BOSNIA: RELATIVES OF 1995 SREBRENICA MASSACRE VICTIMS REJECT BOSNIAN - SERB REPORT WHICH DENIES MASSACRE CLAIMING 2,000 MUSLIM SOLDIERS DIED IN FIGHTING

Record ID: 647286

  • Title: BOSNIA: RELATIVES OF 1995 SREBRENICA MASSACRE VICTIMS REJECT BOSNIAN - SERB REPORT WHICH DENIES MASSACRE CLAIMING 2,000 MUSLIM SOLDIERS DIED IN FIGHTING
  • Date: 3rd September 2002
  • Summary: (EU) BANJA LUKA, BOSNIA (SEPTEMBER 3, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE BY SINISA DJORDJEVIC, HEAD OF BOSNIAN SERB GOVERNMENT BUREAU FOR CO-OPERATION WITH THE HAGUE TRIBUNAL 0.05 2. SCU SOUNDBITE (Serbian) DJORDJEVIC SAYING: "We are not going to bargain about figures (of numbers of victims); someone will give a final judgement of what happened there and it won't be the Hague tribunal, it won't be this bureau (Republka Srpska Bureau) - this report is only a contribution, only history will find the truth in fifteen to twenty years." 0.29 3. VARIOUS, OF SREBRENICA REPORT (3 SHOTS) 0.44 (EU) SARAJEVO, BOSNIA (SEPTEMBER 3, 2002)(REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 4. WIDE/ PAN OF FLAGS OUTSIDE GOVERNMENT BUILDING 0.53 5. SCU SOUNDBITE (English) MARIO BRKIC, SPOKESMAN FOR OFFICE OF HIGH REPRESENTATIVE TO BOSNIA: "This appears to be in our view a callous and irresponsible attempt to muddy the waters in the pre-election period, to exploit the human trauma of those who survived or were bereaved by the massacre. The report has been announced as an official government document and to be issued by the office for the co-operation of ICTY on behalf of the Republka Srpska government and this appears to be true we can say this is an absolute disgrace and history cannot be rewritten in this way." 1.27 (EU) SARAJEVO, BOSNIA (SEPTEMBER 3, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 6. WIDE OF OFFICE WITH SREBRENICA POSTERS IN WINDOW 1.32 7. SCU SOUNDBITE (Bosnian) WOMAN FROM SREBRENICA KADA HOTIC SAYING: "Since last night when we heard about the report, we are much stronger and more persistent about finding the truth about what happened in Srebrenica. Once we find the truth we will find those responsible and bring them to justice." 1.45 8. WIDE OF RELATIVE OF SREBRENICA VICTIM BEING INTERVIEWED 1.50 9. SCU SOUNDBITE (Bosnian) RELATIVE OF VICTIM SABAHETA SEJZIC SAYING: "The Republika Srpska state is soaked in blood. We don't understand why its government is trying to diminish the atrocities they are responsible for. Why? Why?" 2.08 (EU) (FILE) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) ( FILE JULY 11, 1995) (BOTOCARI, 15 KM FROM SREBRENICA) 8. VARIOUS OF BOSNIAN MOSLEMS GATHERED AT FACTORY IN BOTOCARI 2.14 (FILE) 9. VARIOUS OF BOSNIAN SERB COMMANDER RATKO MLADIC TALKING TO BOSNIAN MOSLEMS, TELLING THEM THEY SHOULDN'T BE WORRIED; THAT THEY WILL BE TRANSPORTED TO SAFER AREAS AS UNITED NATIONS FORCES LOOK ON (2 SHOTS) 2.24 10. SLV MOSLEM WOMEN AND CHILDREN WALKING PAST TROOPS (2 SHOTS) 2.37 11. VARIOUS, FILE OF EXCAVATION OF MASS GRAVE CONTAINING 300 BODIES IN KAMENIC IN REPUBLIKA SRPSKA (6 SHOTS) 3.12 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 18th September 2002 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BANJA LUKA AND SARAJEVO, BOSNIA
  • Country: Bosnia
  • Reuters ID: LVA7GF6BLVZFHP9SW2HSZG5NJC3D
  • Story Text: A new Bosnian-Serb government report which denies that
    a massacre took place at Srebrenica in 1995 has been
    criticised by relatives of some of the victims of the
    massacre.



    The paper, prepared by a government committee,
    dismissed Western estimates that up to 8,000 were killed when
    Serb troops overran the United Nations (U.N.) "safe area" in
    eastern Bosnia.

    It concludes that some 2,000 Muslim soldiers died, but
    mostly in fighting.

    Speaking at a news conference in Banja Luka, Head of the
    Bosnian Serb government bureau for Co-operation with the Hague
    Tribunal, Sinisa Djordjevic, said the report was "only a
    contribution" and that history would find the truth in 15-20
    years.

    The Red Cross and the United Nations say many of the dead
    were civilians -- boys and old men -- who were slaughtered in
    an atrocity widely seen as Europe's worst since World War Two.

    Bosnia's official figure for the missing is 7,942.

    The report was condemned by Mario Brkic, spokesman for the
    Office of the High Representative to Bosnia.

    Speaking in Sarajevo, he said that it appeared to be a
    callous and irresponsible attempt to exploit the trauma of
    those who survived.

    "We can say this is an absolute disgrace and history
    cannot be rewritten in this way," Brkic said.

    Relatives of those killed in the massacre say they were
    incensed by what they see as Serb attempts to deny the
    massacre. "The Republika Srpska state is soaked in blood.

    We don't understand why its government is trying to diminish
    the atrocities they are responsible for. Why? Why?" asked the
    relative of one victim.

    Survivors' associations put the death toll at more than
    10,000.


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