REQUEST TO CRISHOCK TO LIFT BAN ON ŠEŠELJ ENTERING BiH

BIJELJINA, AUGUST 21 /SRNA/ - Lawyer Mirko Blagojević has requested that the 1998 decision declaring SRS leader Vojislav Šešelj persona non grata and banning him from entering BiH be revoked.

In a request submitted to the acting High Representative in BiH, Louis Crishock, Blagojević said that almost 28 years have passed since the decision was adopted on November 13, 1998, and that the circumstances which led to the ban had fundamentally changed. Blagojević pointed out that BiH and the region are now in a more stable political and security environment, and that Šešelj has not held executive political office for many years that could influence political or security developments in BiH. The request recalls that the decision was issued in 1998 by then High Representative Carlos Westendorp through his Principal Deputy, Jacques Klein, invoking powers under Annex 10 of the Dayton Peace Agreement and the so-called Bonn Powers. Human rights are also cited as one of the reasons for lifting the ban, with the assessment that a permanent entry ban, without a time limit or the possibility of regular review, constitutes a disproportionate restriction on freedom of movement. The request also states that Šešelj wishes to visit BiH, the country of his birth, as well as family-related locations, for private, humanitarian and health-related reasons. Based on all of the above, Blagojević proposes that the November 13, 1998 decision be reviewed and replaced with a new decision repealing and lifting the measure declaring Šešelj persona non grata and banning his entry into BiH.