Bratunac marks 34th anniversary of Serbian civilian killings in Podrinje and Birča

On June 14, Bratunac commemorated the 34th anniversary of the killing of 3,267 Serbian soldiers and civilians in the Podrinje and Birča region during the Bosnian war (1992‑1995). The ceremony, held under the slogan “In Bratunac we do not name, we go,” was attended by officials of Republika Srpska, representatives of the governments of Serbia and Montenegro, the Russian ambassador Igor Kalabuhov, a US delegate, and Patriarch Porfirije, who led a memorial service.

RS President Siniša Karan, Milorad Dodik and other speakers warned that the systematic extermination of Serbs has left an enduring wound and called for justice and remembrance. Serbian envoy Aleksandar Vučić’s representative, Adriana Mesarović, highlighted the suffering of children and stressed the need to keep the memory alive. Survivor Brano Vučetić recounted his personal experiences of loss, captivity and torture as a child, underscoring the ongoing pain of the community.

The Bosnian authorities report that four perpetrators have been sentenced to a total of 29 years for the crimes, and the RS government declared the day a day of mourning for the entity.