Mothers of Srebrenica condemn glorification of war criminals at memorial in Pale

In their statement, they emphasized that “on October 25, a memorial dedicated to the 'creators and defenders of Republika Srpska' (all convicted war criminals) was unveiled in Pale. The event was attended by Milorad Dodik, Nenad Stevandic, Stevan Medic and Radan Ostojic, who during their speeches praised and glorified convicted war criminals Radovan Karadzic, Momcilo Krajisnik and Ratko Mladic.”

The persons in question were found guilty of genocide and other serious crimes by international courts.

The associations urged the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina to act, questioning its passivity in the face of repeated public glorifications of war criminals.

“What is the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina doing, why is it not taking legal measures and why is it allowing the continuation of a policy that, by sowing hatred, has led to massacres, thousands of dead people, exiles, rapes, destroyed homes? Is our judiciary consciously leaving room for new crimes, new genocides?” the associations said, warning that political leaders’ rhetoric could provoke “new bloodshed with huge consequences.”

The ceremony in Pale, a town near Sarajevo, was attended by top officials of Bosnia's Serb-majority entity, including former Republika Srpsa President Milorad Dodik, National Assembly speaker Nenad Stevandic, Stevan Medic from the “Creators of Republika Srpska” association, and Veterans’ Organization president Radan Ostojic.

According to reports, Dodik’s speech included insults toward Bosniaks, which he later denied, while Medic praised “the courage of Karadzic and Krajisnik.” Karadzic’s wife, Ljiljana Karadzic, was present in the front row.

Radovan Karadzic was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2019 for genocide in Srebrenica, persecution across Bosnia and Herzegovina, and terror against Sarajevo’s population.Ratko Mladic received a life sentence in 2021 for similar crimes, including genocide in Srebrenica. Momcilo Krajisnik was convicted in 2006 for crimes against humanity and other war crimes; he died in 2020 after serving part of his sentence.

The Mothers of Srebrenica movement warned that such public glorification of convicted war criminals represents an attack on justice and a threat to peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In 2021, former international peace envoy in Bosnia and Herzegovina Valentin Inzko imposed changes to the Criminal Code, which prohibit the denial of genocide and glorification of war criminals.