Bosnian Serbs reject imposed ban on genocide denial

Republika Srpska parliament passes a law under which those who call their entity ‘genocidal’ risk lengthy jail terms, in tit-for-tat response.

Bosnian Serbs have rejected a ban on genocide denial imposed by the outgoing United Nations high representative and passed a law under which those who call their entity “genocidal” risk lengthy jail terms. A week before the end of his mandate, Austrian diplomat and UN High Representative Valentin Inzko on July 23 used his powers to impose the genocide-denial ban, angering Bosnian Serb leaders. The UN official in Bosnia holds certain executive powers in the Balkan country that was the scene of the 1995 Srebrenica genocide, the worst atrocity on European soil since World War II.