IGK files criminal complaint for denying Srebrenica genocide against Banja Luka Mayor Draško Stanivuković

(Patria) - The Institute for Research of Genocide Canada {IGK} has filed a criminal complaint for denying the Srebrenica genocide against Banja Luka Mayor Draško Stanivuković.

"With his actions, Banja Luka Mayor Draško Stanivuković, with the aim of inciting inter-ethnic intolerance, discord, and hatred, knowingly, intentionally, and publicly denied the Srebrenica genocide, which has been established by final verdicts of international and national courts. The suspect has thus caused pain to the surviving victims of the genocide, degraded the judicial, scientific, and historical truth about the genocide, belittled justice, and humiliated international law and international institutions," stated IGK.

As evidence for the claims made, IGK submitted material evidence from Klix media, where Banja Luka Mayor Draško Stanivuković was a guest on Klix Studio, in which the denial of the Srebrenica genocide, which is a criminal offense, is clearly and unequivocally visible.

"In the explanation of the complaint, IGK stated, among other things, that the suspect, with his actions, with the aim of inciting inter-ethnic intolerance, discord, and hatred, knowingly, intentionally, and publicly denied the Srebrenica genocide, which has been established by final verdicts of international and national courts, thereby committing a criminal offense under Article 145a, Paragraph (3) of the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Law on Amendments to the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina published in the "Official Gazette of BiH", number: 46/21), the statement reads.

The suspect's denial of the Srebrenica genocide is an unequivocal and knowing violation of the provisions of Article 145a, Paragraph (3) of the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Article 145a, Paragraph (3) of the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina reads:

"(3) Whoever publicly approves, denies, grossly minimizes, or attempts to justify the crime of genocide, a crime against humanity, or a war crime established by a final verdict in accordance with the Charter of the International Military Tribunal annexed to the London Agreement of August 8, 1945, or the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, or the International Criminal Court, or a court in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and which is directed against a group of persons or a member of a group defined by race, color, religion, origin, or national or ethnic affiliation, in a manner that could incite violence or hatred directed against such a group of persons or a member of such a group, shall be punished with imprisonment from six months to five years."

Due to all of the above, IGK believes that there is a well-founded suspicion that all the essential elements of the criminal offense under Article 145a, Paragraph (3) of the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina have been met in the public actions of the suspect, Banja Luka Mayor Draško Stanivuković. IGK has requested the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina to take all legally prescribed actions and activities and to initiate criminal proceedings against the suspect in accordance with the law.