Today in Prijedor, the White Armband Day is observed in memory of non-Serb civilians killed during the war from 1992 to 1995.

On this occasion, the Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denis Becirovic, addressed the public, emphasizing that the crimes against innocent people will not be forgotten.

“The Day of White Armbands, observed annually on May 31st, is a poignant reminder of the mass killing of innocent civilians in Prijedor and Kozarac. Our duty, as well as the duty of future generations, is to never forget the 3,176 brutally murdered Prijedor residents. Among them were 102 children. They were killed solely because of their names during the aggression on the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” Becirovic stated.

To those who still do not allow a dignified commemoration of this day, he emphasized that the order for non-Serb residents of Prijedor and the surrounding area to wear white armbands and hang white sheets on their homes will never be forgotten. This marked the beginning of terror, torture, and killings in the concentration camps Omarska, Trnopolje, and Keraterm.

“It is our duty to support the families of the victims, who still believe that justice will reach at least some of the perpetrators. By achieving justice, spreading the truth, and fostering a culture of remembrance, we can prevent such evil in the future and accelerate the reconciliation process in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region,” Becirovic added.

On May 31, 1992, the crisis staff of Prijedor, led by the Serbian Democratic Party, issued an order requiring non-Serb residents to display white cloth on their homes. The same order mandated that Bosniaks and Croats wear white armbands on their upper arms in public.

In the ensuing crimes in Prijedor and surrounding areas, 3,176 people were killed, including 102 children. Approximately 30,000 non-Serb residents of Prijedor passed through the camps of Trnopolje, Omarska, and Keraterm.

To date, 56 verdicts have been issued for crimes committed in Prijedor municipality, and more than 400 mass graves have been discovered, including Tomašica, the largest mass grave in the Balkans, found in 2013.

The city authorities in Prijedor do not allow the erection of a memorial to honor the murdered residents. On the eve of today's commemoration of the Day of White Armbands, the “Day of Defense of the City” was marked yesterday, celebrated as the “defense of Prijedor from attacks by Muslims and Croats.”