Some lessons on accountability for war crimes and other international crimes: from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Ukraine

Abstract

The publication is based on a talk I gave at the ICRC Sanremo Round Table on International Humanitarian Law (September 2022). I discussed lessons from accountability efforts in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and analysed what lessons can be learned from war crimes prosecution processes there, and that can be useful to justice efforts in Ukraine. I outlined experiences and issues which require additional attention (e.g. having a realistic strategy; being deliberate and honest about what realistically can be achieved in war crimes trials).