Civil society organizations and civic activists express concern over the inadequate actions of the competent authorities regarding the monument to Pavle Đurišić, particularly because a renewed inspection of the Đurđevi Stupovi Monastery residence has still not been carried out to seize the object that constitutes evidence of a criminal offence.
We emphasize several important criminal-law aspects. The very act of erecting the monument, as well as the preparatory activities, constitute a criminal offence that is prosecuted ex officio. The police failed in their duty by allowing the unveiling ceremony to take place and by not seizing the monument that very day as key evidence, while the prosecution failed to issue clear orders. Nevertheless, the police were both authorized and obliged to prevent the commission of a criminal offence that was unfolding before their eyes.
Subsequently, the acting judge, Dubravka Popović, rejected the request to seize the monument from the monastery, indicating a lack of determination among certain institutions to act within their legal competences in this case. However, the extrajudicial council made the correct decision to temporarily seize the monument, demonstrating the integrity of that body, and its president, Ivan Došljak, deserves recognition for his reasoned public statements on this important issue – despite their unpopularity among actors who exert strong and undue influence over various branches of government.
Claims that a new request from the prosecution is necessary are unfounded, since the Basic Court in Berane has already issued a decision on the temporary seizure of the object, clearly specifying what the object is (the monument), where it is located (the residence of the Đurđevi Stupovi Monastery), and from whom it is to be seized (the abbot of the Monastery). Perhaps, for the future, orders should state that the monument, as an object of a criminal offence, is to be seized wherever and from whomever it may be found, to prevent manipulation.
Furthermore, there is no violation of privacy rights or endangerment of the clergy, as this concerns the seizure of a bronze object of public character. The police are not required to search the premises, as in a search procedure; instead, the individual from whom the object is to be seized must simply hand it over. If that person refuses, they may be fined up to €1,000. Attempts by high-ranking church officials, now already a recurring pattern, to ridicule the judiciary and dispute the monastery abbot’s legal responsibility represent a dangerous practice of creating “untouchables” in society.
This case goes beyond the legal framework and tests the institutions’ ability to uphold the fundamental values of a secular, democratic, and anti-fascist state.
Due to the increasing glorification of the Chetnik movement and of the war criminal Pavle Đurišić, decorated by Hitler, seven civil society organizations addressed the Supreme State Prosecutor, Milorad Marković, on 20 May 2025, expressing concern that such acts deepen existing divisions in society, incite hate speech, undermine the anti-fascist foundations of the state, and rehabilitate an ideology responsible for mass crimes in Montenegro. Pavle Đurišić and his Chetniks collaborated with Ustaše and Nazi forces and were responsible for the murder of around 8,000 Muslim civilians – women, children, and the elderly – in Pljevlja, Foča, and Čajniče. In an additional letter, we substantiated this position, emphasizing the responsibility of the State Prosecutor’s Office to uphold the rule of law and to protect citizens from the spread of hatred.
The seizure of this monument must be a priority, as any delay amounts to complicity in the denial of crimes and the erosion of the rule of law. Therefore, we call on the police to act urgently in accordance with the decision of the Basic Court in Berane, thereby demonstrating both capacity and will to resolve this case lawfully and efficiently, in line with the public interest and free from political influence. We also insist that all perpetrators and accomplices, as well as those obstructing the enforcement of the law from within institutions, be held accountable. Authorities must demonstrate respect for the Constitution and the law – not for church authority.
Daliborka Uljarević, Centre for Civic Education (CCE)
Ervina Dabižinović, Centre for Women’s and Peace Education ANIMA
Filip Kuzman, Antifascists of Cetinje
Maja Raičević, Women’s Rights Centre (CWR)
Miloš Vukanović, Association of History Teachers of Montenegro – HIPMONT
Nevenka Vuksanović, Centre for Democracy and Human Rights (CEDEM)
Velija Murić, Montenegrin Committee of Lawyers for the Protection of Human Rights
Dina Bajramspahić, Civic Activist
Jovana Marović, Civic Activist