Anadolu's The Evidence documentary screened at Al Jazeera Balkans Documentary Film Festival

By Lejla Biogradlija and Kemal Zorlak

SARAJEVO (AA) – The Evidence, a documentary produced by Anadolu, a global news agency based in Türkiye, was screened on Saturday evening on the second day of the 7th International Al Jazeera Balkans Documentary Film Festival (AJB DOC) in Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was organized by Al Jazeera Balkans this year.

The screening of The Evidence, which fully exposed Israel's war crimes in the Gaza Strip, was attended by Türkiye's Ambassador to Sarajevo Sadik Babur Girgin, Palestine's Ambassador to Sarajevo Abdurezaq Namoora, The Evidence's field producer Omer Faruk Tunc and many Sarajevans.

The festival, with Anadolu as its Global Communication Partner, will run until Tuesday.

"The idea for the documentary came from some of the evidence gathered by our photojournalists in Gaza. We obtained serious photographs and visuals indicating the use of white phosphorus bombs there,” Tunc said.

He said research and production of the documentary on the subject were planned under the direction of Anadolu's Director General and CEO Serdar Karagoz.

Previously, a book titled The Evidence was published, which included visual details and evidence in the form of a photo archive. “Based on this book, we began to expand the documents into a documentary," he explained.

He noted that they contacted the International Amnesty Organization and "obtained information about their fieldwork. Later, we interviewed international experts, UN officials, former Israeli legal experts, and many other officials related to this matter."

The theme of this year's AJB DOC is Justice?, he said, adding, "We also believe that justice can be better achieved through evidence because justice means evidence."

- ‘After this documentary, people will see the truth’

Ambassador Namoora pointed out that Israel's use of phosphorus bombs against civilians in Gaza has had extremely negative consequences for both health and the environment.

Kada Hotic, vice president of the Srebrenica and Zepa Mothers Association, who attended the screening, said Bosnia and Herzegovina shares a similar fate with Gaza. "I want to ask the whole world, how many more children must die in Gaza?"

Majeed Marouf, chairman of the Palestinian Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, highlighted the significance of showing such a documentary, saying: “The genocide and atrocities happening in Gaza need to be proven. Europe and the entire world need to see the truth (here). After this documentary, people will see the reality and be shocked by the presented evidence. There will be a different perspective on what is happening in Gaza."

Tunc answered audience questions following the screening, and the guests were also given copies of Anadolu's The Evidence books.