Doha Institute Master’s Students on a Study Visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Master of Conflict Management and Humanitarian Action program at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies brings together students from across the Middle East and beyond, representing diverse academic backgrounds from law and political science to engineering. As part of their curriculum, students undertake field visits to engage directly with institutions, organizations, and practitioners working on peacebuilding, transitional justice, and humanitarian issues.

During their study visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina, the students are visiting Sarajevo, Srebrenica, and Mostar to deepen their understanding of the country’s experiences with conflict and justice. Today’s session focused on the Statute of the ICTY, adopted on May 25, 1993, under UN Resolution 827. Special attention was given to Article 2, which defines grave breaches of the 1949 Geneva Conventions against protected persons and property.

The students also analysed Article 4 of the Statute regarding the crime of genocide, focusing on the concrete legal determination of the Srebrenica genocide through final judgments issued by the ICTY and its successor, the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT).

While touring the ICTY exhibition premises, students expanded their knowledge by analysing court verdicts based on the legacy of evidence presented by prosecutors and defence lawyers. This included adjudicated facts, historical context, intercepted military communications, ballistics, and DNA analysis. The students engaged in discussions regarding the role of amici curiae and the protection of the accused’s rights to ensure a fair trial. They also emphasized the importance of making judicial proceedings meaningful to the communities most affected by the crimes.

Finally, the session touched upon transitional justice in post-conflict society. The discussion addressed the ongoing challenges of reconciliation, such as the glorification of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić as a hero in certain media outlets and communities within the Republika Srpska entitet. The educational day concluded with a visit to the museum premises inside the Sarajevo City Hall (Vijećnica).