Biljana Plavšić, a member of the Bosnian Serb wartime leadership and president of Republika Srpska from 1996 to 1998, has died, the BH UK Network announced.
In its statement, the organization recalled that the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) sentenced Plavšić in 2003 to 11 years in prison after she pleaded guilty to persecution on political, racial and religious grounds as a crime against humanity.
The tribunal established her participation in the persecution of Bosniaks, Bosnian Croats and other non-Serb populations in 37 municipalities across Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“Her death must not suppress the memory of the victims or diminish the gravity of the crimes committed,” the BH UK Network said.
The organization recalled that the 1992–1995 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina claimed around 100,000 lives, while more than two million people were forced to leave their homes. It also highlighted estimates that between 20,000 and 50,000 women and girls were subjected to rape during the war, with the consequences continuing to affect survivors, their families and communities.
The statement also recalled the genocide committed in Srebrenica in July 1995, when more than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys were killed by Bosnian Serb forces. International courts have established that genocide was committed in Srebrenica.
“For many families gathered around the BH UK Network, this is not just history, but a personal experience of loss, persecution and displacement,” the organization said, noting that many families lost loved ones, were forced from their homes and subsequently began new lives in the United Kingdom.
The BH UK Network said it has supported communities affected by war and displacement for 30 years and remains committed to preserving the truth, remembering victims and ensuring that younger generations understand what happened in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“The death of a convicted war criminal does not erase her responsibility or end the suffering of the survivors,” the statement said. “Lasting peace requires truth, justice and accountability.”
The organization added that denial of genocide and glorification of convicted war criminals should have no place in society.
“Today, our thoughts are with the victims, survivors and all the families who are still searching for their loved ones,” the BH UK Network concluded.
