Balkans | Commemoration of the victims of the genocide in Srebrenica, Croatia

The Council of the Bosnian National Minority in Croatia organized a rally in the capital, Zagreb, to commemorate the victims of the genocide in Srebrenica, in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, which claimed the lives of more than 8,000 Bosnian civilians.

Turkey’s Ambassador to Zagreb Yavuz Selim Kiran and hundreds of people joined the march in Josip Jelacic Square in Zagreb on the occasion of the 28th anniversary of the genocide.

The head of the National Council of Bosnian Minorities, Armin Hodzic, emphasized that the genocide is still being denied even after 28 years, and stated that this march was organized for the first time this year.

The marchers held banners reading “Don’t forget Srebrenica”.

Burial of 30 genocide victims

In this year’s festivities, 30 genocide victims, who were murdered and identified, were buried after funeral prayers.

Elvir Salcinović, who was 15 years old when she was killed, is the youngest of the 30 genocide victims to be buried on the 28th anniversary of the genocide, the oldest being Nazir Muminović, who was murdered at the age of 65.

What happened in Srebrenica?

After the occupation of Srebrenica by Serbian forces led by Ratko Mladić on 11 July 1995, civilian Bosniaks who had taken refuge with Dutch soldiers inside the UNC were subsequently handed over to the Serbs.

Allowing women and children access to the area controlled by Bosniak soldiers, the Serbs massacred no fewer than 8,372 Bosniak men in forest areas, factories, and warehouses. The Bosnian dead were buried in mass graves.

After the war, the victims whose bodies were found were buried in mass graves in an effort to find the missing in a ceremony held at the Potocari Memorial Cemetery on 11 July each year after their identification.

While there are 6,721 graves of genocide victims at Potocari Memorial Cemetery, that number would rise to 6,751 today.

AA