Thousands commemorate 22nd anniversary of Srebrenica massacre

The Srebrenica genocide was one of the most brutal events of the 1992-95 Bosnian War. Almost 8,000 Bosniaks were executed after a UN Safe Zone was overrun by Bosnian Serb military, with the Dutch Blue Helmets standing helplessly by.

A woman cries at the coffins of her relatives, who are newly identified victims of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, which are lined up for a joint burial in Potocari near Srebrenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, July 11, 2017.
TRT World and Agencies

A woman cries at the coffins of her relatives, who are newly identified victims of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, which are lined up for a joint burial in Potocari near Srebrenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, July 11, 2017.

Thousands from around the world gathered in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica to commemorate the anniversary of the biggest European genocide since the end of the Second World War.

The Srebrenica massacre was one of the most brutal events of the 1992-95 Bosnian War.

Around 8,000 Muslim men and boys were killed by Bosnian Serb troops under the command of former General Ratko Mladic at Srebrenica in July 1995, the worst mass killing on European soil since World War Two.

Many of the Muslim victims had fled to the UN-declared safe zone in Srebrenica only to find the outnumbered and lightly armed Dutch troops there unable to defend them.

They then headed to the nearby Dutch base.

TRT World's Zoran Kusovac reports.

Almost every citizen of Srebrenica has a personal story.

Nermin's father was executed in 1995. His remains were found only nine years later.

"First they found one part of his body. Two and a half years later they found another, in another grave. But he was still not complete, the head was not found!"

TRT World's Nafisa Latic reports.

Mladic is on trial for genocide before a UN war crimes tribunal with a verdict expected later this year.

Families are still overcome by sadness.

But they hope for at least some closure by the end of this year when Mladic will be sentenced.

Route 6