Belgrade, October 18, 2023 - In a collaborative effort to enhance the capacities of domestic legal practitioners in handling war crimes cases, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with the support of the European Union (EU), hosted a one-day seminar on the standards and practice of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). The event brought together judges, prosecutors, judicial and prosecutorial assistants, as well as lawyers who act in defense and represent victims in these cases.

Miloš Bogičević, lawyer at the ECtHR, led the seminar. He emphasized the importance of such training for legal professionals working on war crimes cases.

- Understanding the standards of the European Court for Human Rights is essential for judges, prosecutors, and lawyers handling domestic war crimes cases, Bogičević stated, underscoring the seminar's significance.

One of the participants, lawyer Marina Kljaić, echoed this sentiment, stressing the relevance of the ECtHR’s standards in domestic legal proceedings, including war crimes cases.

- It is necessary that the judges, prosecutors, and lawyers acting in these cases are up to date with the practice of the European Court of Human Rights in the context of the prosecution of war crimes, both for the protection of the rights of the victims of the conflicts on the territory of the former Yugoslavia that took place in the 1990s and for compliance with the fair trial standards for the perpetrators of these crimes. It is a valuable opportunity to exchange experiences with practitioners from the European Court of Human Rights, while examples from the practice of colleagues are always valuable for further work - said Kljaić.

Throughout the seminar, participants deepened their understanding of ECtHR standards and jurisprudence, including the admissibility of applications and the temporal application of the European Convention for Human Rights, with special reference to Article 6— Right to a fair trial, and Article 7—No punishment without law. 

This initiative is part of the project "EU Support to Confidence Building in the Western Balkans", funded by the European Union and implemented by UNDP. The project aims to strengthen the judicial system's capacity to conduct war crimes proceedings in line with international standards. The project seeks to support victims, promote accountability for war crimes committed in the Western Balkans during the 1990s, and foster dialogue within and between ethnic groups. By reinforcing the rule of law and supporting the EU accession process, these activities contribute to reconciliation and sustainable peace in the region.