White flag raised in Birmingham as Bosnian diaspora honors Prijedor White Ribbon Day

This act of discrimination and persecution remains one of the most striking symbols of ethnic cleansing committed during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Bosnia UK Network particularly remembers the 102 murdered children of Prijedor, as well as all innocently killed civilians. According to available data, 3,176 civilians were killed or are still listed as missing, including the 102 children. Over 30,000 Bosniaks and Croats were detained in the Omarska, Keraterm, and Trnopolje camps.

Around 53,000 people were subjected to persecution, detention, deportation, torture, and other forms of abuse. More than 94% of the Bosniak and Croat population of Prijedor was forcibly expelled from their homes.

The Bosnian community in the United Kingdom will mark White Ribbon Day with commemorative events in Coventry and Birmingham, paying tribute to the victims and recalling the importance of preserving truth, memory, and human dignity.

Three decades later, the white ribbon remains a symbol of warning against hatred, discrimination, and persecution, but also a symbol of our collective promise that the victims will not be forgotten.