July 9, 2009, Belgrade, Serbia: Several Serbian NGOs, including AP partner Women in Black-Serbia, are speaking out against the arrest of Srebrenica massacre surivor Midhat Salihovic, who has been accused of war crimes in the the Republika Srpska (RS).

According to the groups, Mr Salihovic, who lives in Sweden, had traveled to Potocari, Bosnia to attend the funeral of his father and brother, both victims of the genocide. A memorial service will be held this Saturday, July 11, on the 14th aniversary of the massacre.

Instead, Mr Salihovic was arrested on July 5 on a warrant issued by the Bijelina District Court, where he is suspected of war crimes against Bosnian Serbs.

A joint statement from Women in Black, JUKOM, the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia and the Youth Initiative for Human Rights called the arrest a “cynical and criminal move” and said RS authorities “are persecuting the survivors of the genocide.” 

In the statement, the NGOs call on the Serbian authorities to “at least distance themselves from the aggressive and dangerous policy” of the RS, and urge the international community to work energetically to prevent attempts to equate crimes and victims, and to put a stop to the dangerous policies pursued by RS Prime Minister Milorad Dodik and the remaining RS political forces.

“On behalf of all the citizens of Serbia who have not lost their human dignity, we once again voice our solidarity with the families of the victims of the genocide in Srebrenica, as well as our resolve never to forget the crimes perpetrated in our name,” the statement reads.