The Treasury under Secretary Janet Yellen on Monday sanctioned Diana Kajmakovic, a Bosnia and Herzegovina prosecutor, on accusations of corruption. Photo by Graeme Jennings/UPI | <a href=License Photo” height=”532″ src=”https://cdnph.upi.com/svc/sv/upi/8581664253473/2022/1/1aeb844dd0f8571ee3e8b28e7d0fa8a3/US-sanctions-Bosnian-state-prosecutor-over-corruption.jpg” title=”The Treasury under Secretary Janet Yellen on Monday sanctioned Diana Kajmakovic, a Bosnia and Herzegovina prosecutor, on accusations of corruption. Photo by Graeme Jennings/UPI | License Photo” width=”800″>

The Treasury under Secretary Janet Yellen on Monday sanctioned Diana Kajmakovic, a Bosnia and Herzegovina prosecutor, on accusations of corruption. Photo by Graeme Jennings/UPI | License Photo

Sept. 27 (UPI) — The Biden administration has blacklisted a Bosnia and Herzegovina prosecutor as it seeks to weed out corruption that it says threatens the Western Balkan nation’s democratic institutions.

The Departments of Treasury identified state prosecutor Diana Kajmakovic for sanctions Monday, accusing her of being “a brazenly corrupt BiH state prosecutor” with links to criminal organizations.

U.S. officials said Kajmakovic was found to be involved with narcotics traffickers in a crackdown on organized crime in the country.

Investigators who analyzed private conversations of criminals conducted via encrypt messaging applications found mentions of Kajmakovic who worked on some of their investigations.

The officials said Kajmakovic is accused of using her position to help the criminals hide evidence, avoid prosecution and block investigations into their activities for personal gain.

“Diana Kajmakovic has continued to undermine democracy and the rule of law in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson said in a statement. “Today’s designation reinforces the United States’ commitment to a stable and prosperous Bosnia and Herzegovina by targeting an individual who has played a central role in enabling corruption in the country.”

The sanctions, which freeze all U.S. property under Kajmakovic’s name and bars Americans from doing business with her, were imposed as the Biden administration has sought to punish Bosnia and Herzegovina officials who threaten the Balkan nation’s democracy through their pursuit of ethno-nationalist political interests.

In June, the Biden administration sanctioned two Bosnia and Herzegovina government officials for undermining government institutions and furthering secessions efforts.

In April, the administration hit two Bosnia and Herzegovina government officials, a member of parliament and a former chief prosecutor, on allegations of corruption.

Bosnia and Herzegovina was formed in 1995 with the signing of the Dayton Accords, which ended the bloody three-and-a-half-year Bosnian War that resulted in the deaths of some 100,000 people.

Blinken said country currently faces the “most serious political crisis” since the end of the Bosnian War and that its justice system is “increasingly captured by, and under the control of, political parties and their patronage networks.”

“The United States will continue to use all authorities at its disposal to promote accountability for those who engage in corrupt activities or undermine BiH’s democratic processes and institutions,” the United States’ top prosecutor said Monday in a statement.

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