 48 would entail strict offense to the basic human rights as explained in the European Convention on Human Rights on the Return of Refugees to their homes in dignity, freedom, equality, peace, justice, tolerance, and reconciliation, This is the basis needed to create peaceful relations within a pluralist society. Also, under the Article II of the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the European Convention on Human Rights and fundamental freedoms in the Convention are the basic principles of the Constitution and as such have even higher priority over other laws. Relying on these principles, we would like to point out the obvious contradiction, not only in regards to the very structure of the ‘Dayton Bosnia’, where the creation of the entities creates the inequality among citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also the defective implementation of this Agreement, primarily of the Annex 7 which specifies the appropriate circumstances for the return of refugees and displaced persons in the accordance with the European Convention on Human rights.

 

Annex 7 is not implemented due to lack of certain conditions for return. Bosniaks and other citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina cannot return to their homes in the smaller [Serb-controlled] entity because they have to deal with the daily humiliation and attack on their dignity to live as citizens of a lower rank, and who are constantly humiliated and discriminated against by the institutions whose symbols represent only one ethnic group. Furthermore, returnees conditions for socio-economic equality in society where they are not adequately represented in the political system of the smaller entity. To return, Bosniaks and other citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina

who were forcibly exiled require absolute confidence in peace, security and respect for basic human rights. The conditions for peace and security are threatened, and there still exist occasional physical attacks on Bosniaks, their property and religious buildings. Among the main obstacles to justice and reconciliation is the denial of genocide and crimes against Bosniaks as additional deterrent for the returnees. Such an attitude towards the war events created difficult conditions for the safe return of Bosniaks to their homes and reconciliation and coexistence with its neighbors, which is required in the European Convention and in Annex 7 of the Dayton Accords.

 

Due to these facts about the severe shortcomings of normal conditions for the return of refugees, Annex 7 could not be conducted without being in violation of the Dayton agreement and the Bosnian Constitution, which was established in Annex 4 of this Agreement. Accordingly, we deem it necessary to officially investigate the following questions:

 

1. The legality and compliance of the law on the census without the article 48 which refers to the implementation of Annex 7 as a prerequisite for the census.

2. The legality of the implementation of Annex 7 of Dayton agreement as a prerequisite for basic human rights of citizens in non Serbian small entities.

 

On behalf of the victims of genocide and expelled Bosniaks in Diaspora and the homeland, we hope you will carefully consider our request in accordance with democratic priorities and beliefs that you represent.

 

Sincerely,

 

Haris Alibasic, MPA, President of the Congress of North American Bosniaks

Prof. Emir Ramic, Chairman of the Institute for Research of Genocide, Canada

Prof. Dr. Muris Osmanagic, On behalf of the Open Panel of Intellectuals for Constitutional Reforms in Bosnia and Herzegovina

 

 

 

16. februar 2012

Pismo Ustavnom sudu BiH povodom brisanja člana 48 iz Zakona o popisu stanovništva

 

Ustavni Sud Bosne i Hercegovine

Komisija za ljudska prava pri ustavnom sudu Bosne i Hercegovine

Reisa Dž.ÄŒauševića 6 71000 Sarajevo Bosna i Hercegovina

 

Poštovani članovi Ustavnog suda BiH i članovi Komisije za ljudska prava

 

Obraćamo Vam se kao nadležnim institucijama čija je glavna funkcija zaštita ljudskog dostojanstva graÄ‘ana Bosne i Hercegovine, u vezi nedavnog glasanja zakona o popisu stanovništva iz kojeg je izbrisan član 48, kojim je bilo predviÄ‘eno da se rezultati o etničkoj strukturi stanovništva popisa iz 1991. godine primjenjuju pri formiranju vlasti sve do potpune primjene Aneksa 7 Dejtonskog mirovnog sporazuma, odnosno do završetka povratka izbjeglih i raseljenih lica.

 

Želimo da ovom prilikom podsjetimo da bi popis stanovništva bez člana 48 značio prekršaj osnovnih ljudskih prava koje su obrazložene u Europskoj konvenciji za ljudska prava na povratak izbjeglica u svoje domovine u dostojanstvo, slobodu, jednakost, mir, pravdu, toleranciju, i pomirenje; kao osnova za stvaranje miroljubivih odnosa unutar pluralističkog društva. TakoÄ‘e, prema članu II. Ustava BiH, Europska konvencija za ljudska prava i osnovne slobode u toj konvenciji su i osnovni principi Ustava BiH i kao takvi imaju čak i veći prioritet nad ostalim zakonima. Pozivajući se na ove principe, želimo ukazati na očitu kontradikciju, ne samo u odnosu na samu dejtonsku strukturu BiH, gdje se stvaranjem entiteta stvara nejednakost meÄ‘u graÄ‘anima Bosne i Hercegovine; nego i na defektivnu primjenu ovog sporazuma, prvenstveno Aneksa 7 kojim se specificira stvaranje okolnosti za povratak izbjeglih i raseljenih lica u skladu s Europskom konvencijom za ljudska prava.

 

 

Aneks 7 nije primjenjen zbog nedostatka odreÄ‘enih okolnosti za povratak. Bošnjaci i drugi graÄ‘ani BiH se ne mogu vratiti na ognjišta u manjem entitetu u BiH jer se svakodnevno moraju suočavati s poniženjem njihovog dostojanstva da žive kao graÄ‘ani nižeg reda zbog institucija čiji simboli predstavljaju samo jednu etničku grupu. TakoÄ‘er, povratnici nemaju realne uslove za socio-ekonomsku jednakost u društvu gdje nisu adekvatno predstavljeni u političkim organima entiteta. Povratak Bošnjaka i ostalih graÄ‘ana BiH koji su nasilno protjerani zahtjeva apsolutno uvjerenje u mir, sigurnost i poštivanje osnovnih ljudskih prava. Uvjeti za mir i sigurnost su ugroženi i povremenim fizičkim nasrtajima na Bošnjake, njihovu imovinu i vjerske objekte. MeÄ‘u glavnim preprekama za pravdu i pomirenje je i negiranje genocida i zločina nad Bošnjacima što dodatno zastrašuje povratnike. Ovakav odnos prema ratnim dogaÄ‘ajima stvara otežane uvjete za siguran povratak Bošnjaka na svoja ognjišta te pomirenje i suživot sa svojim susjedima što je uvjetovano i Europskom konvencijom i u Aneksu 7 Dejtonskog sporazuma.

 

 

Zbog navedenih činjenica o teškim nedostacima normalnih uslova za povratak izbjeglica, Aneks 7 ne može biti sproveden što predstavlja kršenje Dejtonskog sporazuma a samim tim i Ustav BiH koji je uspostavljen kroz Aneks 4 ovog sporazuma.

 

Prema tome, smatramo nužno da oficijelno ispitate slijedeća pitanja:

 

 

1. Zakonitost i sukladnost zakona o popisu stanovništva bez člana 48 koji se poziva na primjenu Aneksa 7 kao preduvjet za popis stanovništva,

2. Zakonitost o primjenama Aneksa 7 Dejtonskog sporazuma kao preduvjet za osnovna ljudska prava nesprskih građana u manjem entitetu BiH.

 

 

U ima žrtava genocida i protjeranih Bošnjaka u dijaspori i domovini, nadamo se da ćete pažljivo razmotriti naš zahtjev u skladu sa demokratskim prinicipima koje zastupate.

 

 

S poštovanjem,

 

 

Mr. Haris Alibašić, Predsjednik Kongresa Bošnjaka Sjeverne Amerike

Emir Ramić, Direktor Instituta za Istraživanje Genocida, Kanada

Prof. Dr. Muris Osmanagić, U ime inicijatora Otvorenog panela intelektualaca za Ustavne promjene u BiH