Contact Us

Bosnia marks 25th anniversary of Srebrenica Genocide

Bosnia and Herzegovina on Saturday marked the 25th anniversary of the 1995 Srebrenica Genocide, bidding farewell to nine newly identified victims of the massacre at a memorial service. Every year on July 11, newly identified victims of the genocide are laid to rest at a memorial cemetery in Potocari, eastern Bosnia. Thousands of visitors from various countries attend the service.

  • 6
  • 9
Bosnia marks 25th anniversary of Srebrenica Genocide

Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic said the Srebrenica Genocide is a common shame for all those who did not prevent it. "It is a testimony to the terrible reality of a bloody war, an eternal warning and reminder to all our people that without the truth of the past there is no peaceful or secure future," said Djukanovic.

  • 7
  • 9
Bosnia marks 25th anniversary of Srebrenica Genocide

Salko Ibisevic, who was only 23 when he was killed, was the youngest victim to be buried this year. Hasan Pezic, the oldest, was 70, and was laid to rest in this year's ceremony.

  • 8
  • 9
Bosnia marks 25th anniversary of Srebrenica Genocide

In July 1995, at least 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were chased through the woods in and around Srebrenica by Serb troops in what is considered the worst carnage of civilians in Europe since World War II. The Srebrenica massacre is the only episode of the Bosnian war to be defined as a genocide, including by two United Nations courts.

  • 9
  • 9
Bosnia marks 25th anniversary of Srebrenica Genocide

A special U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague and courts in the Balkans have sentenced close to 50 Bosnian Serbs to more than 700 years in prison for Srebrenica crimes. However, adding to the suffering of the survivors, many Serbs still deny the extent of the 1995 Srebrenica killings and often even celebrate the executioners. Last year, top Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik called the massacre "a fabricated myth."