Today, on the central Freedom Square in Novi Sad, on the International Day of Remembrance for the Genocide in Srebrenica, extreme right-wingers marked the „anniversary of liberation“ of that city in Bosnia and Herzegovina by raising their hands in a Nazi salute.

Novi Sad is the capital of the Vojvodina province in Serbia, located 80 kilometers north of the Serbian capital, Belgrade.

Neonazis chanted in support of the former commander of the Bosnian Serb Army, Ratko Mladic, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for war crimes and genocide in Srebrenica, while raising their hands in a Nazi salute.

Several dozen residents of Novi Sad confronted members of the neo-Nazi organization „Srpski soko“ („Serbian Falcon“), abbreviated as SS, reminiscent of the infamous war criminal Nazi unit from World War II.

Police cordons protected the neonazis from citizens who gathered in response to the call by the Antifascist Front „October 23“ to prevent the glorification of genocide.

There were several skirmishes between participants celebrating crimes in Srebrenica and antifascists and civic activists.

Neonazis carried flags of the Bosnian Serb entity Republika Srpska, featuring the likeness of Ratko Mladic.

These neonazis were involved in the persecution of journalists, university professors, and students of the University of Novi Sad earlier this year.

Gathered residents of Novi Sad and representatives of the Antifascist Front „October 23“ shouted slogans today such as „Novi Sad, antifa city“ and „Ustashe and Chetniks – you fled together.“

Ustashe and Chetniks were members of World War II forces that closely collaborated with German neonazis and Italian fascists.

The neonazis left Freedom Square and proceeded through the city chanting „Ratko Mladic“ and „Srebrenica is not genocide.“

With a United Nations declaration on Srebrenica from earlier this year, July 11 is commemorated as the International Day of Remembrance for the genocide in that Bosnian city.

The International Court of Justice in The Hague issued a judgment in 2007 confirming that in Srebrenica, the former Bosnian Serb Army committed genocide in that previously UN-protected enclave.

The same court declared Serbia guilty of failing to prevent genocide and of violating the obligation to punish the perpetrators of genocide.

Before various courts, more than 50 individuals have been convicted of genocide and war crimes in Srebrenica, totaling 700 years in prison.

Among them are former President of Republika Srpska Radovan Karadžić and former commander of the former Bosnian Serb Army Ratko Mladić, who were sentenced to life imprisonment in The Hague.

Following the fall of the protected zone of Srebrenica, members of the Bosnian Serb Army killed 8,372 men and boys of Bosniak nationality in a few days in July 1995.

The mortal remains of genocide victims have been found in recent years in over 80 mass graves in the municipalities of Srebrenica, Bratunac, and Zvornik.

In addition to primary mass graves, secondary and tertiary ones have been found, as members of the Bosnian Serb Army used bulldozers to dig up primary graves and relocate them to new locations to conceal evidence of the crimes.

As a result, parts of the same victims’ bodies are often found in different mass graves.

(Autonomija)