On 11 July 1995, Bosnian Serb forces, led by General Ratko Mladić captured the town of Srebrenica in eastern Bosnia, which had been declared a UN Safe Area. In the following days, over 8 000 Muslims, mainly men and boys, were systematically murdered and buried in mass graves. Thousands of women, children and the elderly were forcibly deported. Between 20 000 and 50 000 women and girls suffered sexual violence.

The UN described the genocide at Srebrenica as the worst crime on European soil since the Second World War.