Representatives in the US Congress, Wesley Bell and Ann Wagner, issued a statement on the occasion of inviting 26 current and former employees of the Srebrenica Memorial Center to a hearing at the Zvornik Police Department.
They called on the competent institutions to respect the rule of law, protect the independence of the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina and enable the Memorial Center to carry out its important mission without fear.
“We are deeply concerned by reports that current and former employees of the Srebrenica Memorial Center have been summoned for questioning by the Republika Srpska authorities. The scope and timing of these summonses cause serious concern – especially considering that the work of the Memorial Center is of key importance for preserving the historical record, honoring those killed and protecting human rights,” Wesley Bell and Ann Wagner said in a joint statement.
The Srebrenica Memorial Center issued a press release in which it harshly criticized BiH Minister of Finance and Treasury Srđan Amidžić and BiH Presidency member Željka Cvijanović. The Center says that any political pressure, intimidation or abuse of institutions could have international consequences.
The Memorial Center states that Srđan Amidžić has been blocking the systematization and execution of the state’s legal obligations towards this institution for years. At the same time, they claim that Željka Cvijanović continuously uses her political position to attack the work and credibility of the Memorial Center.
“Because of this, their lessons today about the rule of law can hardly be understood as an expression of principled concern for legality,” it is stated in the statement.
They add that domestic and international institutions are already familiar with the treatment of the Memorial Center and its associates. Every element of possible political influence, they point out, will be documented and delivered to international partners.
In particular, they pointed to the context of international sanctions and the possible development of the situation regarding Milorad Dodik and other responsible persons.
“At the moment when this case is being considered and in the context of the possible re-introduction of international restrictive measures against Milorad Dodik or other responsible persons, the responsibility for possible consequences will belong exclusively to those whose actions produced them. This includes political officials who encourage, justify or give political cover to pressure on the Memorial Center through their public activities,” this institution warns.
In the end, they said that they will not be part of the daily political fights, but they will not give up on protecting their associates and institutional integrity.
They expect legal, impartial and professional behavior from the competent institutions. They reiterated that any attempt to put pressure on the Memorial Center will be internationalized and presented to partners from the international community who are already following this case.
