CIJA’s Syria Investigators Join Srebrenica Genocide Commemorations

CIJA Syria team took part in the official events to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

On Thursday, Dr William Wiley (Executive Director) and Husam Sharif (CIJA Lead Investigator – Syria) joined Hasan Nuhanovic (Srebrenica genocide survivor and human rights activist) and Emir Suljaqic (Director, Srebrenica Memorial Center) to discuss the role of documents in constructing cases and preserving truth. In parallel, Nerma Jelacic (Director of Management and External Relations) moderated a panel discussion on the importance of truth seeking, collective memory and the enduring need to remember, alongside Kathryne Bomberger (Director General, ICMP), Amore Masovic (Former Head of Missing Persons Institute, BiH) and Mariia Mykhalko (Representative, ICMP Ukraine).

At the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, Hasan and Husam stood alongside survivors, legal experts, archivists, and atrocity museum leaders to honour the victims—and reflecting on the road ahead for Syria.

Srebrenica is among the most thoroughly documented mass atrocities in history. As Bosnia continues to confront denial, Syria begins a similar struggle. The message is clear: the work must begin now.

Hasan and Husam recognised the Mothers of Srebrenica, women who lost their sons, fathers and husbands and transformed their grief into resilience:

“You have built something with your grief. We hope to do the same,” they said. For Syria, Srebrenica reflects both the path ahead and the long journey towards justice