Srebrenican woman receives two bones as remains of her son

SARAJEVO

A Srebrenican mother Munira Subasic will bury the bones of her son, which were exhumed from the mass graves after 18 years of his death during 1995 Srebrenica genocide, during Genocide Commemoration ceremony on July 11.

Speaking to AA, the grieving Srebrenican mother and the Chairwoman of Srebrenica & Jepa Mothers Union Subasic said that she couldn't receive any news of her son Nermin after he was taken forcibly by their Serbian neighbour Milisav Gavric back in 1995.

At the 18th year of the 1995 Srebrenica genocide, Subasic stated that authorities identified that one hand and one foot bone, exhumed from the mass graves found after years of search near Drina River, belong to her son after DNA tests.

"As our neighbour Gavric grabbed my son by the arm and took away him, I begged him to let go of my son and resisted for long not to leave him. I remember the eyes of my son looking with dread. With a trembling voice, he told me to go, saying 'Everything will be OK'," she said.

Subasic noted that her whole world came crashing down around her after losing her son 18 years ago.

"I didn't gave birth to a son comprised of only two bones. But now I am left with these. Several Srebrenican mothers experience grief similiar to mine. What happened back in 1995 is beyond a genocide," she argued.

Expressing her bittersweet happiness upon founding the bones of her son, Subasic said she felt lucky that at least her son would have a grave.

"I lost my senses 18 years ago. When they told me that they found the bones of my son and completed the identification process, I felt as if I just lost him. However, I return thanks to God that I receive his bones at least, unlike several Srebrenican mothers," she told.

She also stressed that the perpetrators of the Srebrenican genocide will be judged before the Divine Court, even if they will not receive any sentence in this world.

Subasic will bury bones of her son at the Genocide Commemoration Ceremony on July 11, at the 18th year of the 1995 Srebrenican genocide.

July 11, 1995 marked the slaying of more than 8,000 Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) boys and men, perpetrated by Bosnian Serb forces in Srebrenica, a town in eastern Bosnia-Herzegovina. In addition to the killings, more than 20,000 civilians were expelled from the area—a process known as ethnic cleansing. The genocide as the worst episode of mass murder within Europe since World War II, helped galvanize the West to press for a cease-fire that ended three years of warfare on the Bosnian territory. However, it left deep emotional scars on survivors and enduring obstacles to political reconciliation between Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia.