$ 141 billion: Balkan countries on the abyss!

$ 141 billion: Balkan countries on the abyss!

A current judgment of the US district court for the southern district of New York could have serious economic consequences for several Balkan countries. Over $ 141 billion, including interest and procedural costs, were determined as possible compensation payments for war crimes during the War of Bosnia. Serbia, Montenegro and Republika Srpska, the Serbian sub -Republic in Bosnia and Herzegovina are particularly affected. The judgments are based on the principle of universal jurisdiction and apply not only to the person Radovan Karadzic, but also to other institutions and individuals that are related to war crimes. This decision could bring existential threats to the states concerned.

The victim attorney Ramo Atajic emphasized that the judgments are enforceable and the state institutions of the countries concerned are held responsible for the compensation payments. While Karadzic was not cooperative to the US justice and did not offer active defense, international compulsory measures could threaten, a comparison should be rejected. This could include the blockade of foreign assets and accounts of the affected states, which would endanger entire states.

international relevance and constitutional basis

These judgments have far -reaching legal implications, since they create a precedent and for the first time address the financial consequences of war crimes in the Balkans. According to the UN Charter, states are obliged to avoid violence in intergovernmental relationships and can expect punishments if they do not comply with these obligations. The complex relationships between national and international jurisdiction are also influenced by the International Criminal Court (ICC), which was established in 2002. The latter has the task of pursuing serious crimes such as genocide and war crimes, a single state should not be able to do so.

The legal basis for the ICC forms the Roman statute, signed in Rome in 1998, which was adopted by 120 states. Germany, one of the largest contributors, ratified the statute on December 11, 2000 and enacted a corresponding implementation law and a Völkerstrafe code (VStGB). The ITHH does not act as a replacement for national jurisdiction, but complements them by becoming active, especially if states are not willing or able to pursue serious crimes.

war crimes in the context of the UN charta

War crimes represent one of the central legal categories in international law, which also includes the persecution of aggression crimes. UN Charter obliges all countries to avoid violence in intergovernmental relationships, which has legally problematic international conflicts such as the attack on Ukraine by Russia since 2022. Many states have recognized the definition of aggression crimes, which includes the planning and execution of actions.

The danger that comes from such decisions and judgments for the Balkan states is reinforced by the intensive efforts that the ISTGH makes in various conflicts. Critics argue that there is a western one -sidedness in international criminal law, while reality shows that investigations can also affect Western states.

The current situation in the Balkans illustrates the fragility of political stability in the region and the importance of international legal welfare. The pressure on Serbian, Montenegrin and Bosnian institutions will increase, and the effects of the judgment could be noticeable until the next decade.

How the situation continues remains to be seen. While the lawyers of the victims speak of threats against their work, Belgrade, Banja Luka and Podgorica are not official statements. The worrying situation shows that a legal precedent not only ensure justice for the victims of war crimes, but can also have significant political and economic consequences for the states involved.