Shameless Ridicule of Genocide

Press release

Belgrade, March 14, 2007

By publishing a special supplement to its issue of March 12, 2007, titled "The Identity Card of Srebrenica," the newsroom of the Belgrade-seated Glas Javnosti daily wanted, as it put it, to bring before its readership "an interesting study by Mr. Milivoj Ivanisevic that may stand for argumentation in the event the Serbian parliament deliberates a declaration /on Srebrenica/" and thus at the same time respond to "political advocates of all sorts of guilt that are being ascribed to Serbia."

The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia reminds that the Srebrenica case implies not "some sort of guilt" but the most serious crime named genocide under an international convention. The manner in which this daily has reacted to the verdict of the International Court of Justice is shameful but, unfortunately, still not exempt from punishment in the Serbian society.

Therefore, the Helsinki Committee demands the state of Serbia to comply with the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide - under which it was proclaimed guilty of not taking action to prevent genocide in Srebrenica - and urgently pass a law penalizing any denial of genocide. At the same time the Committee requests journalists' associations and other professional organizations in Serbia to finally draw a line between the freedom of expression and free promotion of the culture of non-impunity.