A Scoping Review of Attitudes Towards and Impacts of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in Bosnia and Herzegovina: A Preliminary Results

• In Event: Atrocity Crimes: Challenges, Approaches and Impacts of Transitional Justice (ECACTJ)

Abstract

The dissolution of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s led to widespread atrocities, including massacres, rapes, and unlawful detentions. To address the issue of impunity and ensure justice for the perpetrators, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) was established. While the ICTY has played a significant role in shaping international criminal law and promoting accountability, its legacy remains complex and subject to debate. This presentation seeks to examine empirical research on local attitudes towards and local impacts of the ICTY in the former Yugoslavia. Specifically, it aims to answer the question: What does empirical research tell us about these attitudes and impacts? To achieve this objective, the presentation systematically reviews and synthesizes existing empirical research on the attitudes towards and impacts of the ICTY. By evaluating the methodologies and data sources used in these studies, this presentation also identifies gaps in the current knowledge base. The preliminary results reveal that individuals and local communities in war-affected countries exhibit various attitudes towards the ICTY, influenced by factors such as traumatic experiences, and ethnicity. These attitudes also encompass various ICTY aspects such as legitimacy, and morality. The measurable changes on the ground in former Yugoslavia, resulting from the ICTY's interventions, are closely tied to the successes and failures of the tribunal in achieving objectives: justice, peace, and historical truth. Based on the preliminary findings, it is evident that the ICTY's impacts and local attitudes are multifaceted. The complexities of post-conflict peacebuilding and the pursuit of justice require careful consideration of the ICTY's achievements and shortcomings. This presentation contributes to the understanding of the local perceptions towards and local impacts of the ICTY's work and highlights the practical implications/concerns

Authors

• Mirza Buljubašić, The Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR); Faculty of Criminal Justice, Criminology, and Security Studies, University of Sarajevo

• Barbora Holá, The Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR) & Centre for International Criminal Justice, VU University Amsterdam

• Margareta Blažević, NSCR

• Linda Schoonmade, Medical Library, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam