At the opening of the Plenary Session in Strasbourg, the European Parliament honoured the victims and survivors of the Srebrenica genocide. In her address, President Metsola said that behind every name and number, there is a person and a family.
Dear colleagues,
This week marks 30 years since the Srebrenica genocide, where thousands of Bosnian Muslims were murdered or disappeared, and tens of thousands more were forcibly expelled from the enclave. Tragically, many victims remain unidentified.
With us today are two survivors of the massacre: Almasa Salihović and Almir Salihović. Almasa was displaced from her community and only later discovered that her older brother, Abdulah, was executed. And Almir trudged for six days through the forest to escape the killing. Almasa and Almir, I would like to thank you for being here. You remind us that behind every name and number, there is a person. There is a family.
This House honours you and all survivors, just as we continue to keep the memories of the victims alive. In the words of the Srebrenica Prayer, recited every year: “May mothers’ tears become prayers that Srebrenica never happens again.”