Srebrenica victims commemorated in Tehran: ’Immortal March’
The remains of 30 victims of the Srebrenica genocide in Bosnia were laid to rest yesterday, as thousands commemorated the atrocity’s 28th anniversary.
Bosnian Serb forces captured the ill-fated eastern town – then a UN-protected enclave – on July 11, 1995, and in the following days summarily killed some 8,000 Muslim men and boys, in an act of genocide under international law, AFP reported.
The remains of most of the victims were later found in mass graves in eastern Bosnia, where the perpetrators moved them from original burial sites to cover up the crime.
Many of the 30 victims buried on Tuesday were identified in previous years, but the families chose to wait until more of their remains were recovered. Relatives of the victims can bury only partial remains of their loved ones as they are typically found scattered over several different mass graves, sometimes miles apart, as per ABC News.
Such was the case of Mirsda Merdzic, who will bury her father on Tuesday.
“Only a very few bones of his were retrieved because he had been found near the Drina River,” she said while huddling next to a casket shrouded in the green burial cloth. “Maybe the river washed him away.”
In Iran, the arts department of the Artistic Sect of the Islamic Republic, organized the ‘Immortal March’ event in memory of Srebrenica genocide, according to Borna News.
The organization hosted the memorial event on Tuesday evening in order to pay tribute to the victims of the Srebrenica genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The event served as a platform to commemorate Iranian soldiers who participated in the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, while also shedding light on the tragic Srebrenica massacre and the unique bond formed between Iranian art and media activists and the Bosnian people during the ‘Death March’.
Hamed Asgari, a renowned Iranian poet moderated the proceedings. The ‘Immortal March’ offered a unique opportunity for fighters and attendees to share their personal recollections and memories.