Balkans | The bodies of the hundreds of victims killed in Srebrenica have never been found.

Although 28 years have passed since the genocide in Srebrenica in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1995, the bodies of hundreds of victims have not yet been found.

As part of the memorial and funeral ceremonies to be held on the 28th anniversary of the genocide on July 11, another 30 genocide victims will be buried.

Mojo Hadziomirovic, head of the Missing Persons Institute of BiH, told Anadolu Agency (AA) about what happened in Srebrenica in the summer of 1995, “So far, 7,757 identities have been confirmed regarding Srebrenica. 6,721 genocide victims have been buried, their identities have been established , at Potocari Memorial Cemetery, he said.

Hadziomirović said that 12,469 bone remains were excavated from post-genocide mass grave excavations in Srebrenica, “Identity and DNA analyzes and case investigations continue. The process is not completed. We are trying to get to the bone remains of 797 people killed in Srebrenica.” He said.

Hadziomirovic stated that according to official records, at least 8,372 people were killed in Srebrenica.

563 children and 60 women killed in Srebrenica

Hadziomirovic emphasized that hundreds of children and women who tried to reach the safe zone were killed in Srebrenica, “According to the data we have, 563 children and 60 women were killed in Srebrenica.” Use phrases.

Hadziomirovic stated that the excavations of the mass graves are still continuing despite the passage of 28 years, and he said: “81 mass graves were reached in which the victims of Srebrenica were excavated. The largest mass grave is Kamenica, where the bones of 1153 people were found. They were found The most remote mass grave is in Kalinovik, 200 km from Srebrenica. 6 young people from Srebrenica have been reached here.” He said.

“We call them anonymous because there is no match between DNA and blood,” Hadziomirovic said, noting that there are DNA analyzes of 1,600 people in 12 morgues across Bosnia and Herzegovina. He said.

Bone remains of 55 identified individuals await in the morgue.

Hadziomirovic explained that they are trying to reach the new mass graves with trained dogs, “In addition to the dogs, we plan to purchase detectors that can reach bone remains at a depth of 10 meters in the ground. We also evaluate witness testimonies in courts and examine areas.” Use phrases.

Hadziomirovic said that 34,000 people were reported missing during the 1992-1995 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as follows:

Of the 34,000 reports, 29,704 have been confirmed. It is reported that 7,500 people are still missing in Bosnia and Herzegovina. 80 percent of missing persons in Bosnia and Herzegovina have been found. Nowhere else in the world are there more people after conflict. We are working to share our experience with Ukraine, Libya and Azerbaijan.

The remains of 55 identified people were found in the morgue, Hadziomirovic said, “The relatives of the victims are reluctant to bury their loved ones at the Potocari Memorial Cemetery in the hope of finding another part of the bones.” He said.

Twenty-eighth anniversary of the genocide

Srebrenica, which was declared a “safe area” by the United Nations during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, was occupied on July 11, 1995 by the Serbian forces of the Serbian commander Ratko Mladic.

As for the Bosnian civilians who took refuge with the Dutch soldiers inside the United Nations after the occupation, they were handed over to the Serbs.

8,372 Bosniaks who were put on buses and trucks were brutally murdered in the forest areas, factories and warehouses where they were transported. The bodies of the dead were buried in various mass graves across the country.

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.

This year, on the 28th anniversary of the genocide, 30 identified victims will be buried.

AA