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SARAJEVO, April 18 (FENA) - It is especially important how young people understand the crimes and genocide that were committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina, because the future can only be built on the truth, it is said in the message from the international two-day conference "The Prosecution of Genocide in BiH" which opened today in Sarajevo.
The conference was organized by the Association of victims and witnesses of genocide in cooperation with the "Mother of the Srebrenica and Žepa Enclaves, with the participation of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Courts (MICT), the legal successor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).
President of the Association of Victims and Witnesses of Genocide Murat Tahirović said that the conference is dedicated to young people from BiH, Serbia, Croatia and Macedonia, in order to point out certain anomalies in society, which, first of all is the denial of the crimes.
“In the next two days, we will try to transfer some knowledge of how and in what way the first verdict for the genocide committed in Srebrenica in the case of Radislav Krstić came about,” he explained.
He also said that young people will participate in a trial simulation where they will conclude a conference and issue a verdict in a mock trial with the former president of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the President of the Mechanism of the International Criminal Tribunals (MICT) Theodor Meron.
Speaking about denial of the genocide in Srebrenica, Tahirović said that it has been difficult to find a model to fight against lies.
It will take time for the people to finally realize that genocide happened and why it happened, and our focus should be on the young people and making sure that genocide does not happen again,” concluded Tahirović.
A representative of the Association "Mother of the Srebrenica and Žepa Enclaves" Kada Hotić said that the verdict in the case against Radislav Krstić for genocide was historic, because it was first of the kind in the ICTY.
“We want young people to learn the truth in order to build the future, because there are lies, glorification of genocide convicts, and this should not be a practice. Young people need the truth for the sake of their future,” said Hotić.
Former ICTY war crimes prosecutor Mark Harmon said that he worked as a prosecutor for 17 years.
“I know very well that the crimes were committed in BiH. A few days ago, I attended the marking of the anniversary of the war crime in Ahmići, and this was my first case,” he pointed out.
He also expressed gratitude for organizing this conference because, as he said, genocide is a highly important topic.
“I am pleased that young people from the former Yugoslavia are present, because it is very important to remember such crimes in a world where memories are fading. It is very important that young people never allow such atrocities to happen again,” concluded Harmon.
A representative of Belgrade’s Humanitarian Law Center Višnja Sijačić said that they participated in the organization of the conference in a way that they invited young people from Serbia to apply for participation.
Sijačić emphasized the importance of this event in today's political context and stressed that young people from Serbia today will have the opportunity to hear directly from the participants what had happened in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Srebrenica.
The conference has brought together a large number of law students from the region of the former Yugoslavia with the aim for the students, together with direct participants in the Hague trials, to learn about the vast amount evidence and arguments in order to face the truth about genocide in BiH.
(FENA) S. R.
