Remains of 175 genocide victims laid to rest at Srebrenica's Potocari

Sarajevo, 11 July 2014 (MIA) - The tragedy of Srebrenica must never be forgotten and there can be no forgiveness for genocide without sincere penitence from its perpetrators, which must be insisted on, the head of Bosnia and Herzegovina's Islamic Community, Husein Kavazovic, said in Srebrenica on Friday while conducting a central prayer during commemorations of the 19th anniversary of the genocide committed there in July 1995 by Bosnian Serb army and police forces.

Speaking about the scale of the atrocity, Kavazovic said that the pain over the crime was even bigger and that the images of horror of 19 years ago could never be forgotten. He said that the evil of genocide had not been removed to date and that facing it required great spiritual strength.

"I call on people in Bosnia and Herzegovina to reject glorification of war crimes because it will not bring them any good or happiness. Such acts defy human dignity and are shameful and we should help attain justice and help the victims live in dignity," Kavazovic said in his sermon.

A monument commemorating 8,372 registered victims of the biggest war crime committed in Europe since World War II, was erected in Srebrenica in 2003.

As of this year, the remains of 6,241 victims of the genocide are buried at the cemetery at the Potocari memorial complex.

Thousands arrived at Potocari today to pay tribute and attend the burial of 175 victims whose remains were found in mass graves in recent years, Hina news agency reports.

"Unfortunately, this is not the end of our search for the victims from Srebrenica and the Drina River valley," Srebrenica municipal head Camil Durakovic said during the commemoration, recalling that the remains of more than 2,000 people remained to be found and identified.