The European Union Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina said, on Thursday, they condemn last week’s attack on two members of Sarajevo’s LGBTIQ community, as well as all hate crimes.
“We welcome the recent announcement that the first-ever LGBTIQ Pride march will take place in Sarajevo in September 2019. Unfortunately, we observe that the announcement triggered a series of negative reactions in the public sphere including by key public and political figures,” the EU Delegation and the EU Special Representative wrote in a statement.
“Such reactions contribute to an environment conducive to hostilities towards members of LGBTIQ community, as exemplified by the recent attack.”
Last week, a group of men attacked a member of the LGBTIQ community in Sarajevo, after activists announced that Bosnia’s first Pride Parade would take place in September.
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Together with her friend, the activist stood in front of the shopping mall ‘Sarajevo City Centre’ when the men attacked them.
According to their statement, one of the attackers had threatened the activist before the attack, telling her that the Pride Parade insults his religious beliefs. The threat was reported to the police.
The Delegation reminded the authorities of their affirmative obligations to promote a society free from discrimination and to protect citizens’ rights to freedom of assembly and freedom of expression as outlined by the December 2018 Constitutional Court decision on the 2014 Merlinka Festival and the public authorities’ failure to ensure the safety of the participants.
“These values are key elements of a functioning democracy and are of crucial importance for the progress of Bosnia and Herzegovina on the EU path,” they noted.
The delegation concluded that LGBTIQ persons are entitled to live their lives free from discrimination and threats and inequality with all other citizens.
