PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

Bosniak community of Canada to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide

June 17, 2015

The commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide will take place on July 11, 2015, with special sponsors: MP Brian Masse, MP Paul Dewar, MP Irwin Cotler, former MP Borys Wrzesnewskyj, and former MP Rob Oliphant.

A silent march, “Never Forget,” to take place in downtown Toronto

For the past 20 years, survivors of the Srebrenica genocide have been seeking justice for the 8,372 men and boys killed by Bosnian Serb forces in what was supposed to be a United Nations protected enclave. This coming July 11th marks the 20th anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide. Many survivors of this event, and of the Bosnian War, have made Canada their home after being forced to flee their country of origin. These people include those who survived ethnic cleansing, concentration camps and rape camps, as well as those who witnessed the slaughter of family members and loved ones.

The Canadian Srebrenica Genocide Resolutions, passed in 2010 and 2015, affirm that the policies of aggression and ethnic cleansing, as implemented by Serb forces in Srebrenica, meet the terms defining the crime of genocide in Article 2 of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, and condemn statements that deny or question that the massacre at Srebrenica constituted a genocide. The existence of these resolutions also helps encourage Canadian institutions to study the lessons of the Srebrenica Genocide, issues informed guidance on how to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future, and strengthens Canada’s resolve in maintaining and reaffirming its policy of supporting the independence and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

On July 11, in partnership with the Institute for the Research of Genocide, Canada (IGC) and the Congress of North American Bosniaks (CNAB), the Bosniak community of Canada will begin its commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide with a silent march through downtown Toronto, starting at the corner of Yonge Street and Dundas Square at 10:00 am. Participants will display the message “Never Forget,” asserting the need to adequately commemorate the loss of lives in Srebrenica.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Prevention of Genocide and other Crimes against Humanity will hold a special session in honour of the upcoming 20th anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide. The Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg is planning a public education event on July 11, in collaboration with the Bosnia and Herzegovina Association of Manitoba Inc.

On behalf of the Bosniak Canadian community, both the IGC and CNAB honour the thousands of innocent people killed in Srebrenica in Bosnia and Herzegovina in July of 1995, along with all individuals who were victimized during the armed aggression and genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1992 to 1995. These organizations would also like to pay tribute to the foreign nationals, including Canadian citizens and those from other countries, who risked and in some cases lost their lives while bravely defending fundamental human rights and freedoms, and also advocating for the respect of ethnic identity without discrimination.

For more information about the events or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Mersiha Gadzo, Spokeswoman of IGC

Email: mersihagadzo@gmail.com

Phone: 416-621-5629.

Suzana Vukic, Coordinator of IGC

Email: vucko_mtl@hotmail.com

Phone: 514-995-9962

Professor Emir Ramic, Chairman of IGC

Email: info@instituteforgenocide.org

Phone: 905 385 3606