White Armband Day at the City Hall: Without justice for the victims, we cannot expect a better future

(Patria) - Organized by the City of Sarajevo, the premiere of the film "The Power of Spirit" and the exhibitions "Prijedor Shadows" and "Between Fears and Hope" were held today at the Sarajevo City Hall to mark "White Armband Day - Prijedor".

White Armband Day is observed in memory of May 31, 1992, when the Crisis Staff of the Prijedor Municipality forced the non-Serb population to mark their homes with white sheets, and when they moved through the city, they were forced to wear a white armband.

Photo: Patria

Sarajevo Mayor Benjamina Karić emphasized that in 1992, the perpetrators of crimes intended the complete destruction of the citizens of Prijedor and its surroundings, the non-Serb population.

- People were brutally killed, taken to camps where they were subjected to the most horrific torture and crimes that the human mind can hardly imagine. In crimes against humanity, more than 30,000 innocent people were detained in the camps. More than 3,176 civilians were killed in Prijedor, and more than 500 victims are still being searched for - said Karić.

She recalled that the remains of Prijedor residents have so far been found at 501 locations in 73 mass graves, in the area of ten municipalities, in the area of three countries, writes Fena. The bones of the murdered were often found hundreds of kilometers away from the murder sites, which testifies to the systemic organization of the crime.

Photo: Patria

- Today, the silence of those who know the truth about the missing, and the large number of crime deniers, show that we must work with all our might to confront the past, because without justice for the victims, we cannot expect a better future.

That is why the decision on the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Crimes Against Humanity in Prijedor, which was unanimously adopted by the councilors of the City of Sarajevo, is extremely significant to me - stated the mayor.

She added that the verdict against Stanišić and Simatović is historic, and that she hopes that next year in Prijedor, at least the first steps will be taken towards building a monument for the murdered residents of Prijedor.

The director of MESS and the author of the film "The Power of Spirit", Nihad Kreševljaković, emphasizes that he is very pleased that MESS is participating in the commemoration program dedicated to "White Armband Day - Prijedor" this year.

Photo: Patria

- I am glad that we can contribute to preserving the memory of these people, their suffering, and remind them that crimes do not become statute-barred, and that through the film "The Power of Spirit", we can show the other side of the story, given that the film deals with returnees to Kozarac, a community that records the largest post-war return.

I think it is important to point out the importance of people who, by their return, have shown the perpetrators of crimes in the bravest way that they did not succeed in their intentions - concluded Kreševljaković.