COURT: ROLE OF SERBIAN PROPAGANDA DURING SREBRENICA GENOCIDE

Excellent analysis by Nidzara Ahmetasevic focuses on the importance of Serbian media propaganda in the mass executions that took place in eastern Bosnia in 1995.

"According the verdict, Gvero’s duty was to 'disseminate information and propaganda for the troops in support of [Serbian] war aims, in the preparation for and during the course of combat operations'.

Directive 7 states that 'externally, a more aggressive propaganda and information presence should be maintained, aimed at gaining allies... unmasking the biased and hostile activities of certain individuals and parts of UNPROFOR [the UN peacekeeping force] and some humanitarian organisations, undermining the enemy’s fighting morale. This is to be achieved through planned and organised information and propaganda activities, coordinated from state level.”

The 'state' level referred to the Bosnian Serb wartime headquarters in Pale, a village near Sarajevo, where the press centre was run by Karadzic’s daughter, Sonja. Only media from Republika Srpska and Serbia were allowed into Srebrenica following the Bosnian Serb armed forces assault on the town in July 1995. One Serbian journalist, Zoran Petrovic-Pirocanac, from Belgrade, was allowed to film in the area during the attack and during the killings. His tape was carefully edited before it was aired, however, and no dead bodies were shown when it was broadcast..."

Continue reading @ Balkan Insight: "Hague Recognises Propaganda's Role in Srebrenica Genocide."