Members of the Expert Working Group of the CAHR Project Visited Ministry of Interior of the Canton 10

On 23 April 2022, members of the expert working group of the project ,,Contribution of the Academic Community to the Protection of Human Rights in BiH”,  Elmedin Muratbegović, PhD and Aleksandar Ivanović, PhD visited the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Canton 10.

Holding a working meeting with the Minister of the Interior and members of the working groups for the drafting of the Law on Peaceful Assembly, and the draft Law on Public Order and Peace has been the main purpose of the visit.

The Minister of the Interior, Mario Lovrić, MA and a member of the working group for drafting the Law on Public Order and Peace pointed out to the members of the CAHR project expert working group the methodology they have been used to draft the two above-mentioned laws. The backbone of the methodology is the real need to ensure the protection of public order and peace, the recommendations of international organizations, the requirements of the NGO sector in terms of ensuring greater protection of human rights, as well as the demands of citizens to protect their security and fundamental rights.

When it comes to the human rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, representatives of the Ministry pointed out the provisions of the draft law as the most challenging for regulation, with special focus on the use of public roads for peaceful assembly and the area near facilities under special protection. There is also the issue of appeals in the case of a decision to ban peaceful assembly.

Regarding the Law on Public Order and Peace, specific issues were highlighted, such as defining the nature of offenses for situations in which symbols or signs causing disturbance are drawn, displayed or otherwise highlighted in public, as well as offenses against public order and peace committed through communication devices, electronic media and social networks.

In relation to the addressed provisions, the members of the expert working group pointed out certain decisions of the European Court of Human Rights, which set standards and also undertook to submit detailed comments on proposals for new normative solutions in these areas given by the Ministry of Interior of the Canton 10. In the concluding part of the meeting, cooperation between the CAHR project expert working group and the Ministry of Interior working group was agreed, in terms of providing expert support in formulating normative solutions in the draft laws, as well as organizing public debates, all in order to ensure respect of human rights to freedom of opinion and expression, freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of movement in accordance with European standards.