What You Should Know About Srebrenica

Every July 11 marks the anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide. And every year, it becomes clear once again that many people—even in Germany—know surprisingly little about what happened in the heart of Europe in 1995. This lack of knowledge is dangerous, because it is the breeding ground on which historical revisionism thrives. Here are the facts that everyone should know.

The genocide took place in a UN protection zone

On July 11, 1995, the UN safe area of Srebrenica—the first safe area the United Nations had ever established—fell. In the days that followed, units of the Bosnian Serb Army murdered more than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys—under the watchful eyes of Dutch UN peacekeepers, whose base was located in the battery factory in Potočari. The International Court of Justice and the Hague Tribunal classified these crimes as genocide.

The perpetrators were convicted—the facts are legally binding

The Hague Tribunal, the State Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and courts in Serbia and Croatia have sentenced 54 individuals to a total of 781 years in prison and five life sentences. The first to be sentenced in 2001 was General Radislav Krstić, the commander of the Drina Corps, which carried out the attack on Srebrenica—his conviction marked the first time an international court classified the crimes as genocide. Among those sentenced to life in prison were Radovan Karadžić, the political leader of the Bosnian Serbs and wartime president of the Republika Srpska, and Ratko Mladić, the commander-in-chief of the Bosnian Serb Army, who personally marched into Srebrenica on July 11, 1995. Those who deny the genocide are not denying opinions, but facts established by the courts. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, genocide denial has been a criminal offense since 2021.

The dead were hidden a second time

To cover up the crimes, the perpetrators used heavy equipment to open the mass graves in the fall of 1995 and distributed the bodies among secondary graves. As a result, the remains of individual victims were found in several—in some cases up to five—different graves. The victims were exhumed from 150 sites, including 77 mass graves. To this day, graves in Potočari are being reopened to add bones that have been found subsequently. Some of the coffins carried to their final resting places on July 11 contain a single bone.

Women and girls were also murdered

When people talk about the Srebrenica genocide, they almost always refer to the more than 8,000 men and boys who were murdered. What is less well known is that women and girls also lost their lives in July 1995, and they remain largely absent from the public memory to this day.

The memorial cemetery in Potočari contains the graves of 14 women who were murdered in July 1995. The oldest and youngest victims buried there are both female: 94-year-old Šaha Izmirlić died as a result of the inhumane conditions in the overcrowded UN compound, and the youngest victim was an infant girl.

To this day, there are no reliable figures on the total number of women killed in July 1995. The “Mothers of Srebrenica” have therefore created their own database covering the entire war from 1992 to 1995 in the Srebrenica region: It lists the names of 570 women who were killed or are missing. The search for missing women is not yet complete.

The fact that women are portrayed in commemorations primarily as grieving survivors—as mothers, sisters, and wives—but rarely as victims or survivors is part of a narrow culture of remembrance. The approximately 25,000 to 30,000 women, children, and elderly people who were expelled during those days in July were themselves part of the crime that international courts have classified as genocide.

The most recent victim was a newborn

The youngest victim buried at the Potočari Memorial Center is the newborn Fatima Muhić. She was born on the night of July 12–13, 1995—the night after the fall of Srebrenica—at the UN base in Potočari and died that same night. She was not identified until 2012; in 2013, she was laid to rest beside her father, who had been murdered during the death march. She was not given a name until her burial—eighteen years after her death, her mother’s wish to name her Fatima was fulfilled. The oldest victim, Šaha Izmirlić, was born in 1901. More than 6,700 victims now rest in Potočari, with about 250 more in local cemeteries. The search continues for about 1,000 people still missing—and every year on July 11, newly identified victims are laid to rest.

Ramiz Nukić – The Bone Collector of Kamenica

Ramiz Nukić from Kamenica survived the death march himself in 1995; his father and brothers were murdered. After his return, he searched the forests for their remains—and did not stop once he had found them. For over two decades, the “Bone Collector of Kamenica” combed the forests day after day and handed over the remains of about 300 people to the Institute for Missing Persons. He never asked for money. He died in November 2022 at the age of 63.

The Death March—and the March That Reverses It

After the fall of the enclave, between 12,000 and 15,000 people—mostly men and boys—tried to make their way through the forests to free territory—without water, food, or medicine, and facing ambushes and minefields. For thousands, it was their final journey. Since 2005, the Marš mira, the Peace March, has followed this route in the opposite direction every year from July 8 to 10: about 100 kilometers from Nezuk to Potočari. What began with just a few hundred participants in the early years has grown to more than 6,000 who take part regularly—people from nearly every continent who walk alongside them: not as refugees, but with heads held high, in remembrance.

The Mothers of Srebrenica Forced the Truth to Come Out

Women whose husbands, sons, and brothers were murdered compelled the United Nations to search for the victims and hold those responsible to account. Their deepest pain became their greatest source of strength in the pursuit of truth and peace. Today, the mothers live in the retirement home built for them in Potočari—within sight of their sons’ graves. There, they welcome visitors.

The Flower of Srebrenica: A Memory to Pass On

Eleven white petals for July 11, a green center symbolizing hope: The Srebrenica flower was designed by Jasminka Čamdžić and is handcrafted by the women of the “Gračaničko keranje” association. The creators imbued it with a wish: Their flower is meant to be given as a gift, not sold—a memory that passes from hand to hand. Today, the flower is also available for purchase, for example as a silver filigree piece, with a portion of the proceeds going toward scholarships for young people from Srebrenica. Worn on the lapel—in whatever form—it is a silent declaration: I remember. I will not look away.

The world has a day of remembrance—since 2024

In May 2024, the UN General Assembly declared July 11 the International Day of Commemoration of the Srebrenica Genocide—despite fierce opposition. The message: Srebrenica is not just a Bosnian or European memory. It belongs to the whole world.

The denial continues—that’s why your knowledge matters

In 2004, a commission in the Republika Srpska officially recognized the crimes, and the government apologized to the victims’ families. In 2018, the RS Parliament rejected this report. Genocide denial remains a part of everyday politics to this day. That is precisely why every person who knows the facts is part of the solution.

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You can read about the facts—but you have to experience Srebrenica to truly understand it. In the main article, you’ll read about why everyone should visit the Potočari Valley at least once, and the kinds of people you might meet there.

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Continue reading on Lela’s World:

– Why the whole world should visit Srebrenica

– Srebrenica: A Chronology—From 1992 to the Present

– The Flower of Remembrance – A Symbol of Peace

– Hatidža Mehmedović on the Srebrenica Genocide

– Interview with Christian Schwarz-Schilling about the genocide in Srebrenica