Letter of Solidarity from Serbian Citizens Become Part of Permanent Exhibition at Sarajevo Information Centre on ICTY

The Deputy Mayor of Sarajevo, Predrag Puharić, today received a “Letter of Solidarity” from the citizens of Serbia, honouring the victims of the Markale Market massacre of February 5, 1994. The letter was delivered by activists from the Youth Initiative for Human Rights (YIHR).

The document was created during a public action in Belgrade on the anniversary of the massacre. Citizens of Serbia signed the letter to express their deepest condolences and empathy for the victims’ families and the people of Sarajevo. Through this act, the youth sent a clear message: there are people who remember the past and demand a future where peace has no alternative.

“The City of Sarajevo accepts this letter as a powerful symbol of humanity. It represents a vital step toward building trust among younger generations based on truth and responsibility,” officials stated during the meeting.

The handover took place during the programme “Paths of the Nineties” study tour. This program brings together youth from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Croatia to learn about the wartime past by visiting sites of civilian suffering, including Markale, Vase Miskina Street, Kazani, Ahmići, and Trusine. The initiative is organized by YIHR Serbia and Croatia, with support from the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.

Good neighbourly relations cannot be built on the denial of crimes or the minimization of suffering. Despite frequent denial of the Markale massacres in regional media, this gesture proves the existence of a common will for historical justice.

The City of Sarajevo and the Information Centre on the ICTY have announced that, starting from April 8th, the Letter of Solidarity will become an integral part of the exhibition “The Hague Legacy Through ICTY Judgments.” The exhibition is open for the public at the Sarajevo City Hall (Vijećnica), serving as a permanent reminder of the need for empathy and the prevention of future crimes.