More than 50 representatives of the 20 prosecutor offices from BiH, the FBiH, RS and Brcko District, as well as representatives of police agencies and the centres for education of judges and prosecutors from RS and the FBiH, together with the members of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of BiH, actively participated in a two-day conference focusing on the “Criminal justice sector response to the threats to fairness and integrity of elections”.
Participants discussed about the threats targeting the integrity of election processes, as well as the need for further improvement of communication and coordination between the CEC of BiH, the prosecutor offices and courts, as well as the investigation and prosecution of offences in relation to electoral fraud.
The conference was also an opportunity to hold an exchange of experiences between CEC officials, prosecutors, and law enforcement officials, especially in relation to the prosecution of electoral fraud cases, notably the filing of criminal complaints, the conduct of investigation, as well as the rendering of verdicts and potential appeal processes.
In conclusion of the conference, a list of further actions was adopted to reinforce the coordination and cooperation between members of the judiciary, the police and the electoral administration, to better prevent and fight against electoral fraud, which includes the need to provide comprehensive education for the representatives of the prosecutor offices in BiH, at all levels.
The conference, held in Sarajevo from 23-25 June, was organised by the Council of Europe Office in Sarajevo in partnership with the OSCE Mission to BiH.
