Joint press release on the commemoration of the Srebrenica genocide

On the fourteenth annual commemoration of the Srebrenica genocide, without doubt Europe’s largest organized war crime since the second world war, human rights organizations from Serbia expressed concern that Serbia had failed to declare July 11th the Day of Commemoration of the Srebrenica Genocide.

We emphasize that a large number of citizens and non-governmental organisations over the past six months gathered on every 11th day of the month in front of the Serbian Presidency and Parliament buildings in order to urge Serbian Government officials to proclaim July 11th the Day of Commemoration of the Srebrenica Genocide. This not only stems from the recommendation of the European Union, the resolution adopted by the European Parliament and the ruling of the International Court of Justice but also constitutes a state’s moral obligation to the victims.

The actions of citizens and non-governmental organizations, as well as the positive examples of the few political parties endorsing the request to declare July 11th the day of commemoration of the Srebrenica genocide, will undoubtedly continue, with high hopes that the most responsible government bodies, the national Parliament above all – will come to realize that the only proper thing to do would be to acknowledge and commemorate this crime. This would send an unequivocal message that the state will never stand behind such crimes again.
If there is a crime that deserves the most severe punishment, then it must be genocide. Any form of trifling with Srebrenica numbers, victims, and denial must not be backed by the state, still less can it be the official policy of a country moving towards full membership in the EU.

Beograd, 11 July 2009

YUCOM
Humanitarian Law Centre
Women in Black
Helsinki Committee for Human Rights
Youth Initiative for Human Rights
Center for Cultural Decontamination
Center for Advanced Legal Studies

Other organisations that joined the press release:

Glas razlike, Beograd
Rekonstrukcija ženski fond, Beograd
Incest trauna centar, Beograd
Odbor za ljudska prava Niš
Odbor za ljudska prava Leskovac
Sandžački odbor za zaštitu ljudskih prava
Kulturni centar DamaD, Novi Pazar
Gradjanski forum Novi Pazar
Impuls, Tutin
Beogradski centar za ljudska prava
Queeria centar, Beograd
Udruženje gradjana LiNet
Centar za gradjansko delovanje –  CeGraD
Centar za razvoj civilnog društva
Interreligijska služba Oči u oči
GLIC – Gej lezbejski info centar
Udruženje za ostvarivanje kulturnih i humanitarnih ciljeva “Ravangrad” Sombor
Vojvođanka – Regionalna ženska inicijativa
Festival o ljudskim pravima – VIVISECTfest
Milica Tomić, umetnica
Udruženje Q, Sarajevo
Narodni parlament
Regionalni centar za manjine
Forum nevladinih organizacija-Kraljevo
Centar za razvoj civilnih resursa
Gradjanski centar Kragujevac
Vojvodjanski gradjanski centar
Regionalni centar za manjine, Beograd
Centar za mir i razvoj demokratije, Beograd
Labris, Beograd
Građanske inicijative, Beograd
Zrenjaninski edukativni centar
Impunity Watch
Centar za Evro atlantske studije,
Pravnici za demokratiju
Pokret za mir i toleranciju, Bečej
Fond CURE, Sarajevo
ŽMIG, Pancevo
Urban In, Novi Pazar
Impuls, Tutin
Žene za mir, Leskovac
Centar za razvoj demokratije, Leskovac
OO SPO, Leskovac
Centar za kulturnu afirmaciju, Dimitrovgrad
Fenomena, Kraljevo
SOS telefon za žrtve nasilja, Niš
Peščanik, Kruševac
Udruženje nezaposlenih građana, Pirot
Esperanca, Novi Sad
Pogon, Sremski Karlovci
Gradjanska akcija Pančevo
SOS za žene i decu žrtve nasilja, Vlasotince
ŽINDOK, Ženski dokumentacioni informacioni centar, Beograd
Udruženje Roma Oaza
Platforma, Beograd
Mreža Žena u crnom Srbije:
Boljevac,
Bor,
Dimitrovgrad,
Kikinda,
Kraljevo,
Kruševac,
Leskovac,
Niš,
Novi Sad,
Novi Bečej,
Novi Pazar,
Pančevo,
Pirot,
Velika Plana,
Vlasotince,
Vranje,
Vrbas,
Zaječar