The Youth Initiative for Human Rights from Serbia sent a letter to the President of the United Nations General Assembly, Dennis Francis, in which they say they express their support for the resolution on Srebrenica, saying that it is important for the future of Serbia.
As they said at the beginning of the letter, they are writing primarily as young people concerned about the future of Serbia and the Western Balkans. Below, as they say, they gave an explanation of why this resolution is important for Serbia.
“Democracy in our country has been declining in recent years, and many reputable organizations describe it as a hybrid regime. Young people who dare to speak critically about government policies are exposed to a campaign of hate and are targeted by public officials. However, we have decided not to remain silent, while our peaceful future, which we surely deserve, is threatened. On behalf of many young people in Serbia and citizens who are deeply afraid to speak out because of the climate that has been created in our society, which was instigated by the irresponsible campaign about the resolution on Srebrenica led by the highest Serbian state official, we believe that it is our human duty to say: Not in our name,” they said.
As they say, despite widespread misinformation and abuse of the resolution on the genocide in Srebrenica in the Serbian public sphere, they see it as a key step in the process of dealing with the past.
“Recognition of mass atrocities play a vital role in the establishment of prevention mechanisms and should be seen as the foundation for building a better future in post-conflict societies. We are witnessing the exact opposite; there have been numerous occasions when state officials persistently deny the legally established facts about the genocide in Srebrenica, incite hatred and they open wounds that need to be healed,” they said.
They refer to the murals with the image of Ratko Mladić.
“For the past five years, a large and organized campaign has been underway in Serbia, which includes painting walls, public institutions and buildings in almost every city with the name and likeness of Ratko Mladić. Mladić led the Army of Republika Srpska during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina and was convicted of crimes against humanity in several municipalities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the genocide in and around Srebrenica. Although we informed the local authorities, no action was taken to remove the displays. The authorities remained silent, and some of the most prominent public officials openly stated that they saw nothing wrong with it.” , they add.
They emphasized that the judgment of the International Court of Justice from 2007 declared Serbia responsible for violating the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide by not preventing genocide.
“In 2010, the National Assembly of Serbia adopted a declaration condemning the crimes committed in Srebrenica as defined in the Court’s judgment, but without mentioning the term genocide. However, Serbian officials continue to violate this declaration. The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and local courts in Bosnia and Herzegovina have convicted more than 50 people for their role in the genocide in Srebrenica. The UN ad hoc courts, that is, the ICTY and its legal successor, the International Residual Mechanism Tribunals (IRMCT), have found and proven in 15 cases that is genocide really committed in Srebrenica. Unlike the UN international tribunals and local courts in Bosnia and Herzegovina, there is no trial for genocide in Srebrenica, which was held before the Special War Crimes Department in Belgrade. Serbia continues to violate the Convention on Prevention and punishing the crime of genocide because the State Prosecutor’s Office for War Crimes does not prosecute war criminals and does not submit indictments for crimes against humanity and genocide in the case of Srebrenica. This has led us to believe that there is a culture of impunity in Serbia, which is additionally supported by numerous reports from international and local institutions, especially highlighted in the report of the Council of Europe for the year 2023,” the letter states.
They add that the highest state officials of Serbia continuously glorify convicted war criminals.
“These acts endanger the peace process in Serbia and the region, leaving no room for honest and responsible political dialogue about the past. Almost three decades after the genocide in Srebrenica, those who were declared responsible for this crime are portrayed as heroes by the highest state representatives. In addition, there is no attempt by the Government of Serbia to honor the victims of the genocide in Serbia. The Serbian legal framework does not allow the erection of monuments to the victims of the genocide in Srebrenica or other acts of commemoration that would honor the victims. Also, the commemorations organized by local non-governmental organizations in Serbia every year , which are dedicated to victims and families of survivors, are often the target of attacks by extremist groups and under the threat of police bans. Since 2005, YIHR has been actively appealing to the authorities in Serbia to declare July 11 as the Day of Remembrance of Srebrenica,” they said.
They state that because of everything, young people from Serbia are demanding changes, “and Resolution of the UN General Assembly is one positive means of achieving this.”
“Every day for the past month, we have witnessed persistent attempts to deny that what happened in Srebrenica was genocide and to block the adoption of the resolution in the UN General Assembly, portraying the resolution as something terrible for the Serbian people. The highest state officials of Serbia and its institutions, on the other hand, a group of the most prominent non-governmental organizations from Serbia, including YIHR, issued a statement supporting the adoption of the UN General Assembly Resolution on the genocide in Srebrenica and threats to the public. This clearly shows that the narratives of genocide denial, perpetuated by state officials, are shaping public opinion. It is high time to end the culture of denial that keeps the region trapped in the past,” they said.
They believe that the resolution of the UN General Assembly on the genocide in Srebrenica is important because it will not only lead to recognition of the victims and respect for them, “but will also be useful for Serbian society because it will serve as a good starting point for social dialogue about the responsibility of the Republic of Serbia for genocide, as well as providing a dignified place for the victims in the public sphere.”
Finally, they called on President Francis not to allow the denial of legally established facts about the genocide in Srebrenica and the abuse of the victims for political gains at the session of the UN General Assembly, where the topic will be the Resolution on the Genocide in Srebrenica.
“We hope that the adopted text of the resolution will initiate a much-needed dialogue in our society and create an environment in which victims of genocide can find a place of respect and dignity in the public discourse of Serbia. YIHR firmly supports the Resolution as a guarantee of peace,” they announced at the end.