According to United Nations (UN) data, more than one hundred thousand people, mostly Bosnian Muslims, lost their lives and approximately two million people were displaced in the war between 1992 and 1995 after the dissolution of the former Yugoslavia.(1) The massacre in Srebrenica during this war has taken its place among the most brutal events in human history. In July 1995, Srebrenica, which was declared a safe zone in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 819, was captured by the Serbian army, thousands of people were brutally massacred and the rest were forced to migrate under difficult conditions.
As stated in the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, certain acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group constitute the crime of genocide. These acts are listed as "killing members of the group, causing serious physical or mental harm to members of the group, deliberately changing the living conditions of the group with the calculation that this will lead to the total or partial physical disappearance of the group, taking measures to prevent births within the group, and forcibly transferring children belonging to the group to another group". It is clear that the act of total extermination that took place in Srebrenica has the characteristics of the crime of genocide. As a matter of fact, both the International Court of Justice, and the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia have recognized this action of the Serbian army against Bosnian Muslims as genocide.
In 2024, the 29th anniversary of the genocide in which at least eight thousand people lost their lives and thousands of people were forced to migrate, the effects of the tragedy continue all over the world, especially the victims and the people of Bosnia.(2) However, some recent developments are promising in terms of revealing and understanding the tragedy. On May 23, 2024, the UN General Assembly designated July 11 as the International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Srebrenica Genocide. Presidential Circular No. 2024/8 published in the Official Gazette on 10 July 2024 also emphasized the meaning and importance of the day.
It is important to address the tragedy that took place in Srebrenica in all its aspects, identify each victim, and hold the perpetrators accountable to ensure that such acts of genocide never again stain human history. As a matter of fact, today, since October 7, 2023, an act of genocide has been going on in Gaza in front of the eyes of the whole world, just like in Srebrenica 29 years ago. In this context, it is urgent for all actors of the international community and countries to remember their responsibilities arising from international conventions and the requirements of humanity and to take active action against the tragedy in Gaza in order to prevent new suffering.
As the Human Rights and Equality Institution of Türkiye, which operates with the mission of protecting and promoting human rights, preventing discrimination and ensuring equality, we condemn the genocide that took place in Srebrenica on July 11, 1995 and the ongoing genocide in Palestine today; we reiterate our call to stop the ongoing massacre in Palestine immediately.
Respectfully announced to the public.