Sinn Féin’s spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Seán Crowe TD, is today marking the 22^nd Anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide and will speak in the Dáil on the issue later this evening.

Deputy Seán Crowe said:

“11 July is designated as the memorial day of the Srebrenica genocide and I welcome that we are marking this day with statements in the Dáil.

“The appalling massacres have been recognised as genocide by the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). Sinn Féin fully supports all international efforts to bring all those responsible to justice.

“22 years ago today the worst massacre in Europe since World War Two began. Over 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were slaughtered by Bosnian Serb forces purely because of their religion and ethnicity.

“In addition to those killed, thousands of women, children and elderly people were forcibly deported, and a large number of women were raped. It’s important that all of us also remember them on this day.

“The international community completely failed to prevent this genocide.

“After the holocaust and genocide carried out by the Nazis Europe we said never again. Yet just 22 years ago this act of genocide occurred on European soil and collectively we failed the people of Srebrenica.

“When politicians and world leaders say never again now, they must mean it.

“While remembering this appalling act of genocide we must also commit to continuing to challenge and condemn any attempts to minimise or deny the scale of the genocide that took place at Srebrenica.

“Today as we remember all those victims and survivors of the Srebrenica genocide, we must also use this day to rededicate ourselves to tackling hatred, racism and intolerance wherever or whenever it occurs.”

ENDS