US Congress Calls for Sanctions After Pressure on Srebrenica Memorial Center
A group of influential American senators and congressmen urged the administration to punish individuals who undermine democratic institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
A group of influential American senators and congressmen urged the administration to punish individuals who undermine democratic institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
A group of prominent American lawmakers issued a joint statement on Saturday expressing deep concern over pressure on the Srebrenica Memorial Center and calling on the administration to impose sanctions against those responsible. The move comes after 26 current and former employees and associates of the institution were summoned for police questioning in Zvornik, before the authorities of Republika Srpska.
The statement was signed by Senators Jeanne Shaheen, Chuck Grassley, Dick Durbin, and Roger Wicker, as well as House members Bill Keating and Mike Turner, as reported by N1 BiH. These officials hold key positions in the US Congress, including the Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Vice Chair of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly's Defense and Security Committee.
The statement says they are "deeply concerned by reports that current and former employees and associates of the Srebrenica Memorial Center have been summoned for questioning before Republika Srpska authorities." They particularly noted that "the scope and timing of these proceedings are concerning," while emphasizing the crucial role of the Memorial Center.
"The work of the Memorial Center is of vital importance for preserving the truth, honoring the victims, and protecting human rights," the American lawmakers said, urging the relevant authorities to "respect the rule of law, the independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina's institutions, and ensure that the Memorial Center can carry out its crucial mission without intimidation."
The senators and congressmen further stressed the clear stance of both chambers of the US Congress regarding the events of July 1995. "The House and Senate have been unequivocal: the Srebrenica massacre was genocide. More than 30 years later, we have a solemn obligation to remember the victims, stand with their families, and ensure that this tragic history is neither denied nor erased," the statement reads.
They also warned of the broader consequences of revisionism, noting that "rewriting history for political gain deepens divisions, fuels ethnic tensions, and threatens peace and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina."
A key part of the statement concerns a specific request to the US administration. The lawmakers called for the implementation of "the mandatory sanctions adopted under the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 to hold individuals accountable for destabilizing actions and undermining democratic institutions."
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026 took effect in December 2025, after being passed with broad support in both chambers of Congress. Among the signatories of today's statement are Senator Shaheen, a leading member of her party on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Senator Durbin, the Senate Democratic Whip, which adds further political weight to the statement.
