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Nothing New
The Never Ending Trial
The Srebrenica Massacre was the worst outburst of violence seen in Europe since the Second World War. Committed in 1995 during the Bosnian War by the Bosnian Serb Army against the native Bosniaks, it was an act almost universally recognized as genocide. However, not all blame has been placed on the Army. The United Nations was aware of the conflict, and their lack of response to the violence was widely condemned. Dutch peacekeepers stationed in Srebrenica accepted Bosniak refugees fleeing the encroaching army. When the Army arrived, the lightly armed Dutch soldiers surrendered the 350 men on July 13, 1995. Reports of the Srebrenica Genocide emerged the very next day. The trials to bring those responsible to justice lasted decades, going well into the 2000s. In 2014, the Dutch High Court found the Netherlands responsible for the lives of the 350 men they surrendered who were almost immediately murdered. This was a controversial ruling, as it was the first accusation of crimes against humanity charged to an EU member. Today, the Dutch High Court has upheld that ruling and forced the Netherlands to further compensate the families of the 350 murdered Bosniaks. Though the conflict ended more than 20 years ago, there are still efforts to bring those involved in the genocide at Srebrenica to justice.
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