BOSNIA - HIGHREP USES BONN POWERS TO RESTORE

UNCLAS SARAJEVO 000530 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR (JONES); EUR/SCE (HYLAND/FOOKS/MCGUIRE), S/WCI (WILLIAMSON/VIBUL JOLLES); NSC FOR HELGERSON E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KAWC KCRM KJUS KMRS PGOV PHUM PREL BK SUBJECT: BOSNIA - HIGHREP USES BONN POWERS TO RESTORE TRAVEL DOCUMENTS REF: SARAJEVO 212 ¶1. (U) High Representative Valentin Inzko used his "Bonn powers" on Friday, April 24 to return the travel documents of 13 Republika Srpska (RS) police officers whose documents were seized in July 2007 because they were suspected of involvement in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre. According to Andreja Sporer from the Office of the High Representative (OHR),the 13 officers were part of a larger group whose names appeared on a list of possible massacre suspects supplied to the State Prosecutor's Office by the RS government. In the case of these 13 officers, the Prosecutor's Office determined it did not have enough evidence to prosecute. ¶2. (U) Comment: This is Inzko's first use of the Bonn Powers. He is continuing the practice followed by previous HighReps of using the "Bonn powers" in justice and war crimes related matters. In a case earlier this year (reftel), former HighRep Lajcak used the Bonn powers to extend the detention period for criminals awaiting appeal. There has, thus far, been no public comment by RS PM Dodik or other RS politicians about this Bonn Powers decision. ENGLISH