Column with coffins passes through Krajina, collective funeral and burial of two victims of Prijedor and the Sana Valley in Kamičani on July 20

(Patria) - The collective martyr funeral for two victims of Prijedor and the Sana Valley will be held tomorrow, July 20, in Kamičani, and the funeral will be led by the reis-ul-ulema of the Islamic Community (IZ) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Husein-ef. Kavazović.

The column with the remains of the victims will depart from the identification center in Šejkovača on July 19 at 11:00 AM and pass through most towns in Krajina, with arrival in Kamičani planned at 8:00 PM, after which the kelime-i tevhid and hatma-dova will be recited for the souls of the martyrs.

"Everything is ready for the collective funeral. We highlight all those who contribute to the marking of this anniversary and to the preservation of the truth, and we thank them on this occasion. Our struggle to highlight what happened is a necessity and will be even stronger. As for the program itself, on July 19 we will welcome the coffins and hold a religious program. On the day of the funeral, we will have a religious program as well as cultural content. We hope for a large turnout and invite all those who can, wish, or in any way sympathize with us to be in Kozarac that day," said hafiz Amir-ef. Mahić, the chief imam of the Islamic Community Council in Kozarac and a member of the Organizing Committee. 

The religious program on the day of the funeral begins at 12:00 PM. The noon prayer is at 1:00 PM, and the funeral prayer at 1:30 PM, after which the coffins will be transferred to the cemetery and burial will take place.

July 20 is the Day of Remembrance for the victims of the war crime with elements of genocide in Prijedor and the Sana Valley in 1992.

"When it comes to marking the anniversary, it is important to note that the Islamic Community leads this commemoration, but there is a noticeable increase in the involvement of state institutions. The Organizing Committee has worked intensively and prepared numerous activities. I appeal to the state to allocate more funds so that as many families as possible can find their loved ones. Many families still have no information about the victims. Also, we appeal to families, when remains have already been found, not to delay the funeral," said Mufti of Bihać, hafiz Mehmed-ef. Kudić, president of the Organizing Committee for marking July 20.

After 31 years, families will bury the remains of Ferid Sikirić from Hambarine and Izet Mešić from Zagrade.

"So far, we have found the remains of killed residents of Prijedor at 503 locations, including 73 mass graves. We have found remains in three countries, in ten different municipalities, which speaks to the scale of the crime. We are still searching for about 18 percent of the persons. There are numerous challenges we face. This year we have two victims because families are not in a position to bury their loved ones for reasons known to them," emphasized Mujo Begić, head of the Office of the Institute for Missing Persons in Bosnia and Herzegovina and a researcher.