The right to assemble peacefully is a fundamental right guaranteed in the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the US strongly condemns restrictions on peaceful gatherings, the US Embassy said on the Whitee Ribbon Day, in response to the decision of local authorities in Bosnia's western town of Prijedor to ban the announced peaceful walk in memory of the civilians killed during the 1992-95 war and limit it only to a gathering at a specified square.

“Today, as we join those honoring Prijedor civilian victims, we are especially concerned that Prijedor authorities are limiting parameters of a peaceful, annual gathering that is dedicated to commemorating civilian victims of the 1992-1995 war,” the embassy said, noting that both authorities of Prijedor and Republika Srpska, Bosnia's Serb-majority region where the town is located, have the “institutional responsibility to promote tolerance and respect for victims.”

Limiting victims’ ability to commemorate their suffering, the embassy noted, erodes mutual trust and undercuts prospects for reconciliation, which is necessary to secure a peaceful and prosperous future for all BiH citizens.

The right to assemble peacefully is a fundamental right guaranteed in the BiH constitution, and the United States strongly condemns restrictions on peaceful gatherings. (1/5) #DanBijelihTraka pic.twitter.com/8m3bdEEA0X

— US Embassy Sarajevo (@USEmbassySJJ) May 31, 2022

“The United States continues to call on BiH authorities at all levels to promote acceptance of judicially established facts about the 1992-1995 war, honor all civilian victims, assist survivors, promote respectful commemoration, and seek justice,” it added.

After the initial ban, the Prijedor Police Administration called on citizens not to endanger their own safety and the safety of others, to respect the orders of police officers on the ground and to act in accordance with legal regulations.