A Resolution on Srebrenica stresses the importance of trying those accused of war crimes in local courts.
The Resolution on Srebrenica adopted by the European Parliament at its first session this year calls for the arrest of the remaining fugitives accused of genocide in Srebrenica, and stresses the need to pay more attention to war crime trials conducted before local courts.
The genocide in Srebrenica, a former United Nations “safe area”, was committed in July 1995 after forces commanded by Ratko Mladic had occupied the area.
Mladic is on the run; an indictment against him was filed 14 years ago.
“After the fall of Srebrenica in July 1995 more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys, who sought shelter in the UNPROFOR base, were executed by Bosnian Serbs, under Mladic’s command, with the help of paramilitary units, including illegal police forces from the Republic of Serbia,” the Resolution reads.
The European Parliament adopted the proposed resolution on Srebrenica considering that this “was the best way of paying respect to the massacre victims and sending a clear message to future generations”. The Resolution calls on the European and Western Balkan countries to mark July 11 as genocide commemoration day.
The Resolution expresses full support for the work of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, ICTY, and calls for the arrest of the remaining fugitives, as well as all other persons responsible for this crime.
Once it is fully endorsed, the Resolution will be forwarded to the parliament and government of Bosnia and Herzegovina and its entities, as well as to all Western Balkan and EU member states for ratification.