27.08.2026 16:31
Years have passed since the Srebrenica genocide, yet the symbolic images of the humanitarian tragedy remain etched in memory. The moments when Ramo Osmanovic, then held by Serbian forces, was forced to call on his son Nermin, hiding in the forest, to surrender, have come to mind again following the death of Ratko Mladic, known as the 'Butcher of Bosnia.'
Following the death in prison of Ratko Mladic, one of those responsible for the Srebrenica genocide and known as the 'Butcher of Bosnia', the painful memories of the genocide have come back to the forefront. In one of the iconic images of Srebrenica, a father called out to his son hiding in the forest. That father was Ramo Osmanovic, and the person he called to was his son Nermin. However, the reality behind the image turned into one of the most painful stories of the Bosnian War.
CALLED OUT TO HIS SON WHILE IN SERBIAN FORCES' HANDS
After Srebrenica fell to Bosnian Serb forces in July 1995, thousands of Bosniak men and boys tried to reach safe areas through the forested region.
Ramo and his son Nermin were among those who chose the forest route. However, Ramo Osmanovic fell into the hands of Serbian forces.
According to records shared by the Srebrenica Memorial Center, Ramo was forced to call out to his son Nermin and other people in the forest.
In the recorded call, Ramo addressed his son with words meaning, "Nermin, come here, freely. I am with the Serbs. Come all of you, however many you are."
NERMIN, WHO HEARD HIS FATHER'S VOICE, APPEARED
Ramo's call was only a few seconds of footage, but it became one of the symbols of what happened in Srebrenica.
After his father's call, Nermin appeared. Father and son were later killed.
REMAINS FOUND IN MASS GRAVES
The mass grave investigations that began after the war ended the Osmanovic family's wait with a painful reality.
The remains of Ramo and Nermin were found in mass graves. After their identities were confirmed, father and son were buried at the Srebrenica-Potocari Memorial Center.
The loss suffered by the family did not end there. Saliha Osmanovic's other son, Edin, also lost his life on July 6, 1995, when he was hit by a shell. Thus, Saliha lost her husband and two sons in the war.
The images of Ramo calling out to his son remain among the most striking records of the Srebrenica genocide, despite the years that have passed.