On Tuesday, 20 May 2025, seven non-governmental organizations addressed the Supreme State Prosecutor, Milorad Marković, expressing concern over the increasingly frequent public glorification of the Chetnik movement and war criminal Pavle Đurišić. They warned that such acts deepen existing societal divisions, incite hate speech, undermine the anti-fascist foundations of the state, and rehabilitate an ideology responsible for mass crimes in Montenegro.
We particularly highlighted the statement made by Metropolitan Joanikije of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC)on 5 May 2025, in which he referred to Pavle Đurišić as a “great hero” with an “invincible character”, then to an article by priest Ognjen Femić titled “We Are All Pavle Đurišić“, published on 9 May, as well as a Facebook video performance of the song “Đurišić, Young Major” in a restaurant of the “Sergije Stanić” Secondary Vocational School in Podgorica.
We believe that public glorification of the Chetnik movement in Montenegro – especially of Pavle Đurišić – constitutes hate speech (Articles 9a and 34a of the Law on Prohibition of Discrimination) and incites hatred toward the Bosniak population and individuals of Islamic faith in Montenegro. This, under Article 370, paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code, is a criminal offense punishable by six months to five years in prison.
We reminded the public that Chetnik forces, under the command of Pavle Đurišić and following orders from Draža Mihailović, committed mass atrocities against the Muslim population of Northern Montenegro in 1942 and 1943 – thousands of civilians were killed, women raped, people tortured, and entire villages burned and destroyed. Such glorification of the Chetnik movement inevitably incites hatred toward the Muslim and Bosniak communities and offends all citizens who advocate for peace and the protection of human rights.
Regrettably, the number of legal proceedings and final convictions for inciting national and religious hatred in Montenegro remains alarmingly low, weakening the preventative effect and enabling impunity for such acts.
We therefore expect the State Prosecutor’s Office to clearly state whether the glorification of the Chetnik movement in Montenegro constitutes hate speech requiring legal sanction.
Signatories (in alphabetical order):
Human Rights Action (HRA)
Anti-Fascists of Cetinje
Center for Democratic Transition (CDT)
Center for Democracy and Human Rights (CEDEM)
Centre for Civic Education (CCE/CGO)
Women’s Rights Center (WRC)
Association of History Teachers of Montenegro – HIPMONT