US Lawmakers Urge Sanctions Over Srebrenica Intimidation

A bipartisan group of senior US lawmakers urged the Trump administration on to impose sanctions on Bosnian Serb officials.

The push follows Republika Srpska (RS) authorities summoning current and former employees and associates of the Srebrenica Memorial Center for questioning.

The group includes Senators Jeanne Shaheen, Roger Wicker, Chuck Grassley and Dick Durbin, and Representatives Bill Keating and Mike Turner.

Report Followed by Mass Summonses

Srebrenica Memorial Center released its sixth annual Genocide Denial Report, linking Milorad Dodik's SNSD party to a denial campaign and lobbying efforts in Washington.

The next day, 26 current and former Center staff were summoned by RS police in Zvornik on orders from the Bijeljina prosecutor's office, officially over alleged tax irregularities tied to a 2025 complaint.

The director and Srebrenica genocide survivor Emir Suljagić said more than half of Srebrenica locals who had worked at the Center were summoned, calling it institutional pressure and collective retaliation, and raised concerns about possible misuse of personal data.

Lawmakers Invoke NDAA Mandate

In their statement, the lawmakers said they were "deeply concerned by reports" of the summonses, calling the scale and timing "troubling" given the Center's role "in preserving the truth, honoring the victims and defending human rights."

They reaffirmed that "the Srebrenica massacre was genocide" and pressed the administration to implement mandatory sanctions under the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act against those who "threaten the security, stability or territorial integrity" of the Western Balkans.

The White House and State Department did not respond to requests for comment.

Suljagić: Dodik, Cvijanović Behind the Campaign

Suljagić publicly thanked the lawmakers, saying "I know what it means when elected leaders refuse to look away in the face of intimidation and genocide denial."

He directly attributed the summonses to a "campaign of intimidation, hatred, and genocide denial" led by Dodik and RS President Željka Cvijanović, adding: "We will not be intimidated. We will continue to defend the truth, honor the victims, and preserve their memory."

Part of a Recurring Push

This marks the second such bipartisan effort in 2026; lawmakers earlier pressed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to reimpose sanctions on Dodik after the administration lifted prior sanctions in late 2025.

Dodik, previously removed from office for undermining the Dayton Accords, has continued secessionist rhetoric while RS has increased lobbying spending in Washington.

A national emergency declaration covering the Western Balkans remains in effect.