‘Unconstitutional’: Bosnian region’s top court orders lockdown on seniors & children to be lifted

The autonomous Bosniak-Croat Federation in Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday loosened restrictions that kept seniors and children from leaving their homes, after the top court ruled those restrictions violated the constitution. The measure had been imposed to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

In a response to an appeal by a group of citizens, Bosnia’s Constitutional Court concluded this week that their rights under the constitution, as well as the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, had been violated.

As of today, people over 65 will be allowed to leave their homes from 9am to 1pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Those under 18 will be allowed out on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 2pm to 8pm, according to the region’s crisis staff. Social distancing and other protective measures must still be observed.

Bosnia has recorded 1,421 cases and 55 deaths from Covid-19, Reuters reports. Officials said they could also soon move to partly re-open the economy, provided there is no surge in new cases, hospitalizations or use of intensive care units. Bosnia declared a nationwide state of emergency on March 17, after the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republika Srpska, its other autonomous half, separately declared emergency situations.