WOMEN OF SREBRENICA SEEK JUSTICE

WOMEN OF SREBRENICA ARE HEROES; THEY ARE A MORAL COMPASS FOR THE INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE. WE'RE PROUD OF THEM AND WE HONOR THEM.

PHOTO (1): Srebrenica women protest outside the Yugoslav War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday Oct. 26, 2009.

Our hearts go the survivors of the 1995 Srebrenica genocide, the elderly women who still find strength to fight for the justice; women who regularly hold vigils in remembrance of 40,000 people that had been targeted for extinction in July 1995; women who went to the Hague to face Radovan Karadzic and show him that he failed to kill them all; women who protest in front of the International Criminal Tribunal at the Hague and demand fairness for 8,372 victims of the genocide; women, mothers, heroes of our time. Here they are:

PHOTO (2): Srebrenica genocide survivor, Hajra Catic, 64, watches the TV broadcast of the Radovan Karadzic trial, in front of wall covered with photos of victims of the Srebrenica massacre, at the office of the NGO Union of Srebrenica Women, in the Bosnian town of Tuzla, Nov. 3, 2009. Hajra Catic, who heads the Bosnian NGO Women of Srebrenica (Zene Srebrenice), lost her husband and son in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre.

PHOTO (3): Women who survived the 1995 Srebrenica genocide hold a hand woven carpet with the names of their killed relatives embroidered, before boarding a bus, in Sarajevo, early on 24 October, 2009. Buses carrying about 200 Bosnian Muslim family members of the war victims departed Sarajevo to the Hague, Netherlands, to demand swift trial and severe punishment for Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, facing war crimes trial.

PHOTO (4): A Bosnian Muslim woman from Srebrenica, holds a protest banner before boarding a bus, in Sarajevo, early on Saturday Oct. 24. , 2009. Buses carrying about 200 Bosnian Muslim family members of war victims departed Sarajevo for the Hague, Netherlands, to demand a swift trial and severe punishment for Serb leader Radovan Karadzic.

PHOTO (5): Families of victims of the Srebrenica genocide along with others from Bosnia in Sarajevo preparing to take off for The Hague to hold rallies in front of the Hague tribunal building until they are assured that Karadzic trial is fair to the victims.

PHOTO (6): Women of Srebrenica hold a protest banner before boarding a bus, in Sarajevo, early on Saturday Oct. 24, 2009 departing for the Hague, Netherlands, to demand a swift trial and severe punishment for Serb leader Radovan Karadzic.

PHOTO (7): A Bosnian Muslim woman from Srebrenica prepares to board a bus in Sarajevo, early on Saturday Oct. 24, 2009 for the Hague to face war criminal Radovan Karadzic.

PHOTO (8): Survivors of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre watch the proceedings at the start of the war crimes trial of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, in the Sarajevo suburb of Ilijas October 26, 2009. Karadzic refused to attend the start of his war crimes trial, and judges said they could appoint a lawyer to represent him if he failed to show up again.

PHOTO (9): Survivors of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre watch the proceedings at the start of the war crimes trial of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, in the Sarajevo suburb of Ilijas October 26, 2009. Karadzic refused to attend the start of his war crimes trial, and judges said they could appoint a lawyer to represent him if he failed to show up again.

PHOTO (10): Survivors of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre watch the proceedings at the start of the war crimes trial of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, in the Sarajevo suburb of Ilijas October 26, 2009. Karadzic refused to attend the start of his war crimes trial, and judges said they could appoint a lawyer to represent him if he failed to show up again.

PHOTO (11): Bosnian women stage a protest in The Hague at the start of the trial against Radovan Karadzic at the War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague on October 26, 2009.

PHOTO (12): Bosnian Muslim women from Srebrenica Nura Begovic, 58, left, and Hajra Catic, 64,right, watch the TV broadcast of the Radovan Karadzic trial, in front of wall covered with photos of victims of the Srebrenica massacre.

PHOTO (13): Srebrenica women stage a protest in The Hague at the start of the trial against Radovan Karadzic at the War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague on October 26, 2009.

PHOTO (14): Srebrenica massacre survivor, the elderly woman, Ajsa Omerovic, 94, who has neither radio or television, looks out of the window of her temporarily accommodation, to hear new information on the trial of Radovan Karadzic, from her neighbor across the street, in a refugee center near Zivinice on Oct. 27, 2009.

PHOTO (15): Srebrenica massacre survivor, the elderly woman, Hatidja Karic, 80, reacts as she listens to a news report on a radio on the trial of Radovan Karadzic in The Hague, Netherlands, in a refugee center near Zivinice on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009.

PHOTO (16): Two elderly women, Srebrenica massacre survivors, Mejra Jasic, 70, right, and Ajsa Dervisevic, 58, left react as they listen to news on the radio of the UN trial against Radovan Karadzic in The Hague, Netherlands, in a refugee center near Zivinice on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009.

PHOTO (17): Srebrenica massacre survivor, the elderly woman, Suhra Malic reacts while watching proceedings at the war crimes trial of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic at home in Potocari near Srebrenica October 26, 2009. Karadzic refused to attend the start of his trial.

PHOTO (18): Srebrenica massacre survivor, the elderly woman, Suhra Malic reacts at home while showing pictures of her sons who were killed in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre before watching proceedings at the war crimes trial of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, in Potocari near Srebrenica October 26, 2009.

PHOTO (19): Bosnian mothers and relatives of war victims protest October 26, 2009 in The Hague outside the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) at the start of the planned tial of Bosnian Serb wartime leader Radovan Karadzic, who boycotted the start of his UN genocide trial. Neither Karadzic nor any of his legal advisors were present at the ICTYwhen judge O-Gon Kwon started the hearing, which lasted less than 15 minutes.

PHOTO (20): Djamila [Dzemila] Delalic reacts after judges at the Yugoslav War Crimes Tribunal adjourned the trial of Radovan Karadzic, after Karadzic's boycot to appear on his trial in The Hague Netherlands, Monday Oct. 26, 2009.

PHOTO (21): Dzemila Delalic reacts after judges at the Yugoslav War Crimes Tribunal adjourned the trial of Radovan Karadzic, after Karadzic's boycot to appear on his trial in The Hague Netherlands, Monday Oct. 26, 2009.

PHOTO (22): Srebrenica massacre survivor, the elderly woman, Suhra Malic, prays at the Srebrenica Genocide Memorial in Potocari, near Srebrenica, on October 26, 2009.

PHOTO (23): Srebrenica massacre survivors, the elderly couple Suhra Malic (2nd L) and Hasan Malic look at the wall of 8,372 victims of the 1995 Srebrenica genocide on October 26, 2009.

PHOTO (24): Srebrenica massacre survivor, woman from Srebrenica Nura Begovic, 58, watches the TV broadcast of the Radovan Karadzic trial, in front of wall covered with photos of victims of the Srebrenica massacregenocide, at the Association "Women of Srebrenica" in the Bosnian town of Tuzlaon Nov. 3, 2009.

PHOTO (25): Bosnian Muslim Suhra Malic (R) and a friend watch the proceedings at the war crimes trial of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic in their home in Potocari near Srebrenica October 26, 2009.

PHOTO (26): Srebrenica women protest outside the Yugoslav War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday Oct. 26, 2009. Judges adjourned the trial of Radovan Karadzic, after he boycotted his trial.

PHOTO (27): View of the empty seat where Radovan Karadzic was supposed to sit when attending the start of his trial at the War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday Oct. 26, 2009.

PHOTO (28): Journalists watch former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic (C) as he sits in the courtroom of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in the Hague November 3 2009. Karadzic appeared on Tuesday for an administrative hearing in his war crimes trial, temporarily giving up his boycott to ask for more time to prepare his case. Karadzic, 64, has denied all 11 war crimes charges brought against him over the 1992-95 Bosnian war, including two genocide charges -- for the massacre of 8,000 Bosniak men and boys at Srebrenica and for broader atrocities.

PHOTO (29): Srebrenica massacre survivor, woman, Hajrija Ademovic, 38, prays near the gravestones of Srebrenica genocide victims, at the Memorial Center at Potocari, near Srebrenica, on Oct. 26, 2009.

PHOTO (30): Srebrenica massacre survivor, woman, Hajrija Ademovic, 38, prays near the gravestones of Srebrenica genocide victims, at the Memorial Center at Potocari, near Srebrenica, on Oct. 26, 2009.

PHOTO (31): Bosnian Muslim women visit an abandoned cultural centre where Bosniak men and boys were executed by Serb forces in 1995 in the village of Pilica July 13, 2009. A group of survivors and relatives of victims visited for the first time sites of execution of thousands of Bosniak men and boys from Srebrenica on the anniversary of the killings.

PHOTO (32): Srebrenica women, survivors of the 1995 genocide, hold empty bullet shells they found at the execution site of Bosniak men and boys by Serb forces in 1995 near Karakaj July 13, 2009. A group of survivors and relatives of victims visited for the first time sites of execution of thousands of Bosniak men and boys from Srebrenica on the anniversary of the killings.

DO NOT FORGET: Srebrenica, how it all started?

In April 1992 (more than three years before the Srebrenica massacre), Serb forces -- with logistical and military help from Serbia -- began a widespread campaign of brutal "ethnic cleansing" of the Bosniak [Bosnian Muslim] population of Eastern Bosnia. Thousands of Bosniak refugees flocked to Srebrenica. They were forced to live in the besieged enclave with little or no means of survival and under brutal Serb attacks. Many starved to death. 

Serb Army stationed around Srebrenica never demilitarized, even though they were required to do so under the 1993 demilitarization agreement. In 1992 alone, approximately 100,000 Bosniaks had been expelled from their homes and at least 11,391 Bosniaks were killed by Serb forces in eastern Bosnia (source: Research & Documentation Centre in Sarajevo), while hundreds of Bosnian Muslim villages were destroyed around Srebrenica.

Serb forces stationed around Srebrenica constantly attacked neighbouring Bosniak villages and Srebrenica itself. They also bombarded Srebrenica from air with Serbian airplanes.

In July 1995 the Bosnian Serb army staged a brutal takeover of Srebrenica and its surrounding area, where they proceeded to perpetrate genocide. Bosnian Serb soldiers -- with military and logistical help from Serbia -- separated families, committed brutal rapes of many women and girls, and then forcibly expelled at least 20,000, while summarily executing 8,372 Bosniak men and teenage boys. Srebrenica genocide is remembered the worst atrocity in Europe since World War II.