Top European Court Deems Minorities in Bosnia as 'Second-Tier Citizens'

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has ruled that Bosnia's political system, established after the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement, intensifies ethnic divisions and undermines democracy. The ECtHR supported a case brought by Slaven Kovacevic, a Sarajevo-born political scientist, who argued that the system disenfranchises those not aligned with Bosnia's three main ethnic groups. This ruling marks a series of ECtHR decisions urging Bosnia to amend its constitution to be less discriminatory, hindering the country's path to EU membership. The EctHR’s verdict characterizes Bosnia as an "ethnocracy," where ethnic identity, not citizenship, determines access to power. This divisive system marginalizes minorities and reformists, impacting democratic processes.

More information about the decision can be found at the following link.