Bosnia honors Srebrenica Genocide victims 30 years on
Iran Press TV
Friday, 11 July 2025 4:48 PM
Thousands gathered in the eastern Bosnian town of Srebrenica on Friday to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the genocide of thousands of Muslim Bosniaks by Bosnian Serb forces.
More than 8,000 Muslim Bosniak boys and men were executed by Serb forces in July 1995, towards the end of the Bosnian War. The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution last year to designate July 11 as the International Day of Remembrance for the Srebrenica Genocide.
Scores of international officials and dignitaries joined the Bosnians to mark the occasion.
This year's commemoration included the burial of seven recently identified victims, among them two 19-year-olds. Their remains were interred at the cemetery in Potočari, next to over 6,000 others who have been laid to rest in previous years.
To commemorate the Srebrenica Genocide, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian sent an official message to the Bosnian government through the Iranian government's spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani, who travelled to Bosnia and Herzegovina to attend the ceremony.
Pezeshkian expressed the Iranian nation's respect for the victims, firm support for Bosnia and Herzegovina, and strong condemnation of international silence, both then and now.
He described the 1995 Srebrenica Genocide as "a shameful stain" in diplomatic history, criticizing the international community for its continuous silence, as reported by N1 Bosnia.
"Srebrenica was a failure of the international community to protect helpless refugees. It reminds us that commitment to human principles requires firm, justice-driven action, not hollow slogans or false neutrality," the Iranian president stated.
He drew a parallel between the Srebrenica Genocide and ongoing killings in the Gaza Strip, warning that the same negligence was being repeated.
"Sadly, the tragic scenes from Srebrenica are now being replayed, in even greater numbers, on Palestinian soil. The staggering number of civilian martyrs, particularly women and children, and the widespread destruction of infrastructure represent an alarming humanitarian catastrophe," he warned.
He noted that remembering the Srebrenica genocide should not end with a memorial ceremony.
"Commemorating Srebrenica is not just about ritual. It's a moment to reflect on the lessons of the past. If those lessons had truly been learned, we would not be witnessing genocide again in Gaza," Pezeshkian added.
Earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi paid tribute to the victims, warning of another genocide of Muslims in Gaza.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed solidarity with the Muslim people of Bosnia.
In a video message on Friday marking the 30th anniversary of the 1995 Srebrenica Genocide, Erdogan voiced continuous and unconditional support for Bosnia and Herzegovina's territorial integrity, sovereignty, and constitutional order, Anadolu Agency reported.
Also touching on Israeli forces' brutal genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, Erdogan said that decades ago the international community remained silent on Srebrenica, and now in recent years it is a mere bystander to the oppression taking place in Palestine.
Erdogan vowed that the Israeli regime will be held accountable "sooner or later" before the law and history for its genocide of nearly 58,000 Palestinians.
He said Ankara ejects all statements and remarks that seek to deny the genocide or "glorify war criminals" in defiance of international court rulings.
Hakan Fidan, Turkey's foreign minister, also marked the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide with a message shared on social media.
"This profound tragedy, whose pain remains deeply felt in our hearts, has left an indelible mark on humanity's conscience," he said. "Remembering it and ensuring it is never forgotten is a collective responsibility we all share."
The UK's former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn commemorated the Srenrenica Genoide by saying world leaders who remained silent "are letting it happen, again, in Gaza.
"30 years ago, over 8,000 Bosniak men and boys were murdered in the Srebrenica Genocide," he wrote.
"Today, politicians will say 'never again'. But they are letting it happen, again, in Gaza," he added. "We remember all victims of genocide, and vow to build a world that respects the humanity of all."
Among others commemorating the Srebrenica Genocide included European Council President António Costa, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos and Croatian PM Andrej Plenković, who were in attendance at the commemoration ceremonies and the funeral on Friday.
Furthermore, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen marked the occasion by honouring the victims, their memory and their families.
"We must remember and preserve the truth, so that future generations know exactly what happened in Srebrenica," wrote the Commission chief in a post on X.
The Srebrenica Genocide occurred following the breakup of the former Yugoslavia.
Srebrenica was declared a United Nations safe zone in 1993, protected by Dutch UN peacekeepers.
In July 1995, Bosnian Serb forces led by General Ratko Mladić overran Srebrenica, which was predominantly inhabited by Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims), despite its designation as a safe area.
The Dutch peacekeepers failed to prevent the Bosnian Serb forces from entering the town and in less than two weeks, Bosnian Serb forces systematically massacred more than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys and dumped their bodies in numerous mass graves in an attempt to hide their crime. The genocide included mass executions, forced deportations, and other atrocities.
More than 100,000 people were killed and two million more were displaced, while the fate of almost 7,000 people who disappeared during the 44 months of war between 1992 and 1995 is still unknown and each year new victims are identified.
The burials are held annually for the victims who are still being unearthed from mass graves scattered across the general region of eastern Bosnia.
In some cases, relatives can bury only partial remains of severed bodies of their loved ones, found after they were relocated to secondary or tertiary mass graves, sometimes at a significant distance apart.
This was the case for Mirzeta Karić, who is awaiting her father's burial. "Thirty years of search and we are burying a bone," Karić said, teary-eyed next to her father's coffin.
"I think it would be easier if I could bury all of him. What can I tell you, my father is one of the 50 (killed) from my entire family."
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