Members of the 'Justice for David' group asked the international envoy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, High Representative Valentin Inzko, to use his powers and prevent the covering up of the murder of David Dragicevic, whose tragic death remains unsolved for years.

The group addressed the Office of the High Representative as an institution in charge of overseeing the civilian aspects of the Dayton Peace Agreement, a peace treaty that contains the country's Constitution and as a final interpreter of that document.

“We are once again reaching out to you as to an ad hoc body in charge of the implementation of civilian aspects of the Dayton Peace Agreement, in regard with systemic covering up of the brutal murder of David Dragicevic by the Ministry of Interior of Republika Srpska (one of two Bosnia's semi-autonomous regions) and District Prosecutor's Office of Banja Luka,” said the open letter the group sent.

The lifeless body of Dragicevic was found at the mouth of the river Crkvena in Banja Luka, the administrative centre of Republika Srpska entity on March 24, 2018.

The death of the young man was initially declared an accident, as an official pathologist said at a press conference the cause of death was likely drowning and that David had taken drugs.

The conference sparked protests, especially after another autopsy performed on the young man’s body showed a different time of death.

The case was later reclassified into murder.

Led by David’s father, Davor Dragicevic, who believes police and prosecutors in the RS are hiding the killers, citizens have organised into the ‘Justice for David’ group and have been organised a series of protests at Banja Luka’s main square. The Republika Srpska authorities banned the gatherings in late December 2018.

“As a body that guarantees the implementation of the Constitution and law, you are obliged to react without further delay to the illegal actions of Banja Luka District Prosecutor's Office and acting prosecutor Dalibor Vreco. The patients of parents of late David and the ‘Justice for David’ group who are represented by the ‘Road of Justice’ association of citizens and the Vienna-based ‘Justice for David and All Children of BiH’ group is about to vanish. Your constant concern without specific moves for which you hold mandate, authorities and obligation to take them is incomprehensible,” the group said.

“It is your duty as an international institution, with a mandate to guarantee the implementation of positive law provisions, to urgently act and prevent further abuse of senior prosecutorial post and prevent further covering up of the murder. Otherwise, you will bear a part of the responsibility for any potential damage that might emerge as a consequence of a huge disturbance among citizens,” they added.