25 years after Srebrenica: accountability for war crimes

This week is the 25th anniversary of the mass executions of men and boys in Srebrenica. Dr Iva Vukusic (History and Art History) appeared on several media platforms in Spain, Slovakia and Iran to talk about the legacy of this horrible event and her own research on war crimes.

Accountability

Although accountability for war crimes is still not a given, Vukusic sees a positive development. "Before the tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, one could reasonably expect after a civil war or a dictatorship that nothing happens," she says in an interview with The Guardian. "But now I think in the last 25 years we have really witnessed a change in expectations, with academics, researchers and activists demanding accountability. I think in that sense, we will not go back."

Research obstacles

Vukusic wrapped up her PhD research on Serbian paramilitaries and irregular armed forces during the breakup of Yugoslavia last April. On the asymmetrical haircuts podcast, she discusses some of the obstacles that researchers run into in the quest for accountability. Parts of relevant documents are often redacted, for example. "There's legitimate reasons for things to be sometimes redacted and closed off to the public in war crimes trials," Vukusic says. Still, it's frustrating for researchers that some ongoing trials are such non-transparent processes.