This study aims to investigate the democracy development i Bosnia and Herzegovina. Since 1995, when the Dayton Peace Agreement was signed, Bosnia has been undergoing an democratization, but despite that the country is still year 2017 classified as ”partly free”. In this study the democracy-enhancing factors: civil society and the political system are being related to the Dayton Peace Agreement and are tested against liberal democratic values and Consociational Democracy theory. This study is a qualitative case study and following questions are being looked into:   -       Which factors within the civil society and political system limit the democracy development in Bosnia and Herzegovina? -       To what extent does the Dayton Peace Agreement limit Bosnia and Herzegovina’s democracy development? -       To what extent is Bosnia and Herzegovina an Consociational Democracy?   The fact that Bosnia has a divided and multiethnic society puts a foundational ground for a possible consolidated consociational democracy. Furthermore, the functions of the civil society, political system and the Dayton Peace Agreement are being discussed and the shortcomings of each are being highlighted. The results of this study indicate that Bosnia’s long democratization development is primarly based on the unwillingness to cooperation between the three constitutional groups, the exclusion of minority groups and the Dayton Peace Agreement’s regulations on a political system that is not sustainable for a stable democratic state.

In July 1995, more than 8,000 young boys and men were executed by Bosnian Serb Forces in what was later declared a genocide in Srebrenica. In the following years, Bosnia and Herzegovina has undergone a long and difficult process of restoring peace and achieving justice and reconciliation. The country's main challenges have mainly concerned Dayton peace agreement and its division of entities and political power, tensions between parties and a structural exclusion of minorities. Following the extensive legal process, a national and international denial of the genocide, and denial of the legitimacy of the ICTY has been dominant. Other historical events like “Safe area” and UN action during the war and the occupation of Srebrenica are important factors for the development towards a democracy. The aim of this thesis is to investigate through a qualitative method the consequences of the denial of the Srebrenica genocide and its impact on the country's ability to achieve peace, justice and reconciliation. Other key concepts are sustainable peace, truth and justice in relation to human rights. Hannah Arendt's theories of total domination, tyranny and political revisionism constitutes the theoretical framework of the thesis. These theories are used to gain a deeper understanding of the concepts, their meaning and how they can be related to countries' transitional justice and achieve peace after serious war crimes. The study shows that the country is strongly affected by its history and the serious violations that the Bosnian Muslim population was subjected to during the war. The widespread denial of the genocide is an extension of suffering and human rights violations, which strongly impedes the country's ability to achieve peace, justice and reconciliation. Other results are that more knowledge is needed about the choice of legal methods after serious violations of humanitarian law. The methods discussed in the study are international tribunals and truth commissions and in which countries these are most adequate. The study has identified gaps in research regarding the understanding of the importance interpersonal relationships, dialogue and a smaller distance between political systems and citizens has for Bosnia & Herzegovina and for countries' recovery and reconciliation processes.