PUCAR: TRANSLATION OF DAYTON AGREEMENT DOWNLOADED FROM THE INTERNET HIGHLY DANGEROUS FOR BiH

EAST SARAJEVO, NOVEMBER 13 /SRNA/ - Miljkan Pucar, the lawyer for the acting director of the Official Gazette of Srpska Miloš Lukić, has said that the translation of the Dayton Peace Agreement, which the Prosecutor’s Office downloaded from the internet, is highly dangerous for BiH.

Pucar said at a press conference in East Sarajevo that there is a huge difference between granting someone jurisdiction and interpreting something. When you interpret, you are explaining what is written, whereas jurisdiction means you can make decisions, which is not within the scope of Annex 10 for him. Pucar emphasized the significant difference between granting someone "jurisdiction," which implies the power to make decisions, and the act of "interpretation," which is about explaining what is written. Under Annex 10, the High Representative does not have the jurisdiction to make decisions but can only interpret the document. "I am convinced that this was done intentionally to complicate this process and everything arising from it, and to try to prove not only that this indictment is valid, but also that we have not properly applied or understood the authority of the High Representative so far," said Pucar after the hearing for Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik and Lukić before the Court of BiH. Pucar said that it was unbelievable that the Prosecutor's Office was proposing to use as evidence material that was publicly published, whether it was a speech by President Dodik or an excerpt from the "Dnevnik" news program where Miloš Lukić was speaking. "This is not evidence! According to the Criminal Procedure Code, every accused must be informed of their rights and obligations, and, as the judge already said regarding newspaper articles, these documents cannot be used in court proceedings," said Pucar. He has added that he is convinced the judge will declare these pieces of evidence unlawful and will not use them. Pucar said that contrary to Article 225 of the Criminal Procedure Code of BiH, the Prosecutor's Office attempted today to conduct an investigation during the main hearing. "Article 225 clearly says that after the indictment is issued, the Prosecutor’s Office has completed its investigative work. After we presented our introductory statements and objections, which relate to the General Framework Agreement for Peace in BiH and Annex 10, saying that they do not have the original document, they have taken a very wrong path," explained Pucar. Pucar further explained that Judge Sena Uzunović had said where the General Framework Agreement for Peace in BiH is located, noting that it is a document published in the Official Gazette, international treaties, and also exists in Serbia and that it is available to all signatories. However, unfortunately, the Prosecutor’s Office wants to prove something else. He explained that the General Framework Agreement for Peace in BiH clearly says that it comes into effect on the day it was signed, which is December 14, 1995, in Paris, and it was only initiated in Dayton. Pucar said that the people who initialed it did not sign the Agreement; instead, it was signed, along with all the annexes accompanying the document, by different officials. The Prosecutor's Office of BiH is charging Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik and the acting director of the Official Gazette of Republika Srpska Miloš Lukić with disregarding Christian Schmidt's decisions, which is why legal proceedings have been initiated against them before the Court of BiH.