3. “Bosnia and Herzegovina: Mladić verdict ‘an historic day for DETAINEES’ RIGHTS In September, the European Committee for international justice’”, 8 June the Prevention of Torture reported widespread physical and psychological ill- BOTSWANA treatment of detainees by law enforcement officials in the Federation of BiH, and called for rigorous action to change the culture in Republic of Botswana police forces. Head of state and government: Mokgweetsi Masisi RIGHT TO TRUTH, JUSTICE AND State of emergency legislation introduced in REPARATION response to Covid-19 was extended twice, In June, the International Residual restricting the rights to freedom of Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals in The expression and peaceful assembly. Women Hague confirmed the initial verdict from 2017 and girls suffered increasing rates of and sentenced Ratko Mladić, the gender-based violence. Asylum rights were commander of the Bosnian Serb army, to life restricted. Licences for oil exploration imprisonment for genocide, crimes against threatened the environment and livelihoods humanity and war crimes.3 of Indigenous peoples. Death by hanging Systemic deficiencies in the Prosecutor’s was maintained for crimes including Office and the unavailability of defendants murder. who fled to other countries continued to delay FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, the prosecution of war crimes cases. By the ASSOCIATION AND ASSEMBLY end of 2021, close to 600 cases were pending before various courts in BiH. In April, the president extended the state of In July, the High Representative imposed public emergency for the second time since amendments to the BiH criminal code, its introduction in April 2020. Regulations declaring the public denial or glorification of under the Emergency Powers Act (EPA), also genocide, crimes against humanity or war introduced in 2020, continued to prohibit the crimes as a criminal offence punishable by right to strike, and carried a maximum five- imprisonment. In protest, RS political leaders year prison sentence or a BWP100,553 began a boycott of state institutions. (about US$9,250) fine for anyone publishing In September, the authorities established a information with “the intention to deceive” working group to develop a plan for the the public about Covid-19. implementation of the 2019 UN Committee In February the state amended the charge against Torture decision, which found that sheet of opposition spokesperson Justice BiH failed to provide a victim of wartime rape Motlhabane and journalists Letsogile Barupi with adequate reparation and urged the and Oratile Dikologang, who were arrested, authorities to ensure immediate and detained and charged in April 2020 for comprehensive support to all survivors of allegedly publishing false information about wartime sexual violence. The plan had not Covid-19 on Facebook. They faced two been adopted by the end of the year. counts of publishing “with the intention to Over 7,200 people remained missing as a deceive” under the EPA regulations, one result of the armed conflict. Political pressure count of “publication of alarming statements” and lack of resources continued to impede under the penal code, and one count of the work of the BiH Missing Persons Institute. “offensive electronic communication” under the cybercrime act. 1. “Bosnia and Herzegovina: Long-term solutions needed to end In September, Reverend Thuso Tiego was arrested under the Public Order Act after recurring humanitarian crisis”, 12 January 2. Bosnia and Herzegovina: Submission for EU Enlargement Package/ holding a demonstration calling for the Opinion 2021 (EUR 63/4884/2021), 20 April Amnesty International Report 2021/22 98