The Association of Victims and Witnesses of Genocide, the 'Mothers of Srebrenica and Zepa Enclaves' movement, and several other groups have issued an appeal to all political entities in Bosnia and Herzegovina to refrain from exploiting the genocide and other war crimes during the upcoming local election campaigns.

They urge political parties to focus on how they can help prosecute war criminals, locate mass graves, and protect victims, regardless of the local election context.

A special appeal was made to those who, according to the associations, exploit the Srebrenica genocide and the UN resolution for political gain.

The associations expect political entities to provide solutions for abolishing school curricula in Republika Srpska that depict Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic as heroes, to address the prosecution of hundreds of war criminals hiding in Serbia and Croatia, and to challenge the judiciary in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which they claim works contrary to what was proven in The Hague. They also ask when the first indictments for the sieges of Sarajevo, Gorazde, and Bihac will be issued.

“Political campaigns should be a platform for free people to express their views on these pressing issues. Anything else is a politicization and exploitation of genocide and war crimes in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” the associations said in a statement.