1 PERCEPTION OF THE ICTY IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA - THE TRIBUNAL BETWEEN LAW AND POLITICS UDC 341.645:343.096(497.6):32 Authors Enis Omerović, Law School of the University of Zenica 1 Glorija Alić, - Independent Researcher 2 ABSTRACT The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) was established by the United Nations Security Council in 1993 to contribute to the restoration and maintenance of international peace and security, and punish perpetrators of serious violations of international humanitarian law. The ICTY was tasked with eliminating impunity for atrocities and delivering justice to victims. Although the contribution to reconciliation was not its primary objective it was expected that its decisions and judgments would support the reconciliation process in the former Yugoslav Republics. Expectations were high twenty-two years ago when it was established – victims were hoping that each and every perpetrator of war crimes would be prosecuted and tried. Today, the perception of the ICTY’s achievements among 1 Enis Omerović obtained a bachelor’s degree in Law from the School of Law at the University of Sarajevo, master’s degree in International Law from the University of Glasgow, and a PhD degree in International Law from the University of Zenica. 2 Glorija Alić obtained a bachelor’s degree in the English Language and Literature from the School of Philosophy at the University of Sarajevo and master’s degree in International and the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina is a negative one for different reasons – long procedures, low or high sentences, failure to make an ethnic balance in prosecution strategies. In addition, many citizens see it as a politically motivated court under the influence of the international community and do not trust its impartiality. This paper investigates the current perception and aims to prove that the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, regardless of their ethnicity, tend to perceive the ICTY as a political tribunal rather than an institution delivering justice. It discusses different aspects of such a negative perception affecting reconciliation and acceptance of facts established by the ICTY. It also provides an overview of the role of transitional justice in reconciliation efforts. Keywords: history writing, justice, perception, reconciliation, transitional justice, victims European Public Law from the American University in Sarajevo. Currently, Ms. Alić is a PhD student at the Faculty of Political Science, University of Sarajevo