Photo Exhibition to Commemorate the 29th Anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide at Cerrahpaşa and Fatih Central Libraries

An exhibition of works by Bosnian photographer Velija Hasanbegović is held in Cerrahpaşa and Fatih Central libraries to commemorate the 29th anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide. All our people are invited to this exhibition organised in cooperation with the Union of International Democrats (UID) and municipalities in Türkiye.

The photo exhibition held between 11-17 July in commemoration of the 29th anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide is waiting for visitors at Cerrahpaşa and Fatih Central libraries. The exhibition includes photographs bearing the traces of the genocide that took place in Srebrenica in the east of Bosnia and Herzegovina on 11 July 1995, the biggest genocide in Europe after the Second World War.

Srebrenica: From Safe Area to Genocide

Srebrenica in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina was declared a "safe area" by the United Nations (UN). However, on 11 July 1995, when troops under the command of Serbian commander Ratko Mladic entered Srebrenica, innocent Bosnian civilians were handed over to Serbian forces by the UN. Mladic, known as the "Butcher of Bosnia", launched genocide against the Muslim Bosnian people that day and at least 8,372 Bosnian people were massacred in just a few days. Civilians, including women and children, were subjected to unimaginable torture, raped and killed. The Serbs did not bury the bodies of the innocent civilians they killed in a single grave, but scattered them in mass graves in different places. Even today, many families have been able to find and bury only a few bones of their relatives.

Seeking Justice: Recognition of Srebrenica as Genocide

What happened in Srebrenica was recognised as "genocide" by the international court in The Hague. Bosnian victims' relatives and mothers who lost their children fought for justice for years for the events to be recognised as "genocide".

Velija Hasanbegović: Genocide In the Eyes of a Witness

The photographs in the exhibition were taken by Bosnian photographer Velija Hasanbegović. Hasanbegović was shot by Serbian forces on the banks of the Drina River in 1992, when he was 16 years old, and survived by jumping into the river at the last moment and swimming. Therefore, Hasanbegović's works are of particular importance for understanding the genocide in Srebrenica.

Organisation and Supporters of the Exhibition

This exhibition is organised by the Union of International Democrats (UID) in cooperation with municipalities in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Türkiye. UID Bosnia and Herzegovina President Emine Şeçerovic Kaşlı thanked Mr. M. Ergün Turan, the Mayor of Fatih, for their support and sensitivity displayed for the exhibition.

We invite everyone to this meaningful exhibition which will be held between 11-17 July.