Sarajevo City Hall: The beginning of the commemoration of the 31st anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide with the promotion of the photomonograp

Organized by the City of Sarajevo and the Public Enterprise Sarajevo, a promotion of the photo monograph “Srebrenica – Potočari 1995-2025: 30 Years of Genocide Evidence” and the opening of the photo exhibition “Silver Tears” by author Ahmet Bajrić Blicko took place tonight in the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

This program, realized in cooperation with the Blicko photography studio, represents a lasting contribution to the culture of remembrance marking the 31st anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide. The 570-page photo monograph contains more than 3,500 full-colour photographs. It brings a chronology of the genocide, the suffering of the Podrinje region population, the exhumation process, and the survivors’ struggle for truth. The work is the result of thirty years of labour by photojournalist Bajrić, who was among the few to capture the historic breakthrough of Srebrenica survivors onto free territory in Nezuk near Sapna.

As the host of the gathering, the Mayor of Sarajevo, Samir Avdić, addressed the attendees, stating that this work permanently protects facts from oblivion and revisionism. “The tombstone (nišani) engraved with the names of 8,372 Bosniak men and boys are a silent reminder and a warning to humanity. Every year, human remains are found and sent off in green coffins (tabuti). The found bones, or even just a single bone, bring comfort to mothers to send their children to their eternal rest,” emphasized Mayor Avdić, highlighting the need to protect the past from oblivion to prevent its repetition.

Eminent promoters spoke about the photo monograph and its historical context: wartime surgeon from Srebrenica, Prof. Dr. Ilijaz Pilav, and mother Kada Hotić, vice-president of the Association “Movement of Mothers of Srebrenica and Žepa Enclaves,” who lost her son, husband, brothers, and 56 family members in the genocide. At the end of the program, the author himself addressed the audience, expressing gratitude to the organizers for recognizing the importance of this project. Following the official promotion, visitors had the opportunity to view the accompanying photo exhibition “Silver Tears.” The commemoration program was also attended by Deputy Mayor Mirela Džehverović, Chairman of the City Council Alen Girt, and numerous embassy representatives in Bosnia and Herzegovina.