OHR and OSCE urge authorities not to demolish Pionirska Street house

The OHR and OSCE today sent a joint letter to the Mayor of Visegrad, urging in the strongest possible terms that the authorities stop the planned demolition of a house in Pionirska Street, which was the site of a horrific war crime.

“If the planned enforcement and demolition on 24 December goes ahead, it could be seen as a very negative step recalling some of the most difficult days of this country’s history”, High Representative Valentin Inzko and Acting Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina Nina Suomalainen wrote in the letter.

In addition to the moral, human rights and reconciliation dimensions of the case, Inzko and Suomalainen also conveyed their understanding that the house may contain material evidence related to an ongoing criminal investigation.

With regards to the planned road, and following a visit to the site last week, the OHR and the OSCE believe that there is scope for a compromise that would allow both the planned road and the house to co-exist.