Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 11 May 2012
The documentary ‘Sexual Violence and the Triumph of Justice’ produced by the ICTY’s Outreach Programme was today shown to students at the American University in Sarajevo during a lecture on wartime sexual violence and the jurisprudence relating to modes of liability established by the Tribunal.
The documentary was highly praised by the audience. “Congratulations to ICTY for their amazing job. It is hard to even imagine the scope of work needed to achieve all of this. However, this kind of information is of the utmost importance for future generations,” said Elmira Pasagić, one of the students.
Mirza Gogić, a lawyer and professor of international criminal law at the university, laid out the legal precedents created by the Tribunal, which have expanded the boundaries of international humanitarian and international criminal law, both in terms of substance and procedure. “The ICTY is a pioneer in establishing different modes of criminal liability related to sexual violence in war. This court gave the initial push to all other ad hoc international tribunals afterwards," Mr Gogić said.
Available in English and Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, the Outreach documentary will be distributed to victims’ organisations, local schools, and partner NGOs in the region of the former Yugoslavia, with a broadcast on the region’s main TV stations planned for later this year.
The production of this documentary forms part of the Tribunal’s efforts to raise awareness and understanding of the crimes committed during the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia, and its achievements in punishing those responsible.