Before the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre
“When we commemorate this solemn milestone and respect the memories of our victims, we also pay tribute to their families and organizations like Srebrenica’s mother, who have spent decades pursuing truth, justice and reparations over the past three decades.
“Although many perpetrators have been brought to justice, the anniversary reminds people that nearly 1,000 people believed they were killed in Srebrenica in 1995. Their families continue to have no answers and cannot give their loved ones rest or get any real sense of closure.
This anniversary reminds people that nearly 1,000 people killed in Srebrenica are still missing
As families struggle to cope with lasting trauma, they are facing renewed efforts by senior officials in parts of the region to deny crimes and glorify individuals who have been convicted of genocide and crimes against humanity. The denial of genocide is not only a profound insult to the victims and families, but also the rule of the International Court of Justice, which is also the rule of the dynasty nature.
background
In July 1995, the Bosnian Serb Army (“VRS”) attacked Srebrenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, a designated “safe area”. From 10 to 11 July 1995, more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were captured and subsequently killed by Bosnian Serb troops despite the presence of United Nations peacekeepers.
In 2007, the International Court of Justice ruled that the Srebrenica massacre was genocide. Despite being excavated, the bodies of more than 7,000 victims have been identified and buried, more than 1,000 people have been lost or unidentified.
Despite high-level prosecutions including Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic, there are still a large number of cases pending before the domestic courts in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In May 2024, the United Nations General Assembly designated July 11 as the International Day of Reflection and Memorial for the 1995 Srebrenica Genocide.
