Book "Crimes of Sexual Abuse in Bosnia and Herzegovina 1992-1995 in the Light of Theory and Practice of International Law" Promoted
Promotion of the book Crimes of Sexual Abuse in Bosnia and Herzegovina 1992-1995 In The Light Of The Theory And Practice Of International Law by Dr. Sabina Subašić Galijatović was held on 9 December 2021 in the University of Sarajevo Promoted.
Prof. Dr. Dženana Husremović, Vice-Rector congratulated to the author and the Institute for Research of Crimes against Humanity and International Law, University of Sarajevo, emphasizing that this is a publication that is one in a series of important works that testify to the period behind us and which we hope will never be repeated to anyone.
“Crimes of sexual abuse, primarily rape, are the most brutal form of crime that affects the lives of survivors. Unfortunately, the systemic support of institutions and societies for survivors in our country is very modest, and the public generally knows little about suffering and trauma, which further puts survivors in a position of isolation and stigmatization. Therefore, prosecuting and prosecuting criminals who committed such atrocities is of special importance for the victims and for the whole society, and research and writing books is a pledge for future generations who need to know how the law treated the crimes of sexual abuse in harsh times” said Vice-Rector Husremović.
Introductory speech by Prof. Dr. Rasim Muratović, Institute for Research of Crimes against Humanity and International Law, University of Sarajevo Director emphasized that this book is the 151st edition of the institute.
“This work of Dr. Sabina Subašić Galijatović is extremely important because for the first time she speaks in a comprehensive way about the crimes of sexual abuse in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the period 1992-1995. year when between 20 thousand and 50 thousand women were raped. These are the data of the United Nations. Only in the first months of '92. about 20,000 were raped in the year '95, and at the end of '95. year, that number climbed to 50 thousand. About a thousand children were born from such a heinous act. We also have one heinous crime, the rape of men. Over 3,000 men were raped. The book has its own documentary basis, it is supported by a document and an argument, and it will be useful for new knowledge and dissemination of knowledge, to learn the lesson that it will never happen to anyone again” said Prof. Dr. Muratović.
Book promoter, Prof. Dr. Hajrija Sijerčić-Čolić, full professor at the Faculty of Law, University of Sarajevo, stated that the subject of this paper is the prosecution of sexual abuse crimes before the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and the International Court of Justice, in order to gain fuller insight into sexual abuse and Herzegovina in the observed time, and their processing before international courts. She also reminded that the promotion of this book is one of the events that mark the Day of Science at the University of Sarajevo.
“Today's promotion should mark another date in the history of mankind - 9 December 1949, when a resolution of the General Assembly adopted and opened for signing and ratification the CONVENTION ON THE PREVENTION AND PUNISHMENT OF GENOCIDE CRIMES. Although enough states have accepted the Convention in the early 1950s to enter into force, time has shown that prosecuting crimes against humanity and international law, especially sexual abuse, is not always the focus of interest. If we keep in mind, on the one hand, the expansion and development of international law and international criminal law, on the other hand, then the book we are talking about is of particular value because it brings plenty of important theoretical views, discussions, opinions, data and information to sexual abuse in armed conflicts” said Professor Sijerčić-Čolić.
Another promoter, Mr. Munib Halilović, Chief Prosecutor of the Prosecutor's Office of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, pointed out that this book will be of great importance for practitioners, and that he believes it will contribute much to those who want to explore this area of international humanitarian law. He also stressed that the book is important primarily because it deals with the existence of a practically normative situation in the period of the emergence of international tribunals, in fact almost the lack of normative rules related to the field of sexual abuse. “The next importance that would be given to her is that she processed the previous practice of processing the mentioned crimes through the existing tribunals until the 90s, and then she analyzed in detail all the war crimes cases that were processed in the tribunal. In that sense, it really provides a good material both for practitioners and for those who will want to adopt basic knowledge and, of course, to deepen that knowledge” said Mr. Halilović.
Author Dr. Sabina Subašić Galijatović stated that in scientific circles dealing with the study of international law, so far only partial research has been conducted on the processing of sexual abuse committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1992-1995. This topic has been addressed in part as part of the individual responsibility and ad hoc case law of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), but never in the field of state responsibility.
“Book Crimes of Sexual Abuse in Bosnia and Herzegovina 1992-1995 In The Light Of The Theory And Practice Of International Law is the result of research conducted within the doctoral dissertation submitted and defended at the Faculty of Law, University of Sarajevo therefore in this sense represents the first comprehensive project to treat sexual abuse in international theory and practice” stated Dr. Subašić Galijatović.
The book Crimes of Sexual Abuse in Bosnia and Herzegovina 1992-1995 In The Light Of The Theory And Practice Of International Law is presented on 490 pages, consists of an introduction and four parts, with two appendices and a bibliography. The paper used 53 international documents (charters, conventions, protocols, resolutions, reports), 61 bibliographic units (literature, scientific and professional articles), 242 sources related to the legal practice of international courts (indictments, judgments, decisions), 4 tables and graphs, and 916 footnotes and notes.
