As the wartime head of government for Herzeg-Bosnia, Prlić held significant administrative authority during a conflict that produced some of the worst atrocities of the Bosnian war. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia held him responsible at the senior political level for crimes committed against Bosniak civilians, reflecting how the tribunal approached command and institutional accountability. His subsequent career in postwar Bosnian governance — including a role shaping the country's foreign policy — makes his case a notable study in the relationship between wartime authority and political legitimacy.