Aleksandar Milanović, a YIHR activist , told Radio Free Europe (RFE) that the goal of the action was to remind the public of a crime that is “actively denied, both in the media and by politicians.” “The idea is also to raise awareness among citizens, especially young people. It is important to commemorate this in Belgrade and to show that there are no ‘our’ and ‘their’ victims, but that all victims are equally important,” Milanović said.
According to a 2023 study by the Youth Initiative for Human Rights, nearly half of young people in Serbia (48%) believe that the crimes committed during the siege of Sarajevo were an inevitability of war rather than war crimes. YIHR’s analysis of history textbooks covering the wars of the 1990s showed that several authors present the massacres of civilians at Markale without complete information, with some even describing as “false accusations” the fact that the crimes were committed by members of the Army of Republika Srpska.
During the street action, activists of the Initiative spoke with more than 80 citizens, most of whom took part by accepting roses. At the Initiative’s central stand, citizens also had the opportunity to sign a letter of solidarity with the citizens and the City of Sarajevo on the occasion of the anniversary of the Markale crime. In addition to signatures, citizens left emotional messages expressing the hope that similar crimes would not be repeated, either in the region or elsewhere in the world. The letter was also signed by Belgrade University student Jana Keckarević.
“I think it’s wonderful that there are people in Belgrade who are willing to do something like this publicly and express support. I signed the letter because we should show empathy toward our neighbors,” she told RFE. She emphasized that people in her surroundings generally do not know enough about the siege of Sarajevo and the Markale crime.
“Hopeful that in the coming years cities in Serbia will have monuments, street names, and a state commemoration that will dignifiedly preserve the memory of the victims of war crimes in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the siege of Sarajevo, we are sending you this letter as an expression of our deepest respect for the innocent victims,” the letter states. The letter can be signed on the Initiative’s website until February 25, 2026.
You can sign the letter here.
