The European Union (EU) Delegation and the EU Special Representative office issue the following statement in agreement with the Heads of Mission of EU Member States in Bosnia and Herzegovina:
“We have been closely following over the recent days the events in Banja Luka surrounding the protests by the “Justice for David” movement. The right to assemble peacefully, together with freedom of expression, is essential for any functioning democratic society. We note the clarifications provided by the Republika Srpska Ministry of Interior after yesterday’s and today’s arrests. We underline in this respect the importance of due process, as well as the right to justice.
We will continue to closely monitor the situation and, in particular, the ongoing investigation and its judicial follow-up.”
Since March 18, 2018, Davor Dragicevic, father of tragically deceased 21 years old boy named David Dragicevic, is protesting every day in the center of Banja Luka, together with a hundred other people. The arrest of Dragicevic and opposition partners was conducted on Tuesday morning by the local police, provoking unrest by residents of Banja Luka.
On March 18, 2018, David Dragicevic engaged in a fight for a short time, and on midnight, he went to a local café alone, and to a local bakery around 2:50 am, Chief of the Department for Organized Crime of Republika Srpska, Darko Ilic confirmed at a press conference held in March this year. According to pathologies Zeljko Karan, the death occurred by drowning in the river, but the injuries he had previously suffered from the body were also noticed.
The lifeless body was taken from Vrbas River in Banja Luka on March 24, 2018, after his family reported his disappearance on March 18.
