Video recordings of Hotel Fontana meetings in Bratunac on July 11 and 12 1995 is key ignored evidence expunged not only from the official Srebrenica narrative, but largely missing as well in court proceedings at the Hague. It obviously suits the prosecution to side-line this evidence, but surprisingly the defense also has been none too diligent to present it and confront the court with its colossal implications.
[Republished from the Srebrenica Historical Project]
On the day that Serbian forces entered Srebrenica, on July 11 1995, in the evening two important meetings were held at the Hotel Fontana in nearby Bratunac. The third in this series of related meetings, all focusing mainly on the refugees clustered around the Dutchbat base in PotoÄ ari, was held on the following day, July 12.
On this occasion the Serbian side acted with uncharacteristic cleverness and savoir faire, and all three meetings were filmed. As a result, we have a video record of what transpired and was discussed by the participants, as well as an insight into the atmosphere in which these sessions were conducted.
The central issue discussed at these Hotel Fontana meetings is also one of the central issues of the prosecution's Srebrenica case. ICTY prosecution charges that at these Hotel Fontana meetings the Serbian military and political leadership took decisions that led to the commission of genocide on captured Srebrenica Muslims. The meetings are also used by the prosecution as evidence of the Serb leadership's plan to ethnically cleanse Srebrenica enclave. That was to be achieved by deporting its civilian population, consisting mainly of women, elderly, and children, after the departure of able-bodied men of the Muslim army's 28th Division on a trek through the mountains in order to reach Tuzla.
The fundamental question is: How do these claims stack up against the video record of these meetings?
The first and probably most significant of these meetings took place on July 11 at Hotel Fontana, around 9 p.m. according to Dutchbat commander Col. Karremans in his courtroom testimony on June 25 2004. While other officials from both sides were present, the most important participants were Karremans and the Serbian commander, Gen. Ratko MladiÄ".
The video record of the first Hotel Fontana meeting can be viewed here:
A subject the Hague Tribunal would prefer to avoid: Karremans - MladiÄ" Hotel Fontana meeting on July 11, 1995
Video stefanMay 11, 2020 No Comments
Video recordings of Hotel Fontana meetings in Bratunac on July 11 and 12 1995 is key ignored evidence expunged not only from the official Srebrenica narrative, but largely missing as well in court proceedings at the Hague. It obviously suits the prosecution to side-line this evidence, but surprisingly the defense also has been none too diligent to present it and confront the court with its colossal implications.
On the day that Serbian forces entered Srebrenica, on July 11 1995, in the evening two important meetings were held at the Hotel Fontana in nearby Bratunac. The third in this series of related meetings, all focusing mainly on the refugees clustered around the Dutchbat base in PotoÄ ari, was held on the following day, July 12.
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Stephen Karganovic Social Media Pages: 
Stephen Karganovic is the president of the Srebrenica Historical Project. He also writes for Strategic Culture Foundation.
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