Concrete measures for identifying and seizing illegal assets, that could be repurposed to compensate victims of human trafficking in line with international standards, were the focus of a two-day workshop held in Jahorina.

The workshop was organised by the Council of Europe in cooperation with the Ministry of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It brought together representatives from law enforcement agencies, agencies responsible for managing seized assets, and other relevant bodies involved in human trafficking investigations and efforts to combat money laundering.

Across a series of sessions, participants discussed the development of a curriculum on identifying, investigating, and seizing assets acquired through human trafficking. They also explored the legal and international frameworks for asset seizure and its repurposing for victim support and compensation. The prosecutor of the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Niš, Serbia, presented the good practices of their office in the prosecution of human trafficking and related financial crimes. Using concrete case studies, the workshop examined human trafficking investigations, with a particular focus on financial investigations and asset tracing.

This workshop builds on previous initiatives in this area, most notably the recommendations from the October 2024 workshop on financial investigations.

The project “Strengthening access to justice and effective remedies for victims of human trafficking in Bosnia and Herzegovina” is implemented under the Council of Europe Action Plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina 2022-2025 and funded through voluntary contributions.