The Office of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina has called on officials to continue prosecuting those responsible for denying genocide and glorifying war criminals, as the country marks the 28th anniversary of the massacre of over 8,000 Muslim men and boys by Bosnian Serb forces in Srebrenica.
In a message addressed to politicians in Republika Srpska – the Serb entity – High Representative Christian Schmidt stated that his office is prepared to use all means to assist Bosnia in filing lawsuits against genocide deniers.
“It is clear that we need decisive steps from the Prosecution,” Schmidt said during the commemorations in Potocari, where the victims of the genocide are buried.
“Those who deny the genocide, wherever they live or are located, are committing a criminal act because with the changes in the law made two years ago by my predecessor, Valentin Inzko, it is stated that denial of genocide is a criminal act. Do not forget that this law applies throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina,” he warned.
The massacres in Srebrenica were just one episode of the war in Bosnia from 1992-1995, which left nearly 100,000 people dead. The events in Srebrenica have been recognized as genocide by two United Nations courts.
Officials in Serbia and Serb officials in Bosnia – including the current leader of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik – refuse to acknowledge that genocide occurred in Srebrenica.
During the 11 July ceremony, the remains of 30 victims were buried. Their remains were found in mass graves in eastern Bosnia.
