A collective funeral was held today at the Memorial Center in Potočari and the remains of seven victims of the Srebrenica genocide, the worst crime committed in Europe since World War II, in which forces of the Army of Republika Srpska killed 8,372 Bosniak men and boys in a few days.
The funeral was led by the reis-ul-ulema of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Husein Kavazović, a prayer was read, and the remains were buried.
As part of the program marking the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, a central commemoration was held at the former battery factory in Potočari, attended by numerous domestic and foreign officials. Respect was expressed for the victims of the genocide, and it was emphasized that denial of the crime must not be allowed.
The participants of the commemoration laid flowers on the Memorial Stone in the Srebrenica-Potočari Memorial Center complex and paid tribute to the victims of the genocide committed in July 1995. This year, “Srebrenica Inferno” by Džemaludin Latić, composed by Đelo Jusić, was also performed. The oratorio “Srebrenica Inferno” was first performed in 2003 at the opening of the Srebrenica-Potočari Memorial Center, a memorial and cemetery. Since then, it has been performed every year, on July 11, to mark the anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide.
This year, the following were buried in Potočari: Senajid (Husein) Avdić, born in 1976; Hariz (Ramiz) Mujić, born in 1976; Fata (Huso) Bektić, born in 1928; Hasib (Adem) Omerović, born in 1961; Sejdalija (Alija) Alić, born in 1961; Rifet (Mustafa) Gabeljić, born in 1964 and Amir (Ibrahim) Mujčić, born in 1964.
The remains of the victims, who finally found peace this year, were found in graves that were discovered years ago in the locations of Liplje, Baljkovica, Suljići, Kameničko brdo. In most cases, these are incomplete bodies, so some of the victims’ families buried one or two bones of their loved ones.
More than a thousand genocide victims are still being searched for
So far, 6,765 genocide victims have been buried in the Srebrenica-Potočari Memorial Center, while 250 victims were buried in local cemeteries at the request of family members.
The victims come from different municipalities, and most of them are from the areas of Srebrenica, Bratunac, Vlasenica, Zvornik and Milići.
Victims of the genocide have been found in 150 different locations. Of these, 77 were in mass graves discovered after the war. The youngest victim buried so far in Potočari was a newborn girl, Fatima Muhić, and the oldest was a grandmother, Šaha Izmirlić, born in 1901.
More than a thousand victims of the Srebrenica genocide are still being sought.
Verdicts
In 2007, the International Court of Justice in The Hague ruled that the Army of Republika Srpska committed genocide in July 1995 in Srebrenica, which was then a United Nations protected area.
So far, 54 people have been sentenced to 781 years and five life sentences for genocide and war crimes in Srebrenica by various courts, including former Republika Srpska President Radovan Karadžić and wartime commander of the Army of Republika Srpska Ratko Mladić.
Former commander of the Army of Republika Srpska Ratko Mladić was sentenced to life imprisonment by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia for genocide and crimes against humanity during the 1992-1995 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The court in The Hague also sentenced former Republika Srpska President Radovan Karadžić to life imprisonment in 2019.
In addition to Karadžić and Mladić, three other final life sentences for the Srebrenica genocide were handed down in The Hague.
In May 2024, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a Resolution declaring July 11 as the International Day of Remembrance for the Srebrenica Genocide.
The resolution, among other things, condemns the denial of genocide and the glorification of those convicted of war crimes.
