A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has called on the administration of President Donald Trump to reinstate sanctions against officials of Republika Srpska, which were lifted in October 2025.
The call comes after authorities in the Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina questioned current and former employees of the Potočari Memorial Center who were involved in preparing a report on genocide denial.
In a statement issued on August 6, the senators said they were “deeply concerned” after 26 employees, former employees, and associates of the Memorial Center were questioned last week at the Zvornik Police Directorate.
“The scale and timing of these actions are concerning, especially because the work of the Memorial Center is essential to preserving the truth, honoring victims, and protecting human rights. We urge the relevant authorities to respect the rule of law, the independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s institutions, and to ensure that the Memorial Center can fulfill its vital mission without facing intimidation,” the senators stated.
The statement was signed by members of various Senate committees, including the Foreign Relations Committee, the Judiciary Committee, the Subcommittee on European Affairs, the Security and Defense Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly, as well as members of the Helsinki Commission.
The senators called on the U.S. administration to implement sanctions authorized under the National Defense Authorization Act, emphasizing that both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate have been clear that “the Srebrenica massacre was genocide.”
“More than 30 years later, we have a responsibility to remember the victims, stand with their families, and ensure that this tragic history is not denied or erased. Rewriting history for political gain deepens divisions, fuels ethnic tensions, and threatens peace and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” the senators said.
“We urge the administration to enforce the mandatory sanctions adopted under the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, so that individuals are held accountable for destabilizing behavior and undermining democratic institutions,” the statement added.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Bijeljina District had previously confirmed to Radio Free Europe’s Balkan Service that it opened a case to verify information and allegations related to the activities of the Srebrenica Memorial Center during 2022.
According to the prosecutor’s office, the case is currently in the verification phase due to suspicions of tax and contribution evasion, while other institutions are collecting documentation and additional evidence.
The Republika Srpska Prosecutor’s Office stated that no investigation order has been issued so far and that individuals are currently being questioned only as witnesses. After collecting the necessary documentation and evidence, the prosecutor will decide on further actions.
Memorial Center Director Emir Suljagić has repeatedly warned about pressure from Republika Srpska institutions due to the Center’s work, particularly its activities focused on documenting the genocide and genocide denial.
Republika Srpska authorities, including senior political officials, have for years denied and rejected rulings by international and domestic courts regarding the Srebrenica genocide.
The Srebrenica Memorial Center, opened in 2003 at the former United Nations base in Potočari, is a state institution dedicated to preserving the memory of more than 8,000 Bosniak victims killed during the July 1995 genocide.
