Albanian parliament adopts resolution on Srebrenica genocide

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) – The Albanian parliament on Friday adopted a resolution on the genocide in Srebrenica, honoring thousands of Bosniaks killed on July 11, 1995.

Before the session, a minute's silence was observed in memory of the genocide victims.

In the 140-seat parliament, 113 deputies present in the session supported the resolution with no opposition or abstention.

Parliament Speaker Lindita Nikolla said the consequences of the genocide in Srebrenica are and will remain a painful memory for humanity.

“ … The Srebrenica genocide teaches us that achieving and maintaining peace is a difficult mission, that the conflicts of the past should not kill the promises of the future,” said Nikolla.

Taulant Balla, chairman of the Socialist Party Parliamentary Group, said the resolution affirmed his belief that the time has come to end war crimes.

Yorida Tabaku, main opposition Democratic Party’s deputy, said: “This issue should unite us, this issue should definitely get one hundred percent of the Parliament's votes.”

The parliament also requested the government to honor the victims by declaring July 11 as the "Srebrenica Genocide Remembrance Day," referring to the decision of the European Parliament.

The resolution also condemned the public denial of the genocide and the concealment of its causes and perpetrators.

- Srebrenica genocide

In July 1995, Srebrenica was besieged by Serb forces who were trying to wrest territory from Bosnian Muslims and Croats to form a state.

The UN Security Council declared Srebrenica a “safe area” in the spring of 1993. However, Serb troops led by Gen. Ratko Mladic – who was later found guilty of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide – overran the UN zone.

Dutch troops failed to act as Serb forces occupied the area, killing 2,000 men and boys in a single day on July 11.

About 15,000 Srebrenicans fled to the surrounding mountains, but Serb troops hunted down and killed 6,000 more people.

In 2007, the International Court of Justice in The Hague ruled that genocide had been committed in Srebrenica.

On June 8, 2021, UN tribunal judges upheld in a second-instance trial a verdict sentencing Mladic to life in prison for the genocide, persecution, crimes against humanity, extermination and other war crimes in Bosnia and Herzegovina.