The questioning of more than 20 current and former employees and associates of the Srebrenica–Potočari Memorial Centre has raised a number of questions, ranging from what exactly is being investigated to issues of legal compliance, institutional jurisdiction, and the political reactions that followed.
While officials from the Memorial Centre argue that the investigation into possible tax evasion and other financial irregularities represents pressure and an attempt at intimidation, members of the so-called “Troika” have gone as far as calling for a special legal and administrative status for the institution.
On the other hand, organizations representing families of fallen and missing persons from Republika Srpska maintain that there is no legal basis for such a status and stress that no institution should be above the law.
The case has prompted broader questions about the relationship between political pressure, the work of the judiciary, and whether any public institution can operate outside the legal framework.
The District Public Prosecutor’s Office in Bijeljina has confirmed that it has opened a case concerning the financial operations of the Srebrenica Memorial Centre in 2022. According to the Prosecutor’s Office, it is examining a report alleging possible tax evasion and unpaid social contributions under Article 264 of the Criminal Code of Republika Srpska.
Isidora Graorac, President of the Republika Srpska Organization of Families of Captured and Fallen Soldiers and Missing Civilians, said in an interview for RTRS that judicial authorities should be allowed to carry out their responsibilities without interference.
“As people who lost family members during the war, we can only say that every judicial institution should be allowed to do its job. We expect the truth to be established and for the authorities to determine whether the proceedings will continue or be discontinued. We see nothing controversial in the work of the judicial institutions,” Graorac said.
She emphasized that the case is still in the preliminary investigation phase.
Police, acting on the prosecutor’s instructions, are collecting documentation and taking investigative measures to verify the allegations and gather evidence. No one has been charged, let alone found guilty, and the Prosecutor’s Office will decide on further action only after reviewing all the evidence.
“We do not yet know where the investigation will lead. Whenever investigations concern Serbs, the Bosniak political side insists that the law must be respected, but now that the investigation concerns the Memorial Centre in Potočari, there has been a wave of political reactions. There is nothing unusual about allowing prosecutors and investigators to complete their work and then inform the public of their findings,” Graorac stated.
She added that the Memorial Centre should continue carrying out the responsibilities for which it was established.
“In that regard, no one is putting pressure on the institution itself. These are legal matters that need to be resolved. No public institution should operate outside the law,” Graorac said.
She also questioned what is meant by the proposed special status for the Memorial Centre.
“In my opinion, the District Public Prosecutor’s Office in Bijeljina is simply doing its job and is not guided by political timing. The decision to question everyone who may have had responsibility or influence in the relevant period has apparently triggered strong reactions, even though these are only preliminary investigative steps necessary to establish the facts. That, in itself, raises questions. The institutions should simply be allowed to complete their work,” Graorac concluded.
She added that the broader issue of the status and equal treatment of all victims remains an important question.
Source: RTRS
