American Congressmen Greg Murphy and Marc Veasey, during their visit to the Potočari Memorial Center in Srebrenica, requested the reintroduction of sanctions against officials who deny genocide and glorify persons legally convicted of war crimes.
Congressmen, who were on an official visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina, visited the Memorial Center yesterday together with the director Emir Suljagić. On that occasion, they asked the administration in Washington to reimpose sanctions on officials who glorify war criminals and deny genocide.
“We call on the administration to fully implement existing US sanctions mechanisms, including the reintroduction or introduction of targeted sanctions against individuals whose actions threaten the peace and stability of BiH or undermine the Dayton Agreement framework, in accordance with the Western Balkans Democracy and Prosperity Act,” stated Murphy and Veasey.
In a joint statement, which they issued as part of the US Helsinki Committee, of which they are members, they pointed out that “the memory of Srebrenica requires the defense of the truth”, adding that “Ratko Mladić died as a convicted war criminal, and that he is responsible for the genocide in Srebrenica, as well as for crimes against humanity and war crimes”.
“His funeral is not an opportunity to glorify him,” they said.
They emphasized that “genocide denial and glorification of convicted war criminals are not only morally wrong, but deepen ethnic divisions, intimidate survivors and undermine the stability and democratic future of BiH and the wider region”.
