New episode of Memory Cultures in Dialogue: “From Guilt to Responsibility“

New episode of Memory Cultures in Dialogue: “From Guilt to Responsibility“

Kulture sećanja - Audio - Story - 1Germany represents a unique case of a society that was forced to confront its past twice within a span of 50 years. The first confrontation occurred after World War II, when the Nuremberg Trials brought the leaders of the defeated state before an international tribunal, with the victors of the war serving as judges. The second confrontation with the past was imposed on German society after the reunification of the divided Germany into a single state in 1989.


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EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT: ReConstruction of Responsibility – Societal Memory of Genocide

EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT: ReConstruction of Responsibility – Societal Memory of Genocide

Public debate imageOn the occasion of marking the 29 years since the Srebrenica genocide, the Humanitarian Law Center invites you to the debate “ReConstruction of responsibility – societal memory of genocide” featuring:

  • Srđan Milošević, historian and lawyer
  • Marija Mandić, linguist, IFDT
  • Milan St. Protić, historian and diplomat
  • Olga Manojlović Pintar, historian
  • Jovana Kolarić, HLC, moderator

How do we talk about Srebrenica? In what ways is the concept of responsibility being abused to grant social amnesty to perpetrators? Why is accepting responsibility interpreted as a danger to the nation?

The debate will take place on July 10, 2024, at 5:30 PM, Prostor Miljenko Dereta (Dobračina 55).

Simultaneous translation into English is provided

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EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT: Presentation of the Report on War Crimes Trials in Serbia during 2023

EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT: Presentation of the Report on War Crimes Trials in Serbia during 2023

Online razgovor SLIKA EN - 30The Humanitarian Law Center (HLC) will present the Report on War Crimes Trials in Serbia during 2023 on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, at 10:00 AM. The presentation will take place in the Main Conference Hall of the Media Centre in Belgrade (Terazije 3, 2nd floor).

The Report includes an analysis of 27 cases monitored by the HLC before the war crimes departments of the Higher Court and the Court of Appeals in Belgrade. Also, the Report contains an overview of the general findings on war crimes trials during 2023, as well as important socio-political events that are vital for war crimes trials in Serbia.


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Dossier: “Svetozar Andrić”

Dossier: “Svetozar Andrić”

Online razgovor SLIKA EN - 17During the armed conflict in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Svetozar Andrić served as the commander of the 1st Birač Infantry Brigade of the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS), and, after July 1995, as the Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff of the Drina Corps of the VRS.

The evidence presented in this Dossier indicates that, from May 1992, when Andrić ordered the “expulsion of the Muslim population” from the Zvornik municipality and the establishment of the Sušica camp in Vlasenica1, members of the Birač Brigade, independently or in cooperation with other military and police units, committed numerous crimes in municipalities within the brigade’s zone of responsibility. The Dossier also presents evidence of Svetozar Andrić’s role in the genocide committed in Srebrenica in July 1995.


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EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT: Presentation of the dossier “Svetozar Andrić”

EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT: Presentation of the dossier “Svetozar Andrić”

Online razgovor SLIKA EN - 17On Wednesday, February 28, 2024, Humanitarian Law Center (HLC) will present its sixteenth dossier titled “Svetozar Andrić” (Dossier). The presentation will take place in the large hall of the Media Center in Belgrade (Terazije 3, 2nd floor), starting at 12 PM.

Svetozar Andrić, former major in the Yugoslav People’s Army, served as the Commander of the First Birač Infantry Brigade of the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS) from May 1992 and as the Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff of the Drina Corps of the VRS from July 1995. The dossier presents evidence of war crimes committed in the area of responsibility of the units commanded by Svetozar Andrić.


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Debate: Decade of Remembrance

Debate: Decade of Remembrance

Untitled design - 1As part of the RECOM Reconciliation Network project, the Humanitarian Law Center is organising a debate on memory politics and commemorative practices in post-Yugoslav countries under the title Decade of Remembrance.

Researchers will present the results of monitoring commemorations of five events over the past ten years in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, and North Macedonia. The discussion will focus on the conflicting narratives of the same events, which, instead of becoming less contentious over time, are showing increasing differences in the interpretation of judicial facts. The goal is to discuss ways to reconcile different perspectives and enhance the influence of the academic community and civil society in creating a culture of memory based on judicial facts and personal experiences.

The debate is taking place in hybrid format on January 25 2024 from 11:00 to 15:00 CET. It is open for public on Zoom, with language interpretation provided, with mandatory registration on the link.

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Ready for Memory Wars: The Case of the HOS Memorial Plaque in Croatia

Ready for Memory Wars: The Case of the HOS Memorial Plaque in Croatia

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This paper focuses on Croatia and the use of hate speech and controversial symbols for the maintenance of symbolic boundaries, the reinforcement of a one-sided version of the past, and the mobilization of voters. The presence and use of the Ustaša salutation, “Ready for the Homeland” (Za dom spremni – ZDS) is a consistent example of those tendencies. In recent years, the salutation has become increasingly intertwined with the legacies of World War Two and the 1990s Croatian War of Independence, while simultaneously reflecting the rise of nationalism and radical-right parties and movements in Croatia as well as abroad. The paper presents insights into the ways ZDS is used to reify national identity, while centering around some of the main actors perpetuating this dynamic, such as politicians and war veterans. Accordingly, it focuses primarily on the case of the memorial plaque erected in 2016 by former members of the Croatian Defence Forces paramilitary unit, which included the ZDS salutation. At one point threatening to topple the government, the case demonstrates how the salute is used to maintain the dominant narrative of the Homeland War.


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