Ahmetović: Someone is "dangerously" playing with the dignity of genocide victims and the integrity of the Memorial Center

The President of the Steering Board of the Potočari Memorial Center, Sadik Ahmetović, issued a press release today regarding the letter sent yesterday by the Deputy Mayor of Srebrenica Municipality, Nermin Alivuković, which convenes a session of the Organizational Committee for marking the 22nd anniversary of the genocide against Bosniaks in Srebrenica, reports Patria.

- Regarding the letter dated 03/30/2017, sent without anyone's consent by the Deputy Mayor of Srebrenica Municipality, concerning the illegitimate convening of the first session of the Organizational Committee for marking the 22nd anniversary of the genocide against Bosniaks in the "UN Protected Area" of Srebrenica, we wish to inform the public about the facts and the attempt to relativize the Memorial Center as a state institution.

Namely, we are aware of the fact that the 22nd anniversary is the first anniversary we are marking while the Mayor of Srebrenica is not a Bosniak. In this difficult time for genocide survivors, who themselves fought for the Memorial Center to be declared a state institution, it is at least unserious for the Deputy Mayor, who is an extension of the current Mayor of Srebrenica, Mladen Grujičić, to convene the Organizational Committee without the knowledge of the Steering Board of the Memorial Center, which has always been the first to initiate the convening of the first session of the Organizational Committee each year.

As the President of the Steering Board, the only legitimate governing body of the Memorial Center institution, I want to draw the public's attention to the fact that someone is "dangerously" playing with the dignity of genocide victims and the integrity of the Memorial Center. This year, the Steering Board will, according to its authority, take over the organization of the 22nd anniversary and will inform in due time all those who need to be involved on behalf of all those who need to be involved, Ahmetović stated.