UN war crimes court marks anniversary of Prijedor atrocities with survivor testimonies

“After taking control of the town of Prijedor in late May 1992, Bosnian Serb authorities ordered Bosniaks (Muslims) and Croat residents to wear white armbands for identification while moving through the city, and to hang white sheets from their homes to signal loyalty to the new authorities”, the statement read.

In the months that followed, the tribunal noted, a systematic campaign of violence was launched against non-Serb civilians. The detention camps of Omarska, Keraterm, and Trnopolje became enduring symbols of the suffering inflicted during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“In May 1992, Bosnian Serb authorities began a campaign of violence against Bosniaks and Croats in Prijedor. The IRMCT remembers and honours all those who suffered or were killed in Prijedor during the war in BiH,” the Mechanism stated.

The ICTY issued 21 judgments related to crimes committed in Prijedor, including convictions for crimes against humanity, violations of the laws and customs of war, and serious breaches of the 1949 Geneva Conventions. The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has also delivered 21 convictions for crimes committed in Prijedor, including crimes against humanity and war crimes against the civilian population.