JAMES BISSETT - SREBRENICA GENOCIDE DENIER

Updated Version: July 2nd, 2008.
Rebuttal to James Bissett's Denial of Srebrenica genocide...

PHOTO CAPTION: James Bissett, Canadian conspiracy theorist and discredited Srebrenica genocide denier. He is a former Canadian ambassador to Belgrade, close friend of a late Serbian dictator Slobodan Miloseivc, and a long time pro-Serbian war crimes apologist...

James Bissett Publicly Denies Genocide in Canadian Daily Ottawa Citizen

On June 27 2008, former ambassador to Yugoslavia and a personal friend of late Slobodan Milosevic, James Bissett, published a commentary in Ottawa Citizen titled: "Don't forget all the victims of Srebrenica." In his commentary, he reduced himself to a pathetic Srebrenica genocide denier by claiming that, "This is acknowledged to be a serious war crime but it is not genocide."

James Bissett doesn't seem to realize that Srebrenica genocide is a judicial fact recognized by the two highest U.N. World Courts. Srebrenica genocide is not a matter of his opinion or anybody's opinion. Opinion is cheap, everybody has it. Srebrenica genocide is a fact.

In Order to Justify Srebrenica Genocide, James Bissett Repeats Grossly Inflated and Discredited Numbers of Serb Casualties Around Srebrenica...

Furthermore, James Bissett attempted to equalize the horrific crime of genocide against the Bosniaks, with individual war crimes against the Serbs, by repeating a grossly inflated figure of "over 3,000 Bosnian Serb" victims around Srebrenica - a figure discredited by the International Criminal Tribunal, Serbia's Human Right Watch, and Bosnia's State-level Research and Documentation Center. In fact, about 151 Serb civilians died around Srebrenica during the war. The figure of "3,000 Serb civilians," which Srebrenica genocide justifiers constantly cite, was originally propagated by another Srebrenica genocide denier, Milivoje Ivanisevic from Belgrade. Ivanisevic himself contributed to the horrific massacres by supplying Serb Army with bogus lists of the so called "war criminals from Srebrenica" in 1995. This was Ivanisevic's contribution to horrific genocide and ethnic cleansing of tens of thousands of Bosniaks from Srebrenica; Canadian conspiracy theorist, James Bissett, is no different. He is openly pro-Serbian war crimes apologist. James Bissett is just another sad case of a Srebrenica genocide denier whose lack of reasoning is guided by one-sided politics of hatred.

James Bissett and Surrounding Serb Villages (which Serb Army Used as Military Bases to Attack Srebrenica and Commit Genocide)

James Bissett claims that, "...in 1992, the city was used as a base by Muslim forces to raid surrounding Serbian villages." In fact, surrounding Serb villages were used as military bases to attack Srebrenica, as already concluded by the International Criminal Tribunal.

Many of these so called 'Serb' villages were pre-war Muslim villages, from which Muslims were ethnically cleansed. Serbs from surrounding villages blocked humanitarian convoys and bombarded Srebrenica civilians. Furthermore, Serbs around Srebrenica never demilitarized. Instead, Serb military and paramilitary troops continued using surrounding Serb villages as a base for attacks on (and brutal siege of) Srebrenica. The genocide justifiers have consistently ignored the strong VRS (Serb) military presence in Bosnian Serb villages around Srebrenica. For example, the village of Fakovici was used as a military outpost through which Bosnian Serb forces launched massive attacks on Srebrenica civilians.

James Bissett Plagiarizing Other Srebrenica Genocide Denial Sources... Here are some facts about Srebrenica Genocide victims that he doesn't want to know...

Whenever Srebrenica genocide deniers write about Serb casualties, they label them as innocent civilians, but whenever they write about Bosniak genocide victims, they label them as soldiers. Not surprisingly, James Bissett goes on to claim another ridiculous lie, endlessly repeated by thousands of Srebrenica genocide denial web sites, quote: "Some of these [victims] were civilians but most were Bosnian Muslim troops killed as they retreated across Bosnian Serb territory to Tuzla, the nearest Muslim stronghold."

James Bissett is distorting the facts. While some survivors had requested that their family members be buried as soldiers, for various reasons although they died as civilians or as soldiers away from front lines, the most common reason for these requests was access to social support for families of killed soldiers. Such practices lead to over-reporting of soldiers and under-reporting of civilians. In reality, a very small number of Srebrenica genocide victims were soldiers. Those who carried guns, carried them to protect their families from Serb offensive. Most importantly, Srebrenica genocide POWs were victims of summary executions in violation of Geneva Convention.

James Bissett uses outdated Red Cross data of 7,079 Bosniak victims of genocide. In fact, on June 5, 2005 Federal Commission for Missing Persons issued a list of the names, parents' names, dates of birth, and unique citizen's registration numbers of 8,106 Bosniak Muslim individuals who have been reliably established, from multiple independent sources, to have been killed in and around Srebrenica in the summer of 1995. Here is a copy of this list in PDF format. Two years later, on June 21 2007, the Research and Documentation Center released the results of the three year study compiling the largest database on Bosnian war victims in existence - the Bosnia's Book of the Dead (covering period 1992-95). An international team of experts evaluated the findings before they were released. The team worked for three years with thousands of sources, collecting 21 facts about each victim, including names, nationality, time and place of birth and death, circumstances of death and other data. The commission established that 8,460 Bosniaks died in Srebrenica.

James Bissett's Diatribe About Naser Oric and One of Favorite Serbian Propaganda Quotes

James Bissett claims that Naser Oric "proudly displayed to western journalists videos of his forces decapitating Serb civilians." First of all, those were not Serb civilians, and second of all, Bill Schiller - the Toronto Star journalist who allegedly met Srebrenica defender in 1994 - hadn't even referred to them as "civilians" in his '95 Toronto Star story.

As Schiller claimed in 1995, "There were burning houses, dead bodies, severed heads, and people fleeing." Nothing unusual for a war zone. So we have dead Serb soldiers and severed heads from grenade shrapnels, but no word that many of those so called 'Serb villages' were filled with Muslim mass graves; and many of those so called 'Serb villages' where in fact villages from which Muslims were ethnically cleansed earlier in 1992? It seems to us that 'the West,' and journalists like Schiller, as well as pro-Serbian propagandists such as James Bisset, hoped that the Bosniaks in Srebrenica would sit silent without responding to deadly Serb attacks. So according to this reasoning, Serbs were okay to bombard Srebrenica enclave and cut off humanitarian aid, but Bosniaks were wrong to defend themselves? Naser Oric had every right to attack and recapture those 'Serb villages," which were used as a base for attacks on Srebrenica. Schiller failed to focus on a bigger picture, and write a story or two about the human catastrophe facing starving Bosniak population of Srebrenica. Needles to say, in 1992, Serbs expelled Bosniaks from their villages around Srebrenica, and used those villages to set up military bases from which they launched brutal attacks on Srebrenica enclave.

It would be beneficial for James Bissett to focus on Serb war criminals, Gen Ratko Mladic and former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic. They are charged with genocide, and still on the run from justice. But of course, James Bissett doesn't care about them, because he is one of the most pathetic Srebrenica genocide deniers and pro-Serb oriented war crimes apologists in Canada.

DUTCH GRAFFITI IN SREBRENICA: SICKENING LEGACY OF THE UNITED NATIONS IN SREBRENICA

WARNING: Some of the material that the United Nations' Dutcbat 'peacekeepers' left in Srebrenica is explicit and highly offensive. Proceed viewing this material at your own risk.

Intro: This is the mountain road south of town where Dutch UN troops maintained observation posts. Facing the Bosnian Serb offensive in July 1995, the Dutch retreated without firing a shot. The town was taken, and the genocide of over 8,000 Bosniaks began. The forcible transfer (ethnic cleansing) of tens of thousands of people was assisted by the United Nations.

(can click on images for higher resolution photos)

Almost 13 years after the worst European genocide since World War II, the Dutch graffiti in Srebrenica still serve as a reminder of a shameful Dutch incompetence and a sickening arrogance they had towards their UN mission and people they ought to protect.

Oblivious to the fact that a horrible genocide was just about to happen before their eyes, the Dutch troops stationed at the UN base in Potocari spent their time "decorating" walls with drawings and graffiti. Some of these disgusting Dutch graffiti are XXX-rated, so it's up to you whether you want to proceed with viewing this sickening material that Dutch soldiers left behind themselves in Srebrenica...

PHOTO: While people of Srebrenica were starving, Dutch U.N. 'peacekeepers' enjoyed T-bone Steaks, Spare Ribs, Schnitzels (see the 'Dutchbat Menu' above) and XXX-rated porn, as you will see from disgusting Dutch graffiti below.... Dutch graffiti in Srebrenica (Dutchbat Camp in Potocari).

PHOTO: XXX-rated Dutch graffiti (Dutchbat Camp in Potocari) in Srebrenica, see right side wall drawing. Man in the photo is Abdulah, one of few who survived the four-day-long march through the forests around Srebrenica while the Serb Chetniks were shelling them with artillery and committing genocide in and around Srebrenica.

PHOTO: Dutch graffiti in Srebrenica read "My ass is like a local. It's got the smell same. Bosnia '94" (Dutchbat Camp in Potocari).

PHOTO: Dutch graffiti in Srebrenica read "I'm your best friend. I kill you for nothing. Bosnie 94." (Dutchbat Camp in Potocari).

PHOTO: Dutch graffiti in Srebrenica (Dutchbat Camp in Potocari).



PHOTO: XXX-rated Dutch graffiti in Srebrenica (Dutchbat Camp in Potocari).

PHOTO: Dutch graffiti in Srebrenica read "No Teeth...! A Mustache...? Smel Like Shit...? Bosnian Girl!" (Dutchbat Camp in Potocari).

PHOTO: Dutch graffiti in Srebrenica (Dutchbat Camp in Potocari).

PHOTO: Dutch graffiti in Srebrenica read "UN, United Nothing." (Dutchbat Camp in Potocari).

PHOTO: Dutch graffiti in Srebrenica (Dutchbat Camp in Potocari).

PHOTO: Dutch graffiti in Srebrenica (Dutchbat Camp in Potocari).

PHOTO: Dutch graffiti in Srebrenica (Dutchbat Camp in Potocari).

PHOTO: XXX-rated Dutch graffiti in Srebrenica (Dutchbat Camp in Potocari).

PHOTO: Dutch graffiti in Srebrenica (Dutchbat Camp in Potocari).

PHOTO: Dutch graffiti in Srebrenica (Dutchbat Camp in Potocari).

PHOTO: XXX-rated Dutch graffiti in Srebrenica (Dutchbat Camp in Potocari).

PHOTO: " Lick my Ass." Dutch graffiti in Srebrenica (Dutchbat Camp in Potocari).

PHOTO: "Nema Problema" translates as "No Problems" in Bosnian language. Dutch graffiti in Srebrenica (Dutchbat Camp in Potocari).

PHOTO: Dutch graffiti in Srebrenica (Dutchbat Camp in Potocari).

PHOTO: Dutch graffiti in Srebrenica (Dutchbat Camp in Potocari).

PHOTO: Dutch graffiti in Srebrenica (Dutchbat Camp in Potocari).


PHOTO: Dutch graffiti in Srebrenica (Dutchbat Camp in Potocari).

PHOTO: Dutch graffiti in Srebrenica read "No Teeth...! A Mustache...? Smel Like Shit...? Bosnian Girl!" (Dutchbat Camp in Potocari).

CHILD VICTIMS IN ZAKLOPACA MASS GRAVE: THE YOUNGEST CHILD VICTIM 5 YEAR OLD NAIDA HODZIC (FUNERAL PHOTOS)

Quick Intro: The war in Bosnia-Herzegovina started in 1992 when the Serb forces, supported by Belgrade, started attacking Bosniak villages around Srebrenica, in Eastern Bosnia, and summarily executing Bosniak women and children. Zaklopaca village is located just outside of Srebrenica, in Vlasenica area... It's a place where Bosniak women, children and elderly men were brutally massacred... continue reading:

In May 2004, forensic experts have exhumed remains of 72 Bosniak victims, including 16 children and 10 women, summarily executed by the Bosnian Serb forces in the village of Zaklopaca in Vlasenica area - just outside of Srebrenica - at the outbreak of the 1992-95 war. The bodies were first buried in Zaklopaca, but later dug up, moved about two kilometers away and covered by heavy stone blocks to cover up the crime.

On June 21, 2008, Bosnia's Federal News Agency reported that 55 DNA identified Bosniak victims from Zaklopaca mass grave have been finally laid to rest. The youngest victim was 5-year old Naida Hodzic and the oldest victim was 62-year old Fatima Berbic.

PHOTO CAPTION #1: Bosnian Muslim woman weeps near the coffins of victims exhumed from mass graves during a funeral ceremony in the village of Zaklopaca in Vlasenica area, just outside of Srebrenica, on Saturday, June 21, 2008. Some 5,000 Bosniaks gathered for the funeral ceremony for 55 Bosniak women, children, and men killed by Bosnian Serbs at the beginning of Bosnian war in May 1992.

PHOTO CAPTION #2: Bosnian Muslim woman is comforted as she cries by a grave of her loved one during a mass funeral in Zaklopaca June 21, 2008. Thousands of Bosniaks gathered for a mass funeral for 55 people killed in their village by Serb forces in 1992, whose bodies were then found in different mass graves more than a decade after the end of the country's war.

PHOTO CAPTION #3: Bosniak men carry the coffin of one of victims exhumed from a mass grave during funeral ceremony in the village of Zaklopaca, on Saturday, June 21, 2008. Five thousand Bosniaks gathered at the funeral ceremony for 55 Bosniak women, children, and men killed by Bosnian Serbs at the beginning of Bosnian war in May 1992. All of the bodies were found and exhumed from mass grave sites.

PHOTO CAPTION #4: Bosniak men carry the coffin of one of victims exhumed from a mass grave during funeral ceremony in the village of Zaklopaca, on Saturday, June 21, 2008. Five thousand Bosniaks gathered at the funeral ceremony for 55 Bosniak women, children, and men killed by Bosnian Serbs at the beginning of Bosnian war in May 1992. All of the bodies were found and exhumed from mass grave sites.

PHOTO CAPTION #5: Bosnian Muslim women watch men bury their relatives during a mass funeral in Zaklopaca June 21, 2008. Thousands of Bosniaks gathered for a mass funeral for 55 Bosniak women, children, and men killed in their village by Serb forces in 1992, whose bodies were then found in different mass graves more than a decade after the end of the country's war.

PHOTO CAPTION #6: Bosnian Muslims pray near fresh graves during a mass funeral in Zaklopaca June 21, 2008. Thousands of Bosniaks gathered for a mass funeral for 55 Bosniak women, children,and men killed in their village by Serb forces in 1992, whose bodies were then found in different mass graves more than a decade after the end of the country's war.

PHOTO CAPTION #7: Bosnian Muslims pray near fresh graves during a mass funeral in Zaklopaca June 21, 2008. Thousands of Bosniaks gathered for a mass funeral for 55 Bosniak women, children,and men killed in their village by Serb forces in 1992, whose bodies were then found in different mass graves more than a decade after the end of the country's war.

PHOTO CAPTION #8: A Bosnian Muslim priest adjusts one of 55 coffins prepared for a mass funeral in Zaklopaca June 21, 2008. Thousands of Bosniaks gathered for a mass funeral for 55 Bosniak women, children, and men killed in their village by Serb forces in 1992, whose bodies were then found in different mass graves more than a decade after the end of the country's war.

PHOTO CAPTION #9: Bosniak men carry the coffin of one of victims exhumed from a mass grave during funeral ceremony in the village of Zaklopaca, on Saturday, June 21, 2008. Five thousand Bosniaks gathered at the funeral ceremony for 55 Bosniak women, children, and men killed by Bosnian Serbs at the beginning of Bosnian war in May 1992. All of the bodies were found and exhumed from mass grave sites.

PHOTO CAPTION #10: Bosnian Muslim woman weeps near the coffins of Bosniak victims exhumed from mass grave sites, during a funeral ceremony in the village of Zaklopaca on Saturday June 21, 2008. Five thousand Bosniaks gathered at funeral ceremony for 55 Bosniak women, children, and men killed by Bosnian Serbs at the beginning of Bosnian war in May 1992. All of the bodies were found and exhumed from mass grave sites.

PHOTO CAPTION #11: Bosniak women weep near the coffins of victims exhumed from a mass grave, during a funeral ceremony in the village of Zaklopaca on Saturday, June 21, 2008. Five thousand Bosniaks gathered at funeral ceremony for 55 Bosniak women, children, and men killed by Bosnian Serbs at the beginning of Bosnian war in May 1992. All of the bodies were found and exhumed from mass grave sites.

SREBRENICA PHOTO STORY: ZELENI JADAR, AREA WHERE MANY CHILDREN WERE SHOT TO DEATH

ZELENI JADAR AREA YIELDS 5TH MASS GRAVE, MORE AWAITING TO BE EXCAVATED

INTRO: Zeleni Jadar is the area where many child victim remains were found. Children were shot to death, dumped into mass graves, and later relocated to secondary mass graves to cover the crime. As reported by the ICMP, children were aged between 7 and 11 years old. What you are about to see is yet another mass grave containing bodies of Srebrenica genocide victims that were summarily executed during Srebrenica massacre...

In a secondary mass grave Pusmulici near Srebrenica, expert team of the Institute for the search of missing persons of Tuzla Canton, revealed 79 human remains and two whole bodies, as it was confirmed by Danica Arapovic Kovac, prosecutor of Tuzla Canton prosecution. She added that this is the case of secondary mass grave but that there are indicators that it could be a tertiary mass grave which shows that bodies of people killed in Srebrenica in July 1995 were relocated twice. This is a fifth mass grave in the region of Zeleni Jadar out of which, three were examined by the Hague Tribunal experts.

PHOTO CAPTION #1: A forensic expert from the ICMP (International Commission for Missing Persons) works at a mass grave with the remains of Bosniaks June 16, 2008, discovered in the former UN safe-zone of Srebrenica. A Dutch court on Monday began hearing from a survivor of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre who says Dutch troops guarding the Bosnian town as part of a U.N. force allowed Bosnian Serbs to murder his family during genocide in Srebrenica.


PHOTO CAPTION #2: EUFOR peacekeepers in Bosnia visit Srebrenica Genocide Memorial in Potocari June 16, 2008. A Dutch court on Monday began hearing from a survivor of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre who says Dutch troops guarding the Bosnian town as part of a U.N. force allowed Bosnian Serbs to murder his family during genocide in Srebrenica.



PHOTO CAPTION #3: EUFOR peacekeepers in Bosnia watch forensic experts from the ICMP (International Commission for Missing Persons) work in a mass grave with the remains of Bosnian Muslims June 16, 2008, discovered in the former UN safe-zone of Srebrenica. A Dutch court on Monday began hearing from a survivor of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre who says Dutch troops guarding the Bosnian town as part of a U.N. force allowed Bosnian Serbs to murder his family during genocide in Srebrenica.


PHOTO CAPTION #4: Forensic investigator Admir Jugo of Bosnia, of the International Commission for Missing Persons, ICMP, inspects body remains at a mass-grave site in the village of Zeleni Jadar near the eastern Bosnian town of Srebrenica, 70 kms north east of Sarajevo, Bosnia, Tuesday, June 10, 2008. The mass grave is considered to be secondary mass-grave of Srebrenica genocide victims, where bodies initially buried elsewhere were dumped.

PHOTO CAPTION #5: British forensic investigator Sharna Daly, of the International Commission for Missing Persons, ICMP, inspects body remains at a mass-grave site in the village of Zeleni Jadar near the eastern Bosnian town of Srebrenica, 70 kms north east of Sarajevo, Bosnia, Tuesday, June 10, 2008. The mass grave is considered to be secondary mass-grave of Srebrenica genocide victims, where bodies initially buried elsewhere were dumped.


PHOTO CAPTION #6: Forensic investigator Admir Jugo of Bosnia, of the International Commission for Missing Persons, ICMP, inspects body remains at a mass-grave site in the village of Zeleni Jadar near the eastern Bosnian town of Srebrenica, 70 kms north east of Sarajevo, Bosnia, Tuesday, June 10, 2008. The mass grave is considered to be secondary mass-grave of Srebrenica genocide victims, where bodies initially buried elsewhere were dumped.

PHOTO CAPTION #7: British forensic investigator Sharna Daly, left, and Canadian Laurie Shead, of the International Commission for Missing Persons, ICMP, inspect body remains at a mass-grave site in the village of Zeleni Jadar near the eastern Bosnian town of Srebrenica, 70 kms north east of Sarajevo, Bosnia, Tuesday, June 10, 2008. The mass grave is considered to be secondary mass-grave of Srebrenica genocide victims, where bodies initially buried elsewhere were dumped.

PHOTO CAPTION #8: A forensic expert from the ICMP (International Commission for Missing Persons) explains his work to EUFOR peacekeepers visiting a mass grave with the remains of Bosniaks June 16, 2008, discovered in the former UN safe-zone of Srebrenica. A Dutch court on Monday began hearing from a survivor of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre who says Dutch troops guarding the Bosnian town as part of a U.N. force allowed Bosnian Serbs to murder his family during genocide in Srebrenica.

PHOTO CAPTION #9: British forensic investigator Sharna Daly, foreground, and Canadian Laurie Shead, of the International Commission for Missing Persons, ICMP, inspects body remains at a mass-grave site in the village of Zeleni Jadar near the eastern Bosnian town of Srebrenica, 70 kms north east of Sarajevo, Bosnia, Tuesday, June 10, 2008. The mass grave is considered to be secondary mass-grave of Srebrenica genocide victims, where bodies initially buried elsewhere were dumped.


PHOTO CAPTION #10: Bosnian workers, and forensic investigator Sharna Daly, from Britain, foreground, and Canadian Laurie Shead, centre right, of the International Commission for Missing Persons, ICMP, inspect body remains at a mass-grave site in the village of Zeleni Jadar near the eastern Bosnian town of Srebrenica, 70 kms north east of Sarajevo, Bosnia, Tuesday, June 10, 2008. The mass grave is considered to be secondary mass-grave of Srebrenica genocide victims, where bodies initially buried elsewhere were dumped.

PHOTO CAPTION #11: EUFOR peacekeepers in Bosnia watch forensic experts from the International Commission for Missing Persons (ICMP) work in a mass grave with the remains of Bosnian Muslims discovered in the former UN safe-zone of Srebrenica June 16, 2008. A Dutch court on Monday began hearing from a survivor of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre who says Dutch troops guarding the Bosnian town as part of a U.N. force allowed Bosnian Serbs to murder his family during genocide in Srebrenica.

PHOTO CAPTION #12: EUFOR peacekeepers in Bosnia take pictures of forensic experts from the International Commission for Missing Persons (ICMP) work in a mass grave with the remains of Bosniaks discovered in the former UN safe-zone of Srebrenica June 16, 2008. A Dutch court on Monday began hearing from a survivor of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre who says Dutch troops guarding the Bosnian town as part of a U.N. force allowed Bosnian Serbs to murder his family during genocide in Srebrenica.


PHOTO CAPTION #13: EUFOR peacekeepers in Bosnia watch forensic experts from the International Commission for Missing Persons (ICMP) work in a mass grave with the remains of Bosnian Muslims discovered in the former UN safe-zone of Srebrenica June 16, 2008. A Dutch court on Monday began hearing from a survivor of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre who says Dutch troops guarding the Bosnian town as part of a U.N. force allowed Bosnian Serbs to murder his family during genocide in Srebrenica.

NETHERLANDS: SREBRENICA GENOCIDE SURVIVORS ATTEND COURT HEARING AGAINST THE DUTCH STATE

A Dutch court has begun hearing a civil action brought against the Netherlands by relatives of victims of the 1995 Srebrenica genocide in Bosnia. Meanwhile, at a vigil outside the Dutch court, Srebrenica genocide survivors and victims' relatives held up a long banner inscribed with the names of at least 8,106 victims - many of them defenceless children and elderly...

PHOTO: Hasan Nuhanovic, Srebrenica genocide survivor.

By Foo Yun Chee / REUTERS
(Republished for fair use only, as defined by the Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107)

A survivor of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre who says Dutch U.N. troops guarding the Bosnian town allowed Bosnian Serb forces to murder his family told a Dutch court on Monday he wanted justice for his loss.

Hasan Nuhanovic and the family of another Srebrenica victim are suing the Dutch state for negligence over its troops' role in the 1992-95 Bosnian war. The court will hear a separate civil suit on Wednesday filed by about 6,000 relatives of Srebrenica massacre victims against the Dutch state and the United Nations.

More than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim (Bosniak) men and boys were killed at Srebrenica, a U.N. safe haven guarded by a Dutch army unit serving as part of a United Nations force, after Bosnian Serb forces commanded by Ratko Mladic overran it on July 11, 1995.

Nuhanovic, a U.N. interpreter who launched his case in 2002, says his father, mother and younger brother were killed after they were expelled from the town's Dutch military base. He says he was allowed to stay because he had a U.N. identity card.

"If I had not done this, I would not be able to go on with my life. I am seeking justice," Nuhanovic told Reuters ahead of the court hearing in The Hague.

Lawyer Liesbeth Zegveld, representing Nuhanovic and the family of Rizo Mustafic, an electrician in the U.N. force 's Dutch battalion who also died in the massacre, told judges the Dutch state had been grossly negligent and violated human rights through the actions of its soldiers in Srebrenica.

"One life could have been saved, my dad," Mustafic's daughter, Alma, told the court. "He was entitled to Dutch protection, this was confirmed to us, but he was not given it. He fell into Serbian hands, since then we have not heard anything about him."

At a vigil outside the court earlier on Monday, about 50 relatives and Srebrenica survivors held up a long banner inscribed with the names of the 8,106 victims.

Government lawyers said Mustafic was not evacuated because he was a temporary worker and not a U.N. employee.

"The acts of the Dutch battalion are attributable to the U.N. and not to the Dutch state," the lawyers told the court. "The Dutch state made available soldiers for the peacekeeping mission, to keep apart fighting parties. The fact they didn't succeed does not mean they are liable for the atrocities."

The Netherlands has said its troops were abandoned by the U.N., which gave them no air support. The families' lawyers have said public documents show a network of Dutch military officials within the U.N. blocked air support because they feared their soldiers could be hit by "friendly fire".

Judges said they would issue their ruling on September 10.

Munira Subasic, head of an association of mothers bereaved by the massacre, and who will be a witness for the suit to be heard on Wednesday, said she hoped for justice for Nuhanovic "and all others who experienced genocide under the protection of the U.N. and before the eyes of the whole world".

The Dutch government led by Wim Kok resigned in 2002 after a report on the massacre blamed politicians for sending the Dutch U.N. troops on an impossible mission. Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic and Mladic, both indicated for genocide over Srebrenica, are still at large.