Brammertz on the celebration of the anniversary of so-called Herceg-Bosna in Mostar: Insulting victims will not go unnoticed

(Patria) - Chief Prosecutor of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Courts Serge Brammertz responded to a letter sent to him by victims' associations regarding the celebration of the anniversary of the so-called Herceg-Bosna in Mostar.

We remind you that the letter was sent to him by the President of the Association of Victims and Witnesses of Genocide, Murat Tahirović, and the President of the Association of Mothers of the Enclaves of Srebrenica and Žepa, Munira Subašić.

"Dear Ms. Subašić and Mr. Tahirović, I thank you for your letter of November 26, 2024, in which you expressed concern regarding the recently held commemoration of the 33rd anniversary of the 'Croatian Community of Herceg-Bosna' in Mostar.

Please know that I fully understand the pain such events inflict on victims and survivors, as well as their families and communities.

The celebration and glorification of content that diminishes the importance and misrepresents the crimes committed in Ahmići, as well as the unfounded challenging of ICTY judgments, as you stated, is not only disturbing but also very demeaning to the victims.

It is concerning that high-ranking officials participate in such events, thereby appearing to support such revisionist narratives.

As I have stated on countless occasions, the glorification of war criminals, the denial of internationally recognized facts, and the continuation of revisionist narratives undermine efforts towards reconciliation and justice in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

I will continue to engage with relevant domestic authorities and our international partners to ensure that such attempts to belittle victims and undermine accountability and the rule of law in Bosnia and Herzegovina are addressed appropriately.

My Office will also continue to monitor and report on activities aimed at glorifying war criminals and denying established crimes in my regular reporting to the United Nations Security Council, and to emphasize, as this specific example you cite demonstrates, the urgent need for decisive action to curb such negative developments.

Please be assured that my efforts are guided by the deepest respect for the dignity of all victims of the conflict. I invite you to stay in close contact and I look forward to our next meeting," Serge Brammertz stated in his response.