Srebrenica Massacre A Dark Chapter in Humanity’s History
In a message read out at a ceremony held Sunday to mark 26th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre, he added that the genocide is a deep wound in the conscience of the humanity.
The message was read out by the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Special Representative Ebrahim Taherian.
Zarif said Srebrenica’s women and mothers are still demanding answers and justice.
He added that Sunday’s commemoration reminds the international community of the need for a commitment to justice, non-violence and a sense of responsibility in defending the oppressed
The Iranian top diplomat also took the opportunity to salute the high spirit of the martyrs who fall victims to the horrific crimes in the city and expressed sympathy and solidarity with the government and people of Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially their bereaved families, according to IRNA.
Iran is proud to have stood by the oppressed people of Bosnia and Herzegovina since the beginning of its independence and never hesitated to offer assistance to the nation and still remains committed to supporting the independence, territorial integrity and peaceful coexistence of all ethnic groups in Bosnia and Herzegovina, he went on to say.
On July 11, 1995, Srebrenica fell to Bosnian Serb forces led by General Ratko Mladic.
Srebrenica’s Muslim population fled the town, which had been declared a UN “safe haven” for civilians, and rushed to the UN compound where its peacekeepers were supposed to protect them.
The Dutch peacekeepers, however, handed over the base to Serbian troops, who separated out men and boys for execution and sent the women and girls elsewhere to a territory under their control.
In less than two weeks, the Serbian forces systematically murdered more than 8,000 Bosnian men and boys and dumped their bodies in numerous mass graves in an attempt to hide their crime.
