On 14 and 15 July 2026, the International Nuremberg Principles Academy, in cooperation with the Office of the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina and the German Foundation for International Legal Cooperation e.V. (IRZ), held two half-day online workshops on the adjudication and prosecution of genocide and war crimes denial in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The workshops brought together judges and prosecutors from Bosnia and Herzegovina to discuss current legal and practical challenges in addressing genocide and war crimes denial.
The workshops opened with welcoming remarks by Dr Pablo Gavira Díaz, Project Officer at the International Nuremberg Principles Academy, Dr Stefan Pürner, Head of Section for Southeast Europe at the German Foundation for International Legal Cooperation (IRZ), and Andreja Sporer, Head of the Public Law Unit and Legal Advisor for Criminal Matters and Judicial Institutions at the Office of the High Representative (OHR). Dr Pablo Gavira Díaz subsequently introduced participants to the legacy of the Nuremberg Trials and its relevance for addressing contemporary challenges related to genocide and war crimes denial.
David Beck, Hate Speech Commissioner of the Bavarian Judiciary, provided a comparative analysis of the German and Bosnia and Herzegovina legal frameworks governing genocide and war crimes denial. Mr. Beck’s presentation was based on guidelines he authored, which compile relevant German case law on the denial and trivialisation of genocide and other international crimes and examine how insights from this jurisprudence may inform the interpretation and practical application of Article 145a of the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Drawing on practical examples, he examined key aspects of judicial and prosecutorial practice, including the interpretation of legal concepts such as "publicly", "to grossly trivialise", "to incite hatred", "disturbing the public peace" and "to glorify". His presentation also explored the distinction between genocide denial and the protection of freedom of expression, the potentially harmful consequences of denial, and relevant questions of terminology, judicial reasoning, prosecutorial thresholds and case law.
On 14 July, the workshop concluded with reflections by Minka Kreho, Judge and Acting President of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who shared perspectives from judicial practice in Bosnia and Herzegovina. She highlighted contemporary challenges posed by the increasing use of digital platforms for disseminating denial narratives and discussed the importance of establishing intent in the adjudication of these offences. On 15 July, concluding remarks were delivered by Nives Kanevčev, Prosecutor and Head of the Section for International Legal Assistance and General Offences within the Jurisdiction at the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who reflected on practical considerations in the prosecution of genocide and war crimes denial.
Both workshops benefited from the active engagement of the participants, whose questions and contributions fostered a constructive exchange of experiences and perspectives on the implementation of legal frameworks addressing genocide and war crimes denial.
The programme built on discussions initiated at the Nuremberg Forum 2023 and further developed during the conference “Criminalising Genocide Denial: Law, Accountability and Prevention”, held in Sarajevo in September 2025. (ah/ds)