{"id":4730,"date":"2018-07-05T02:28:23","date_gmt":"2018-07-05T01:28:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yihr.rs\/?p=4730"},"modified":"2018-07-05T12:55:38","modified_gmt":"2018-07-05T11:55:38","slug":"respect-for-the-victims-of-genocide-in-srebrenica-must-be-part-of-serbias-state-policy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yihr.rs\/en\/respect-for-the-victims-of-genocide-in-srebrenica-must-be-part-of-serbias-state-policy\/","title":{"rendered":"Respect for the Victims of Genocide in Srebrenica Must Be Part of Serbia\u2019s State Policy"},"content":{"rendered":"

This way, we publicly call on the President of the Government, Ana Brnabi\u0107, the President of the Republic Aleksandar Vu\u010di\u0107, as well as all representatives in the National Assembly, to express their respect for the victims of the Srebrenica genocide with their presence and burning of candles.<\/b><\/p>\n

The Initiative expresses its disapproval of the continuity of the silence of the political elite on the responsibility of Serbia for war crimes, in particular the Srebrenica genocide, for which the state was declared responsible for failing to prevent genocide and to punish or extradite to the Tribunal perpetrators of that crime, and first of all, general of Army of Republika Srpska (VRS) Ratko Mladi\u0107 according to the judgement of the International Court of Justice in 2007.<\/span><\/p>\n

This year there is no mention about a possible visit of Serbian state officials to the Memorial Center in Poto\u010dari, while in the last two years we have witnessed the support of political elites for those convicted of war crimes in Serbia, about which the Initiative reacted earlier and informed the public – from discussions with <\/span>Momcilo Kraji\u0161nik, Nikola \u0160ainovi\u0107 <\/b>and <\/span>Veselin \u0160ljivan\u010danin<\/b>, lectures by <\/span>Vladimir Lazarevic <\/b>at the Military Academy, through <\/span>Vinko Pandurevi\u0107’s <\/b>participation on the round table within the internal dialogue on Kosovo to the continued stay of convicted war criminal <\/span>Vojislav \u0160e\u0161elj <\/b>in the National Assembly of Serbia contrary to Serbia\u2019s law.<\/span><\/p>\n

Also, <\/span>at the trial of eight members of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Republika Srpska for the killing of 1,300 civilians in Kravica in July 1995<\/b> before the War Crimes Chamber of the High Court in Belgrade, <\/span>the main trial has not been held<\/b> after a year, and the <\/span>overall<\/b> case shows a poor practice of the Prosecution. Similarly, in other cases (Sko\u010di\u0107 case) the insufficiently substantiated indictments, most often result in acquittal verdicts before the Court.<\/span><\/p>\n

In November last year, Ratko Mladi\u0107 was sentenced to life imprisonment for genocide in Srebrenica, as well as crimes against humanity and violations of the laws and customs of war that Serb forces committed during the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina.<\/span><\/p>\n

After the verdict, the President of the Government <\/span>Ana Brnabi\u0107,<\/b> stated<\/span><\/a> that “the past should be left behind and we should look to the future”, while in a similar tone the President of the Republic <\/span>Aleksandar Vu\u010di\u0107 <\/b>said<\/span><\/a> “not to stifle the tears of the past.” Minister of Justice, <\/span>Nela Kuburovi\u0107<\/b>, went one step further, openly defaming the Tribunal with the <\/span>statement<\/span><\/a> that “the Mladi\u0107 judgment was expected, having in mind the previous verdicts of the Hague Tribunal against the Serbs”.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Initiative considers that without a clarified war past there can be no bright future for Serbian citizens. Respect for the victims of genocide in Srebrenica by government representatives must be the basis of – not just the declarative – but the proactive policy of peace and stability of the state of Serbia. <\/b>The opportunity to demonstrate true determination for peace policy, the Serbian authorities will have on Wednesday, on July the 11<\/span>th<\/span> at 20:00, by joining the citizens of Serbia at the commemorative gathering for the victims of genocide in Srebrenica. As in the previous years, we have requested from Serbia’s executive, judicial and legislative authorities the following:<\/span><\/p>\n