On 2-3 September 2026 a delegation from Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), comprised of representatives from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) of BiH, MoJ of the Federation of BiH, MoJ of Republika Srpska as well professionals from State, Tuzla and Istočno Sarajevo prisons took part in a 2-day study visit to Bremen, Germany.

Hosted by the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Bremen, the participants gained valuable insights into rehabilitation and reintegration procedures and practical arrangements for women and vulnerable categories of violent extremist offenders (VEOs) including inter-agency coordination and cooperation with CSOs.

During the first day, the participants were introduced to the structure and functioning of prison facilities in Bremen, particularly the ones holding VEOs and learned about relevant tools, programmes and procedures developed for such category of offenders. Attention was also given to capacity-building for prison staff, including specific approaches when working with women and other vulnerable groups of offenders.

Moreover, the participants visited the Central Prison (Justizvollzugsanstalt Oslebshausen), where they were introduced to the organisation of daily operations and rehabilitation work, specifically of women and vulnerable categories of VEOs. The visit included a tour of prison units and facilities, followed by in-depth discussions with prison staff on practical aspects of treatment and preparation for release of such category of offenders.

The second day, beside discussions on the use of alternative sanctions and measures for women VEOs, focused on the visit to the Competence Centre for Deradicalisation and Extremism Prevention (KODEX). The participants learned about how interagency coordination, information sharing and strategic planning in the field of deradicalisation and extremism prevention, works in practice. Discussion also focused on the role of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in rehabilitation and reintegration of women and vulnerable categories of VEOs.

Through direct engagement with German counterparts the BiH delegation gained valuable insights into rehabilitation and reintegration procedures.

The Council of Europe sincerely thanks the management and the staff of the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Bremen, Central Prison and KODEX for their warm hospitality, the time dedicated to the visits, and their openness in sharing experiences and best practices.

The activity forms part of the Council of Europe’s support to Bosnia and Herzegovina under the project  “Providing for Effective Reintegration of Violent Extremist Offenders in Bosnia and Herzegovina”, implemented under the Council of Europe Action Plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina 2026–2029 and funded through voluntary contributions.