Suljagić wrote to US Special Envoy: Do not associate yourselves with a genocide denier

(Patria) - Director of the Srebrenica Memorial Center (MC) Emir Suljagić sent a letter today to the US Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Antisemitism, Yehudi Kaploun.

The reason for the letter, which you can read below, is the announcement that SNSD leader Milorad Dodik plans to host or participate in Kaploun's upcoming visit and the commemoration of the World War II Jasenovac concentration camp in Donja Gradina.

"Although paying tribute to the victims of the Holocaust and maintaining Jewish-Bosniak ties are of great importance to me and the Srebrenica Memorial Center, I must respectfully draw your attention to Mr. Dodik's long history of denial and public hostility towards the victims and survivors of the 1995 Srebrenica genocide.

His statements, in which the remains buried by grieving families at the Srebrenica Memorial Cemetery are most harshly described as 'animal bones,' are not merely offensive rhetoric; they are an active erasure of documented crimes and cause severe harm to survivors and families of the victims.

Given your vital role in combating antisemitism and promoting respect for memory and truth, it would be deeply troubling for you to be publicly associated with a political figure who persistently denies another genocide.

Such an association risks legitimizing a policy of denial and undermines the principles of remembrance, justice, and inter-community solidarity that both our communities strive to uphold.

As a friend of the Jewish people who has dedicated his public and personal life to preserving bridges between Bosniaks and Jews - often at great personal cost - I urge you to reconsider any public engagement with Mr. Dodik without a clear, public rejection of his denial statements.

At the very least, I respectfully ask that you:
a) be aware of and publicly acknowledge Dodik's record of Srebrenica denial if you proceed with any formal engagement; and/or
b) decline public appearances that could be interpreted as support for Mr. Dodik, or condition meetings on a clear distancing from denial rhetoric.

If you find it useful, I am available to provide documentation and testimonies regarding Mr. Dodik's statements and their impact on survivors, families, and the work of remembrance.

I would gladly take the opportunity to speak with you directly before any public engagement.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter and for your continued work in defending memory and human dignity. I look forward to your response," Suljagić wrote.