Mechanism Information Programme and Office of the Prosecutor participate in International Summer School Sarajevo 2023

Today, staff from the Mechanism Information Programme for Affected Communities (MIP) and the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism) gave presentations at the International Summer School Sarajevo 2023.

The theme of this year’s Summer School, organised by the Association “Pravnik” and the Rule of Law Programme South East Europe of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, is: “ The Role of Transitional Justice in Rebuilding Human Rights and Rule of Law in Post-Conflict Societies .” The Summer School is being held at the Sarajevo Information Centre on the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), which is located in the Sarajevo City Hall. Spanning 11 days, it brings together 30 graduate and PhD students specialising in law and related disciplines from the region of the former Yugoslavia and elsewhere.

Today's session was entirely dedicated to the work of the ICTY and the Mechanism, and allowed the participating students to engage in fruitful discussions on the contributions and broader impact of these two institutions.

At the outset, MIP researcher Mr. Nemanja Stjepanović gave an introductory lecture, providing the students with an insightful overview of ICTY and Mechanism cases. Mr. Aleksandar Kontić, Legal Officer from the OTP, then delivered a presentation shedding light on the pivotal role of the OTP in investigating and prosecuting crimes committed during the 1990s conflicts in the former Yugoslavia.

Next, MIP Coordinator Ms. Rada Pejić-Sremac addressed the participants, highlighting the significance of outreach programmes for the processes of reconciliation, facing the past, and transitional justice. During her presentation, she shared examples of the ICTY's outreach activities and showcased the valuable work of the MIP.

Following the three lectures, the students watched a documentary movie entitled “ Through Their Eyes: Witnesses to Justice ”, which was produced by the ICTY Outreach Programme and exemplifies the courage of witnesses who testified in cases before the ICTY.

The MIP’s participation in the International Summer School Sarajevo 2023 forms part of the Programme’s efforts to support projects and events organised by civil society organisations active in the field of transitional justice in the region of the former Yugoslavia.

The aim of the MIP is to improve the knowledge and understanding of citizens and communities in the countries of the former Yugoslavia about the crimes committed during the conflicts of the 1990s, based on the jurisprudence of the ICTY and the Mechanism. The MIP is funded by the European Union.