On 27 May, another presentation on the ICTY was organised in the Combined High School in Srebrenik, thanks to the enthusiasm of the teaching staff and students. It was the third presentation held in this school during the current cycle of the ICTY Youth Outreach Project. On this occasion, Almir Alić, ICTY Registry Liaison Officer, introduced the group of over 70 students and teachers to the crimes of wartime sexual violence.
During a dynamic two-hour presentation, Mr Alić invited students to elaborate on definitions of key terms related to sexual crimes. The Srebrenik students correctly recognised the element of the ‘victim’s lack of consent’ concerning the crime of rape, and also learned that not only women, but also men, fell victims to this crime which was widespread during the armed conflict in the former Yugoslavia.
Mr Alić explained in detail some of the most relevant findings in the ICTY’s case law and stressed the significance of this jurisprudence in the context of international humanitarian law.
After the presentation, professor Aida Muminović expressed hope that such a positive cooperation between the Tribunal and the high school students will continue the following school year, because it provides “an unique and innovative opportunity for the students to learn about the latest developments in international law, which the Tribunal ICTY has significantly contributed to”.