Bosnian Serbs to Boycott State Institutions over Genocide Denial Ban

Bosnian Serb political representatives begin a boycott of state institutions on Tuesday, which will effectively prevent them from functioning, in a protest against the imposition of a ban on genocide and war crimes denial.

The legal change was imposed last week by High Representative Valentine Inzko, the international official who oversees implementation of the peace deal that ended the 1992-95 Bosnian war. It also prohibits the glorification of war criminals.

Bosnian Serb politicians made the decision to boycott at an extraordinary meeting on Monday in Banja Luka, the main city in Bosnia's Serb-dominated Republika Srpska entity.

"We believe that there are no conditions for Serb representatives to work in the joint institutions of Bosnia, in the presidency, the Parliamentary Assembly and the Council of Ministers," said Nedeljko Cubrilovic, the speaker of the Republika Srpska parliament, told a press conference after the meeting.

Serb representatives will not withdraw from Bosnian state institutions, but they will not participate in their work or make decisions until the issue is resolved.

"We will never accept any decision from the High Representative again. Entity parliaments and the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina are the only places for passing laws," said Mirko Sarovic, leader of the Serb Democratic Party.

Inzko announced on Friday that he has imposed an amendment to Bosnia and Herzegovina's criminal code to outlaw the public denial, condoning, trivialisation or justification of genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes when this is done in a way that is "likely to incite to violence or hatred".

He said he was imposing the changes because he was "deeply concerned that prominent individuals...