Bosnia among first countries reintegrating extremists

Morgue File

Sixteen persons are serving sentence for terrorism in prisons of Bosnia and Herzegovina, according to Bosnia's Justice Ministry, and one person is serving a prison sentence for forming or joining foreign paramilitary or parapolice formations.

Answering to the parliamentary question of MP Maja Gasal-Vrazalica, the ministry said these prisoners undergo a special treatment determined by correctional service after they spend 30 days in a registration unit.

These units conduct an assessment of prisoners’ personalities to determine their individual treatments, with an aim of meeting the goal of the sentence. The treatment includes the professional contribution of psychologists, pedagogues, social workers, physicians, instructors, lawyers and others, the ministry said.

According to this institution, Bosnia was the first country in Europe's jurisdiction to conduct a project “Support to the reintegration of violent prisoners and extremists”, with the support of the UK Government and in cooperation with the Council of Europe. The project resulted in a handbook for assessment and rehabilitation of violent prisoners and extremists in Bosnia, which is in line with the European standard in this sector.