Diana meets with a group of Bosnian women

5.00.00pm GMT Wed 2nd Dec 2009

Diana met with a group of Bosnian women today in the European Parliament.

Diana heard from the women that successive governments of Bosnia and Herzegovina have failed to provide justice for thousands of women and girls who were raped during the 1992-1995 war. Amnesty International published a report in September 'Whose justice?' The women of Bosnia and Herzegovina are still waiting.

Link to the report:

http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/EUR63/006/2009/en/6330934f-d46e-4943-b32b-b3962095173a/eur630062009en.pdf

.

The women, supported on the visit to Brussels by a group from Amnesty International, explained how they see justice is being used as a political tool in Bosnia and Herzegovina and that there was no state system of recognising or rewarding compensation to victims of the widespread abuse carried out during the 1992-1995 war.

They were particularly concerned about plans not to renew the mandates of international judges from the war tribunals in Bosnia. Again they felt this was a political decision and would make justice for the victims of the violations even more difficult to achieve.

Diana said:

"I intend to visit the region early next year and I will raise these real anxieties I heard from the women I met today. Without meaningful justice and full and effective reparation, victims continue to suffer the effects of these horrific crimes. This must change."

(Photo shows Diana with the group of Bosnian women and a represenative of Amnesty International)