On July 11, the 30th anniversary of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre in Bosnia and Herzegovina was commemorated. While thousands gathered to renew memories of that tragic event, funerals were also held for seven people martyred in that massacre. Even 30 years later, funerals for those martyred in the Srebrenica massacre continue to be held. The Friday funeral and burial were for bodies found in mass graves where many were buried after being martyred. These graves were discovered in Liplje, Baljkovica, Sućeska, and Kameničko Brdo. The funeral for these seven people was held in a large cemetery where victims of the Srebrenica massacre are buried.
Some of the bodies or a small number of bones of these seven people were found and identified last year. Among them is Hasib Omerović, 34 years old. Some of his bones were first found in 1998 in a mass grave. His family postponed his funeral in hopes of finding more bones. Among those buried after Friday’s funeral is also Senahid Avdić. He was martyred on July 11, 1995, at the age of 19. Some of his bones were found in October 2010 in a large grave discovered in Sućeska.
“When I first received the news, I couldn’t, I didn’t have the courage to tell my mother and father. It was very difficult. What was found wasn’t even the whole body, just a few bones,” said Zijad Avdić, 46, Senahid’s older brother. He also said that Senahid’s funeral was postponed in hopes that more remains might be found. The Srebrenica massacre occurred during the Bosnian War, which lasted from 1992 to 1995. The war began with the dissolution of former Yugoslavia, leading to conflict between Bosnian Serbs, Croats, and Bosnian Muslims.
Bosnian Serb forces invaded Srebrenica on July 11, 1995. At that time, it was a United Nations (UN) designated safe area. They separated and martyred over 8,000 Bosnian men and boys from their wives and mothers. Those who tried to escape were also martyred. Women and girls were expelled from their homes.
The seven people whose funerals were held on Friday were identified through forensic science, using DNA tests. The International Commission on Missing Persons and forensic scientists continue to work on identifying those martyred in the Srebrenica massacre. While about 6,000 people have been buried in Potočari so far, authorities say the remains of about 1,000 more people are still missing.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) declared the events in Srebrenica a massacre in 2007. Bosnian Serb leaders Radovan Karadžić and Ratko Mladić have been convicted of genocide and crimes against humanity and sentenced to life imprisonment. Courts have also sentenced about 50 other individuals involved in the Srebrenica massacre.
