Senior international officials in Bosnia declared that it was illegal to deny the genocide in the Balkan countries to counter the Bosnian Serbs’ denial of the scope of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, which was the only post-World War II genocide in Europe.
The outgoing Bosnian High Representative Office (OHR) head Valentin Inzko (Valentin Inzko) introduced on Friday the changes to the country’s criminal law, imposing a maximum of five years on denial of genocide and glorification of war criminals. Imprisonment, including naming the streets or public institutions behind them.
OHR is the highest international organization responsible for overseeing the implementation of the peace agreement that ended the 1992-95 war in Bosnia. It has the power to impose decisions or fire officials who undermined the post-war national balance and reconciliation efforts among Bosnians (mainly Muslims, Bosnian Serbs, and Croats).
The International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court of the former Yugoslavia declared that the killing of more than 8,000 Bosnians by the Bosnian Serbs in Srebrenica during the Bosnian War was a genocide. However, Bosnian Serb officials and neighbouring Serbia refused to accept this designation.
The Austrian diplomat Inzko said in a statement: “Hate speech, glorifying war criminals and revisionism or completely denying genocide and war crimes prevents society from dealing with their collective past and constitutes a re-humiliation of victims and their loved ones. It also perpetuates injustice and the destruction of inter-ethnic relations.
“All of this will cause setbacks, make society ill for a long time, and prevent the emergence of a much-needed reconciliation.”
Inzko said that after years of waiting for Bosnian politicians to take action, he decided to use his power. He cited the refusal of the Bosnian Serb Parliament to withdraw the medals awarded to three convicted war criminals.
“The situation has gotten worse and is now out of control,” he said, warning that a lack of recognition is “sowning the seeds” and leading to new conflicts. “Therefore, I think it is now necessary to adopt a legal solution to regulate this matter.”
The genocide in Srebrenica occurred after the Bosnian Serbs took control of the eastern enclave in July 1995. They executed Bosnian men and boys and dumped their remains in mass graves, which were later dug up and reburied to cover up their crimes. The remains of the victims are still being unearthed and identified.
Bosnian politicians and relatives of the victims welcomed Inzko’s decision, but they were quickly rejected by the Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik, a member of the Bosnian multi-ethnic presidency and the Republic of Serb The highest political figure of the Serb entity.
According to the Klix news portal, Dodik threatened to start the “disintegration” process of Bosnia. “The Republika Srpska refused to accept this, the genocide did not happen, and the Serbs must not accept this,” he said.
Dodik has repeatedly criticized OHR and the West for their prejudice against the Serbs in Bosnia. The UN Security Council rejected a resolution proposed by Serbian allies Russia and China on Thursday, which would immediately deprive Bosnian Human Rights Office of its authority.
Both the Bosnian Serbs and the Serbs who supported the Bosnian Serbs during the war called the massacre a crime. Refused to admit that it was a genocide.
The Bosnian Serbs also regarded their wartime leader Radovan Karadzic and military commander Ratko Mladic as heroes Convicted of genocide He was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Hague court. Murals with the themes of Mladic and Karadzic can be seen in many towns in the Republika Srpska, which are the names of Bosnian Serb entities.
Inzko said his decision was not for the country but for the individual. He said that recognizing personal guilt can free people from the burden of the past and move toward a more promising future.
In Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia, the prosecutor’s office said it would monitor any statements made by individuals or groups and take action in accordance with changes in the law.
Kada Hotic from the Srebrenica Victims’ Relatives Organization said that such a law should be implemented sooner. “In any case, I welcome this decision,” she said. “Without acceptance, there is no forgiveness, unless someone asks for forgiveness, otherwise I will not forgive.
The U.S. Embassy in Bosnia called Inzko’s move “a starting point for more concrete debates and steps in actual implementation by local actors.”
The embassy said in a statement: “We must emphasize that the genocide in Srebrenica is not a matter of debate, but a historical fact.” “Now is the time to truly turn to a future based on peace and mutual trust.”
The Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe Dunja Mijatovic also welcomed the actions of the High Representative.
“We must protect the truth, promote reconciliation and educate future generations,” Mijatović tweeted.
Inzko resigned in May after serving 12 years and will resign on August 1. He will be succeeded by Christian Schmidt of Germany.
Inzko said: “My conscience tells me that when convicted war criminals are glorified, I have no right to end my term of office.”
