Pain and tears as families mourn beside the coffins of their loved ones: Remains of Srebrenica Genocide victims arrive in Potocari

Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, and countless relatives and friends gathered in front of the former Battery Factory — now part of the Memorial Center — to say their final goodbyes to their murdered loved ones. Many had searched for decades to recover even fragments of their family members’ remains.

This year, seven more victims will find their final resting place among the rows of white headstones in Potocari. None of the coffins contain complete remains, but families say that even a single bone is enough — enough to bury, to mark with a headstone, and to visit to recite a prayer.

Some remains were found years ago. One victim, Hasib Omerovic, was identified as far back as 1998, but his family chose to wait, hoping more of his remains would be recovered before burial.

Among this year’s seven victims are the two youngest: Senaid Avdic and Haris Mujic, who were both just 19 years old when they were killed. The oldest victim is Fata Bektic, who was 67 at the time of her death.

As the coffins were unloaded and families gathered around them, the halls of the former factory echoed with the cries and sobs of mothers, sisters, and daughters. Many touched the simple green coffins gently, whispering prayers for the fathers, sons, and brothers who were systematically murdered in that fateful July in 1995.

The grief was visible not only on the faces of the women, but also in the silent tears of the men who had lost brothers, fathers, and sons. Residents of Srebrenica and people from other parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina came to stand beside the families and pay their respects.

An N1 correspondent reflected on the depth of the grief, questioning whether journalists should even be present at such raw moments. However, she noted that telling these stories is vital — to bear witness to the truth and the scale of the atrocities committed, especially on this 30th anniversary of Europe’s worst massacre since World War II.

Many believe that without the determination and courage of the Mothers of Srebrenica, the world might never have heard the full truth about what happened there.

The search for the missing continues. On Monday, an additional 89 re-exhumations are expected to take place, as authorities work to identify and rebury victims properly. More than 1,000 people killed in Srebrenica are still unaccounted for, and each year brings fewer chances of closure. Survivors and witnesses grow older, while many remain afraid to speak out because of ongoing genocide denial and the atmosphere of intimidation it creates.

Yet for the families gathered in Potocari, the act of burying even a single fragment of bone is a testament that their loved ones will not be forgotten — and that the world will not be allowed to forge