U.S. JUDGE ORDERS RELEASE OF FIVE BOSNIAN CITIZENS HELD AT GUANTANAMO PRISON

WASHINGTON DC, USA (November 20,2008) - A US judge has ruled today that five Bosnian citizens of Algerian origin held in the US prison facility at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba for almost seven years had been illegally detained and must be freed.

Richard Leon, a US district judge in Washington DC, said the US government had "failed to show by burden of proof" that the five men had allegedly planned to go to Afghanistan to fight US-led forces there.

However the judge did find that a sixth man,Bensayah Belkacem, seized alongside the other men in Bosnia in 2001, had been "legally detained".

Six Bosnian citizens of Algerian origin,Bensayah Belkacem, Mustafa Adir, Saber Lahmar, Mohammed Nehle, Lakdar Boumedien and Boudellah Hadz, known as the Algerian Group, were arrested in Bosnia in October 2001 under suspicion of planning possible attacks against US and British diplomatic missions in Bosnia.

Although the Bosnian Supreme Court ordered their release, after finding no evidence of their alleged involvement in terrorist activities, then premier Lagumdzija ordered their arrest again in January 2002 and handed them over to the US authorities.

The ruling follows the first hearings under a landmark US Supreme Court ruling in June, based on a case brought by lawyers for Lakhdar Boumediene, one of the Algerian men, that gave Guantanamo prisoners the legal right to challenge their continued detention.

The June ruling said that inmates in Guantanamo Bay had the right to know under what charges they were being held and what the evidence was against them.

Thursday's decision marks a fresh embarrassment over the camp for the Bush administration and comes after Barack Obama, the US president-elect, pledged to close the prison camp after taking office in January.
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BOSNIA WINS FRIENDLY AGAINST SLOVENIA 4:3

MARIBOR, Slovenia (November 20,2008) - Bosnia won yesterday a high-scoring encounter with Slovenia 4:3 (1:2). An early goal by the Bundesliga top scorer Vedad Ibisevic set the stage for a goal-rich friendly between Slovenia and Bosnia in Maribor,Slovenia.Zvjezdan Misimovic and Edin Dzeko also netted.

Ibišević set the tone early, scoring in the 2nd minute, and then drew a penalty about 15 minutes later, which Misimović converted for 2:0. A lapse in concentration let the Slovenians claw one back in the 27th, but Džeko and Ibišević scored again in the 53rd and 63rd minutes respectively. Slovenia’s top weapon, Milivoje Novakovič (Koln), eventually scored two more (one of them from the penalty spot) for the final 4:3.


Video: Slovenia - Bosnia 3:4 (1:2)

The big story of this game is the emergence of Ibišević. He’s had a fantastic season for Hoffenheim so far, but was never able to translate it to the international level. Yesterday he got a proper chance and made it count.
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BOSNIAN STATE PARLIAMENT'S HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ADOPTS TWO DRAFT LAWS

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (November 20,2008) - The Bosnian State Parliament's House of Representatives on Wednesday’s session deliberated on several draft laws and sent them to the collegium’s commission for adjustment due to inexistence of entity majority for voting on them.

They adopted draft law on amendments to the law on classification of activities in Bosnia. This law will ensure implementation of the uniform standard of activities classification in all of Bosnia and ensure compatibility of the Bosnian statistics standards with those of the EU.

Delegates also adopted draft law on amendments to the law on criminal proceedings and supported principles of the draft law on juvenile delinquency and detention of children and juvenile delinquents with conclusion to organize a public debate on this draft law.
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CONFERENCE "BOSNIA TODAY" HELD IN SPAIN

GIRONA, Spain (November 20,2008) - A member of the Bosnian State Presidency Haris Silajdzic has received the award "Premio Liber Press Cataluna 2008“ in Girona, Spain, and which was consigned by the Catalonia Government president in Girona Enrico Vilert within the programme of the conference “Bosnia Today”.

Silajdzic in his addressing at the conference thanked to the representatives of the Liber Press for their true friendship towards Bosnia and expressed hope that this friendship will continue to strengthen.

He pointed out that Bosnia is a multi-cultural and multi-ethnical society and pointed out that even though some in the international community are not doing enough to prevent ethnical segregation in the country he will continue pointing out to the richness of out country in its differences.

He also added that it is necessary for the Bosnian society to reintegrate since Europe aspires towards building of one such society as Bosnia is for hundreds of years.

Silajdzic also met with the president of Girona municipality Anna Pagans, and opened the exhibition “Long Road” by the author Miguel Ruiz, and which presented the pictures from the time of devastation of the Bosnian cities during the 1992-1995 Serbian,Montenegrin and Croatian aggressions against Bosnia.
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BOSNIAN MINISTER OF FOREIGN TRADE MLADEN ZIROJEVIC VISITS QATAR

DOHA, Qatar (November 20,2008) - The Bosnian Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations Mladen Zirojevic from November 18 to 21 is in visit to Qatar, participating at the 8th Conference of signatories to the Vienna Convention and 20th Meeting of signatories to the Montreal Protocol on Substances Depleting the Ozone Layer.

"In spite all difficulties and hardships we had to endure in the post-war and reconstruction period Iin Bosnia, since 2000 we have taken serious activities on implementing the Montreal Protocol”, stated Minister Zirojevic.

"We ratified amendments of the protocol from London, Copenhagen and Montreal and we want to announce that we are preparing for ratification of the Beijing Amendment”, he added.

He underlined that Bosnia successfully implemented the program of customs strengthening so that Bosnian customs officers are trained in all aspects of border control and import registration that is, import of equipment containing Ozone Depleting Substance (DS).
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RECEPTION ORGANIZED ON THE OCCASSION OF THE NATIONAL DAY OF PALESTINE

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (November 20,2008) - On the occasion of the National Day of Palestine a reception was organized on Tuesday evening in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo hosted by Amir Saker Rostom, the Palestinian Ambassador to Bosnia.

Solemn reception, which gathered members of diplomatic core as well as numerous prominent personalities and politicians from Bosnia was the occasion for remembering the numerous events that marked modern history of the Palestinian people.

Ambassador Rostom pointed out in his statement for the Bosnian media that the national Day of Palestine is linked to the date when the Palestinian independence was proclaimed on November 15th 1988, and that this act indicates new phase in solving the Palestinian issue.

He said that this is the day when the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) recognized numerous international resolutions which resulted in political turning point and persistence on finding out ideal political solutions.

Ambassador Rostum expressed his expectation that the new US administration will contribute in finding a just solution and make pressure on Israel to respect the agreed.

At the same time, he expressed his belief that the friendly countries, including EU countries and Russia will support the efforts on the plan of peaceful resolution of Middle East crisis.
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BOSNIA TO PARTICIPATE AT REGIONAL ECONOMIC FORUM IN MACEDONIA

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (November 20,2008) - The Bosnian State Presidency Chairman Nebojsa Radmanovic, on invitation of the Macedonian president Branko Crvenkovski shall participate at the 5th regional economic forum for the southeastern Europe (REF SEE), held from November 20 to 21 in Ohrid,Macedonia; stated the Bosnian Presidency press release.

The forum shall be attended by presidents of several countries from the region: Nebojsa Radmanovic - Bosnia, Georgi Parvano -, Bulgaria, Bamir Topi - Albania, Filip Vujanovic - Montenegro and Stjepan Mesic - Croatia.

Radmanovic shall address the presidential session of the forum and it is planned for him to hold number of bilateral meetings, among others, with the forum’s host, the Macedonian President Crvenkovski and with presidents of other states in the region.

This year’s topic of the forum is “Competitors and Partners on the Road towards EU”.
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IRD FOCUSES ON PROJECTS IN BOSNIA

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (November 20,2008) - Daniel Florea from the Board of Directors of International Relief and Development (IRD), an American NGO (non-governmental organization),is currently in Bosnia to gather information about the needs of local communities. On the basis of that information, IRD will apply for funds to assist Bosnia.

Florea said Bosnia is a priority for the organization, which is why IRD’s office was opened in Bosnia more than a year ago. A reason is partly in the fact that IRD was founded by a Zenica-born Jasna Basaric Keys and her husband Arthur Keys, more than ten years ago. IRD’s budget in 2009 will be in excess of 700 million US Dollars.

IRD, a charitable, non-profit, non-governmental organization, focuses its operations in regions of the world that present social, political and technical challenges.

IRD works in collaboration with a wide range of organizations in the design and implementation of humanitarian relief and development aid programs, including U.S. government agencies, bilateral and international donor organizations, international finance organizations, faith-based organizations, advocacy groups, international and local NGOs, and U.S. corporations.
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42,500 BOSNIAN CITIZENS WORK ABROAD

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (November 20,2008) - There are around 42,500 Bosnian citizens whose work has taken them out of the country, it is estimated by the Bosnian State Labour and Employment Agency.

An exact number is impossible to get, since as many as 40,500 of them have not been employed by the agency. Some 30,000 Bosnian citizens have employment in Slovenia. Montenegro and Croatia.

Bosnia has no bilateral employment agreements with these countries.
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