Serbian police arrested eight men accused of participating in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, where more than 8,000 people lost their lives.
The massacre took place at a warehouse on the outskirts of Srebrenica and most of the Muslim victims were men and boys. The mass murder is known as the worst crime on European soil since the Second World War and it is the only atrocity in Europe, after WWII, to be labelled as genocide by the United Nations.
The eight suspects arrested today are among the first to be arrested by Serbia, Serbian and Bosnian prosecutors say. “It is important to stress that this is the first time that our prosecutor's office is dealing with the mass killings of civilians and war prisoners in Srebrenica,” Serb prosecutor Bruno Vekaric told the Associated Press news agency in relation to Wednesday's arrests. Vekaric added: “We have never dealt with a crime of such proportions, it is very important for Serbia to take a clear position toward Srebrenica through a court process.”
AP reported that among those arrested was Nedeljko Milidragovic, the commander known as “Nedjo the Butcher.” The Srebrenica massacre was done by the Army of Republika Srpska under the command of General Ratko Mladić, who is currently being tried in The Hague. A Serbian paramilitary unit known as the Scorpions, participated in the massacre, along with several hundred Ukrainian and Russian volunteers.
Munira Subasic, head the Mothers of Srebrenica group, called the arrests "good news." "It was time for Serbia to do something," she said. "This is a message to all criminals who fled and thought they are safe from justice that they can never rest."