At the conference of chief prosecutors in Tesliฤ, organized by the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HJPC BiH) with financial support from the OSCE Mission to BiH, members of the HJPC BiH, chief prosecutors, representatives of the executive authorities, the international community, professional associations, and civil society organizations gathered.
The focus of the meeting was on analyzing the results of the work of prosecutorial offices in Bosnia and Herzegovina for 2025, from the state, entity, and Brฤko District of BiH perspectives. The OSCE/EU in BiH Report on monitoring trials in Western Balkan countries in cases of organized crime and corruption was presented, as well as the Judicial Security Strategy in BiH for the period 2025โ2030. A panel discussion was also held on the application of provisions of the Criminal Code related to the denial of genocide and war crimes, glorification of war criminals, and other forms of incitement to hatred, and challenges and results in prosecuting war crime cases, particularly ICTY and ICTR cases, were presented.
The President of the HJPC BiH, Sanin Boguniฤ, recalled the most important activities undertaken by the HJPC BiH to make prosecutorial offices more efficient and of higher quality in serving citizens. He emphasized that the HJPC BiH adopted the Guidelines for Review and Control of Prosecutorial Decisions, assessing this as a significant systemic step in strengthening professional standards, accountability, and transparency of prosecutorial offices across the country. According to him, their application further improves the quality of decision-making, systemic coordination, and continuous enhancement of practices, confirming the judicial system's commitment to the principles of legality, accountability, and efficiency, and strengthening the ability of prosecutorial offices to act professionally and impartially.
The Legal Advisor of the OSCE Mission to BiH, Velimir Delovski, addressed the participants on behalf of the Mission and emphasized that the Mission continues to be a reliable partner, providing support to the HJPC in preserving judicial independence and enhancing its efficiency, accountability, and transparency.
In the continuation of the conference, conclusions on the further work of prosecutorial offices were adopted. It was noted that statistical indicators on the work of prosecutorial offices show significant progress in efficiency, particularly regarding achieved prosecutorial norms, handling of inflows, the number of resolved cases, and filed indictments. At the same time, it was emphasized that the average duration of proceedings remains a challenge, which is why chief prosecutors and prosecutors are required to increase their engagement to shorten the duration of proceedings and ensure the parties' right to a trial within a reasonable time.
It was also highlighted that during the observed period, there is a trend of an increasing number of old unresolved cases, although 2025 recorded the highest percentage of implementation of plans for their resolution. This category of cases still requires a continuous and systemic approach, with the obligation of chief prosecutors to monitor the development and implementation of plans, particularly ensuring that cases are planned for resolution based on the age of the initial act and that additional measures are taken in prosecutorial offices with the highest increase in old cases.
Work on corruption and organized crime cases was confirmed as a priority in the work of all prosecutorial offices. The need for continuous, intensive, and high-quality cooperation with police agencies, proactive action by prosecutors, and improvement of the criminal-intelligence approach was emphasized, aiming for better results and a higher number of confirmed indictments, particularly in high-level corruption cases.
The conference also pointed out that the filling of prosecutorial positions and general staffing capacities directly affect the efficiency of prosecutorial offices, highlighting the necessity of their timely filling.
Chief prosecutors of prosecutorial offices where cases have been formed based on information from Sky/Anom applications are obliged to ensure active monitoring and coordination of work on these cases, review all unresolved cases that may be related to these applications, and timely and efficiently obtain relevant information and evidence, particularly considering the deadline of December 1, 2026, set by the competent authorities of the French Republic.
Special emphasis was placed on the need for proactive and transparent public information about the results of prosecutorial offices' work to enhance citizens' trust and improve the overall perception of the judiciary's work. Participants recalled that with the adoption of the HJPC BiH Guidelines for Review and Control of Prosecutorial Decisions, an improved normative framework aimed at standardizing practices, strengthening accountability, and eliminating observed systemic weaknesses was established, and that their consistent application is key to the legality and quality of prosecutorial decisions.
Among the conclusions is also the need for a strategic and proactive approach to conducting financial investigations and confiscating illegally acquired assets in organized crime and corruption cases, as sporadic application of temporary, permanent, and extended confiscation measures does not achieve the goal of deterrence. The HJPC BiH also pointed out the necessity of intensifying work on ICTY and ICTR cases, as well as the consistent application of acts, decisions, and conclusions of the HJPC BiH and the Monitoring Body for the Implementation of the Revised State Strategy for War Crimes Processing.
Conference participants welcomed the adoption of the Judicial Security Strategy in Bosnia and Herzegovina for the period 2025โ2030 and the accompanying Action Plan, assessing them as key documents for enhancing the security and integrity of the judicial system. They emphasized the need for timely, coordinated, and consistent implementation at all levels in BiH, as well as the importance of continuous and effective cooperation of all competent institutions, ensuring adequate financial, technical, and human capacities, and establishing functional mechanisms for monitoring, reporting, and evaluating the implementation of the Strategy.