27 February 2006 – UNPO participated in the solemn vigil in remembrance of the 200.000 victims who lost their lives during the Bosnian war (1992-1995), in front of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague today.

The solemn vigil was organized by the Society for Threatened Peoples (GfbV) and the survivors of the Bosnian genocide. The commemoration was held today because this date marks the beginning of the hearing concerning the application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Bosnia-Herzegovina vs. Serbia-Montenegro) at the ICJ. The hearing will go on until 9 May 2006.

Hundreds of survivors of the Bosnian genocide, including 50 women who will serve as the representatives of nine unions of relatives of victims of Srebrenica and the Drina valley, numerous inmates of former Serbian concentration and detention camps, survivors of the air raids of Bosnian towns, of deportations and of ethic cleansing, participated in the solemn vigil.

During the vigil, a 60m long banner with the names of the 8106 identified victims of the Srebrenica massacre as well as two more banners with the names of 16 rape camps and 60 concentration and detention camps and the 324 mass graves which have so far been discovered were presented. Participants read aloud the names of the 8106 identified victims of Srebrenica. Representatives of the survivors also delivered a short speech at the occasion.

The Society for Threatened Peoples is a non-profit human rights organization that seeks to promote the human rights of religious and ethnic minorities and indigenous peoples around the world.

For further reading: Article on the hearing by TimesOnline