The imposition of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s new anti-genocide denial law by the country’s outgoing High Representative, Valentin Inzko, has produced a crescendo of local and international reactions.

The hysteria of Serb nationalist politicians in Banja Luka and Belgrade has, unsurprisingly, garnered most media attention. This is understandable, as there is a natural human tendency to be fascinated by the macabre. And there is hardly anything more revolting than the way genocide denial and genocide triumphalism have emerged as a foundational pillar of contemporary ethnic Serbian politics in the region.

But Serb nationalist leaders are not alone in being unsettled by Bosnia’s new law. And the reason is simple: contra the claims that this is an “anti-Serb law”, the text of the new amendments to Bosnia’s criminal code states that any attempts to distort or trivialize not just genocide but any legally established crime against humanity or war crime is punishable by law.