The former Serbian general admits responsibility for the genocide in Srebrenica: Unforgivable Works

Krstic, in a letter to the court requesting early release from prison, wrote that he would have voted for the UN Resolution for Srebrenica.

I have no right to vote, because in this resolution my name is mentioned after I committed an unimaginable and unforgivable criminal act”, Krstic wrote in his letter to the tribunal's president.

He also wrote that if given the opportunity, he would go to Potocari to honour “the genocide victims.

In June 2024, the defence of Radislav Krstic applied for his early release at the International Criminal Court Mechanism (former-Tribonal of The Hague), by attaching the letter written by Krstic himself, where he wants it made public.

This letter was distributed to the media on November 13th by the Mechanism in The Hague.

The memorial centre in Potocari expects former General Krstic, after acknowledging responsibility for the genocide in Srebrenica, to share with the Prosecutor everything he knows about war crimes, Free Europe Allmas Salliovic, spokesperson of this centre where the victims of genocide in Srebrenica are buried, told Radio.

She, commenting on Krstic's statement, said the Memorial Centre “welcomes admission of responsibility”.

Nura Begovic, who in the Srebrenica genocide lost 19 family members, told Radio Free Europe that” Krstic certainly does not do so from the heart but only to obtain forgiveness”.

“He would come to Potocari, it is important that he said so, but surely families would not want to meet with him”, Begovic said.

Krstic case

The 2004 Tribunal Appeal Chamber eventually sentenced the former commander of the Republika Srpska Army Corps to 35 years in prison, Radislav Krstic, convicting him of aid and support of the genocide in Srebrenica, persecution and murder of Bosnians in Srebrenica in July 1995.

It was the first final decision with which The Hague Tribunal found the Republika Srpska Army committed genocide in Srebrenica. This ruling reduced the 45-year prison sentence Krstic, which he had pronounced in 2001 to the First Tribunal Hall.

With the decision of the first instance, Krstic was convicted of committing genocide, but the Appeals Chamber changed that part of the decision.

Krstic, in his letter to the court chief, declared he accepts the decisions of the 2001 and 2004.

He confirmed that he knew that some “members of the General Staff were aiming to commit genocide”, but that that that headquarters “did not have enough force to execute” without “the use of the Drina Corps”, which Krstic commanded at the time.

I knew that using forces under my command would contribute significantly to the execution of Bosnian prisoners”, Krstic wrote on paper.

He has also confirmed that he has assisted and supported crime against humanity by participating in a joint criminal enterprise for the violent shift of Bosnian civilians from Potocari to July 10th to 13th 1995.

“I have participated in the creation of a humanitarian crisis that preceded the forced displacement of women, children and elderly ones from Srebrenica, in which I also participated, given that civilians in Potocari were exposed to murders, rapes, beatings and abuses”, Krstic wrote.

He added that the genocide in Srebrenica committed individuals and that for their actions and crimes they must respond, adding that “unfortunately I am one of them”.

Krstic has also stated that he is addressing the public in the former Yugoslavia by letter.

I would like my words to read and understand the young people who live today in spaces where there once was a place called Yugoslavia (...), to stop and think ever again. Never more war, never more death because of religion, nation or beliefs, never more genocide”, has Krstic written.

Radislav Krstic was arrested by international forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina on 2 December 1998. After the final decision, he was sent to Great Britain in 2004 to serve his sentence.

In a British prison, he was attacked and wounded by other prisoners, for whom he moved to Poland in 2013.

After serving two thirds of his sentence, Polish authorities, under local law, could no longer hold him in prison, so Krstic returned to custody in The Hague, where he is currently located.

The court has repeatedly rejected his request for early release because of the importance of the crime it was convicted of.

The decision on the new request will be taken by the head of the court, Graciela, Ready (Gracilla Gatti) Santana.

Republika Srpska Army forces killed more than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys in Srebrenica in July 1995.

For these crimes, some courts have sentenced more than 50 people to more than 700 years in prison for genocide and war crimes in Srebrenica.

Among them are former Republika Srpska President Radovan Karadzic and then Serb Army Commander General Ratko Mladic. Both have been sentenced to life imprisonment. (Radio Europe Free