• Denying Genocide Won't Promote Reconciliation
    Apr 10, 2013
    Commentary

    A public debate at the UN on April 10 will serve up a revisionist denial of the worst killings in Europe since the end of World War II: the ethnic slaughter in the former Yugoslavia that horrified the world in the 1990s. While the session's ostensible purpose is to take "a closer look at the long-term impact of international criminal justice, in particular as it relates to reconciliation..." it is unlikely much thoughtful discussion will occur. 

  • ICTY/Bosnia: Start of Mladic Trial Shows Persistence Pays
    May 14, 2012
    Press release

    The opening of the trial of Ratko Mladic, the Bosnian Serb wartime military commander, is a salient reminder that justice catches up with those accused of atrocity crimes. Mladic’s trial for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide is scheduled to begin on May 16, 2012, before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague.

  • Gotovina Ruling Reaction Shows Croatia Has Yet to Come to Terms with the Past
    May 5, 2011
    Commentary
    Negative reactions to rulings from the Hague are par for the course in the Balkans. But the strong response in Croatia to the Gotovina ruling suggests a country struggling to come to terms with its past.
  • Balkans: Greater Commitment Needed on Rights
    Jan 24, 2011
    Press release
    Efforts toward European integration for the Western Balkans are hampered by persistent human rights problems, Human Rights Watch said today. In its World Report 2011, Human Rights Watch documents human rights concerns in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, and Kosovo during 2010.
  • Croatia: Greater Progress Needed on Rights
    Nov 10, 2010
    Press release
    Croatia should carefully study the assessments of its human rights record expressed by the United Nations and the European Union on November 8 and 9, 2010, and accept and carry out their recommendations.
  • EU: Deliver Justice for Srebrenica
    Oct 25, 2010
    Press release
    The European Union’s commitment to international justice will be measured by its willingness to pressure Serbia in the months to come to arrest the two remaining war crimes suspects.
  • Letter to EU Foreign Ministers regarding Croatia's Cooperation with ICTY
    Feb 20, 2009
    Letter
    In the context of the ongoing debates about the progress of Croatia’s EU negotiations, Human Rights Watch is writing to urge you to adopt GAERC conclusions emphasizing the importance of Zagreb’s full cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).
  • EU: Press Croatia to Continue Cooperation with Yugoslav Tribunal
    Feb 20, 2009
    Press release
    The European Union should send a signal to Croatian authorities that they should continue to cooperate with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, including by handing over key documents.
  • EU/Serbia: Don’t Compromise on Mladic
    Nov 5, 2007
    Press release
    The European Commission’s decision to move ahead with an association agreement with Serbia despite Belgrade’s failure to arrest a key suspect could threaten efforts to bring war criminals to justice, Human Rights Watch said today.
  • Serbia Must Boost Support for War Crimes Chamber
    Jun 27, 2007
    Press release
    Serbia’s War Crimes Chamber has made significant progress in domestic prosecutions since its establishment in 2003, but the Serbian government must increase its support for the chamber if it is to end impunity for war crimes in Serbia, Human Rights Watch said in a briefing paper released today.