Interview with IRMCT Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz is conducted by Amina Nuhanović.
Thirty years have passed since the genocide in Srebrenica. This year, we will commemorate that tragic anniversary. Through witness testimonies and numerous hearings, you have heard what happened and who committed the genocide. In your opinion, has justice been served for all the victims? What else do you think the Hague Tribunal could have done in terms of verdicts? Have the perpetrators been punished adequately?
For Srebrenica, one cannot speak of “enough” justice. The suffering of the victims and survivors is too great. All we as prosecutors can do is work as hard as we can and hope that the victims and survivors find some measure of peace when the perpetrators are punished.
Thirty years later, we can say that the ICTY investigated the crimes, gathered an immense volume of evidence and proved repeatedly beyond reasonable doubt the truth of what happened and that genocide was committed. Those most responsible, like Karadžić and Mladić, are in prison. Of course, the work is not done because there are more perpetrators who still need to be prosecuted.
So, justice has been achieved, yes, but it will never be enough, and we must continue the process for years to come. That’s our obligation to the victims and survivors.
Unfortunately, we are witnessing that the political forces that carried out these crimes still persist. Moreover, today, there are politicians at the highest levels in Serbia and Republika Srpska, such as President Aleksandar Vučić and Milorad Dodik, who question the judgements on war crimes, denying that genocide occurred in Srebrenica. How do you view this, and what is the danger of such politics?
Genocide denial is a politics of weakness, not strength. It imprisons society and holds it back. No community can ever flourish and develop when it is chained in lies about fundamental truths the rest of the world knows clearly.
So, yes, there is danger to others in a politics of genocide denial because denial depends on hate and fear. But equally, societies who engage in genocide denial are hurting themselves most of all because without truth, decay and decline are inevitable.
There are still murals dedicated to war criminals in Belgrade and Republika Srpska. The Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which prohibits this, remains merely a dead letter, as not a single indictment has been raised for glorifying war criminals or denying genocide. How do you assess the work of the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina regarding this issue, as well as the indictments for war crimes, given that thousands of cases from the “A” list remain unresolved?
A little more than a month ago was the first conviction at the State Court for genocide denial. This is an important step, and I trust prosecutors will continue to enforce the law.
Just like the ICTY, the Prosecutor’s Office and State Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina will never be able to achieve enough justice, and they still have much work to do. Having said that, it is also clear that the war crimes justice process here in Bosnia and Herzegovina is among the most successful in the world. While far from perfect, it is a demonstration that justice can be achieved locally, and will certainly be a model for other countries to follow.
My primary concern is that prosecutions alone won’t stop genocide denial. That requires addressing the root causes. Education is critical, but children today are being taught lies about the recent past. The political system should be democratic and liberal, not clientelist and ethno-nationalist. So, yes, prosecutors have their responsibility to hold accountable those who violate the laws, but the greater work to be done is in tackling the underlying problems in society that enable genocide denial.
Many war criminals are hiding in Serbia and Croatia. In your opinion, who is responsible for the failure of regional judicial cooperation, which allows these perpetrators to walk free while mothers are still searching for the remains of their children and husbands?
Everyone involved bears responsibility for the still largely ineffective regional judicial cooperation in war crimes cases, from governments and politicians, to prosecutors and judges, to the international community. The greatest failure is the seeming acceptance of the situation, instead of justified outrage. How can it be normal that in a neighboring country, an indicted war criminal is walking the streets freely?
My Office continues to work hard to address this challenge, and we are currently supporting initiatives to have more cases transferred to the country where they can be prosecuted. I hope that this will achieve results and more cases will move forward. But after fifteen years, I am still utterly disappointed that this situation ever arose in the first place and that for so long so many have done so little to resolve it.
A quarter of a century has passed since the genocide in Srebrenica. Has the world learned any lessons from this horrific massacre of Bosniaks? Considering the international community’s inaction at the time, could Srebrenica happen again? What are today’s international policies toward Bosnia and Herzegovina?
The most important lessons have been what the Mothers of Srebrenica and all victims have taught us. From them, we have learned the true suffering of the victims of genocide. But we have also learned the importance of justice and accountability. And how to rebuild and move forward despite all the hardship and suffering.
No one can claim that the international community learned its lesson and won’t allow genocide to happen again. But I think you can say that we know now that every country – from the biggest to the smallest – is responsible if genocide prevention fails. You will be asked why you didn’t act and allowed genocide to be committed, and there will never be an acceptable answer.
The prosecution, along with you, invested significant efforts in proving genocide in five municipalities besides Srebrenica. What is your opinion on this today, given that the Court did not rule in favor of this?
My Office presented our evidence and arguments, but the Judges did not agree with us. While we still believe in our argument and are disappointed we were not successful, that’s how the justice process works.
Conversely, after many years of litigation, finally in the Stanišić and Simatović appeal we convinced our Judges that there had been a single koint criminal enterprise comprising Serb, Bosnian Serb and Croatian Serb leaders, and that crimes in both Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia were committed pursuant to that common plan. That is a result we are proud of and which we believe is an important contribution to understanding the conflicts and the crimes.
What is your message on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica? What does Srebrenica mean to you personally?
For me, the 30th anniversary is about the strength and resilience of the Mothers and the families of Srebrenica. We are marking of course 30 years of loss and suffering. But the story did not end 30 years ago. Instead, we have seen the power, grace and determination of the Mothers and the families. To ensure that the victims are remembered and that the name Srebrenica is known. To see those who committed the crimes punished. To rebuild their community for the next generation. And to insist that that the words “Never again” be turned into action.
So, when we honor the victims, we also honor the Mothers and the families, because they have worked every day since to turn a horrific atrocity into an opportunity for something better for all of us.
First published on Preporod.info, 7.7.2025, in BHS.
Translated by Preporod.info
Peščanik.net, 14.07.2025.
