(MENAFN- Trend News Agency)
We convened today March 31, 2022, on 19th Anniversary
since the First Funeral where 600 out of 8372 Victims were buried
in Srebrenica, as a reminder the youngest victim buried was newborn
baby Muhic, there was no time to give a first name, and the oldest
Ms. Saha Izmirlic was 94 years old when brutally killed and on the
occasion of March 31 official Day of Genocide of
Azerbaijanis.
We convened today in order to give our shared voice for
Memorialization – The Process Against Denial of Genocide and Crimes
Against Humanity.
The Srebrenica Leadership Initiative is assembling its members,
leaders from around the world, to underline the importance of
memorialization of genocide victims and victims of crimes against
humanity, in the organization of the Srebrenica Memorial
Center.
With the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by the Russian army and the
suffering of civilians in that country, the Srebrenica Memorial
Center will offer its experience in memorialization in hope that
the crimes will be punished, and the memory of the victims will be
kept in honor and dignity.
Memorialization is a process that needs to be supported by all
decision-makers, but also citizens that are not direct or indirect
victims of the crimes. It is important that leaders especially, but
also society itself, support the process of memorialization through
their engagement.
This is crucial to preserve the memory of victims of
these crimes, in hope that it will prevent similar crimes in the
future.
Survivors, witnesses and families of victims are the ones who
give memorialization its greatest strength – truth .
Experiences of the Srebrenica Memorial Center in
Memorialization - guidelines to countries where crimes are
happening is focused on:
- Foundation of organization/institution that will explicitly
focus on civil victims and their fate
- Civil activism, especially survivors and witnesses
- Gathering all proof and evidence of the crimes available
- Gathering/keeping personal items of victims
- Active engagement in the processes of transitional justice,
especially dealing with the past and truth-telling mechanisms such
as truth commissions if possible
- Cooperation with civil society organizations that are willing
to help the memorialization process
- Research and advocacy
- Witnesses and family members of victims have to be the voice
of victims
- Truth is an imperative (referring to crimes by their name)
International advocacy, state and international stance
on crimes against humanity is part of SLI mission and concrete
activities
- Through institutions, but also activists, and network of
organizations advocate adopting official state positions on crimes
(bills, declarations and other)
- Crimes against humanity are against the whole of humanity, and
the values on which modern society is founded
- Impunity of crimes against humanity is also a crime
- Not addressing crimes against humanity is their approval
So today we want to memorise Srebrenica and March 31 Day of
Genocide of Azerbaijanis in order to make another building blocks
of genocide prevention and reconciliation based on truth and
justice in our country, in the region but in any place in the world
as well.
This is the reason why we also want to set a stage for truth,
justice in action and sustainable peace building in Ukraine.
Today is also a special day in Azerbaijan since March 31 is day
of memory of tragic events on that day in 1918 when tens of
thousands of peaceful civilians in Shamakhi, Guba and other cities,
as well as in Baku province were killed on ethnic and religious
grounds, settlements were destroyed, cultural monuments, mosques
and cemeteries were razed to the ground.
On the occasion of March 31 official Day of
Genocide - signing Decree“On the Genocide of
Azerbaijanis”, back in 1998, national leader of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev said:“With the facts and evidence we have,
we must continue to work with the world community and influential
international organizations to bring awareness to the truth and to
receive proper legal and political recognition of the genocide
committed against our people and to change the distorted perception
that prevails as a result of false information provided by the
(Armenian) propaganda machine. It is the current generation`s
sacred duty to the victims of the genocide.”
Today, the very same words we can use and apply to title of our
conference devoted to Srebrenica and process against denial of
genocide and crime against humanity. Ideology that is ready to
commit genocide and repeat it by denial is used all over the world
by brothers in crime - brutal dictators and criminals that misuse
ethnic, racial or religious identities to achieve false and
barbaric grandeur.
At the same time this is a day that we have to give our voice in
support of preventing the genocide in Ukraine and having truth and
justice becoming our reality that will be punished by international
law and proper crime tribunals.
Finally, I would once again like to thank you for your
membership in the Srebrenica Leadership Initiative (SLI). Every
member is important to us in our goal, and we greatly appreciate
each member's contribution to the SLI.
Without local and international leaders, memorialization is
significantly more difficult, and by your membership and speaking
out against genocide denial, your contribution is invaluable.
Leaders like the members of SLI are essential to all peace
initiatives, whether it comes to memorialization, dealing with the
past or transitional justice in general.
In hope that keeping the memory of those murdered in genocide
and crimes against humanity are necessary ingredients of preventing
future atrocities mechanisms, today, together we are sending a
message that violence is unacceptable, the perpetuators have to be
brought to justice and that we will never forget the victims.
For peace, prosperity and for generations to come living in
better world that we share today.
Zlatko Lagumdzija, Prime Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina
2001-2002, deputy Prime Minister 1992-1996, 2012-2015
Eka Tkeshelashvili, deputy Prime Minister of Georgia
2010-2012
Kateryna Yushchenko, First Lady of Ukraine
2005-2010
Jadranka Kosor, Prime Minister of Croatia 2009-2011
Rovshan Muradov, Secretary-General Nizami Ganjavi
International Center
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