Instead of Prime Minister and Europe Now Movement (PES) leader Milojko Spajić, or another representative of that political party – which bears the greatest responsibility for our country’s accession to the EU – finally stating yesterday that he condemns the telegram of condolences sent by Parliament Speaker Andrija Mandić following the death of war criminal Ratko Mladić, this, unfortunately, has still not happened.
Instead, we witnessed a political performance portraying Jelena Nedović as the victim of attacks by civil society. Rather than PES apologising for, or distancing itself from, what Nedović said – and for which there is a recording – namely, that PES would not support Mandić’s dismissal, despite his having expressed condolences over the death of a person responsible for the Srebrenica genocide, because PES supports the decisions of the international courts in The Hague but also respects the victims in Bratunac – we were instead accused of fabricating the claim that such wording relativises and justifies the Srebrenica genocide.
We leave it to the public to judge for itself, including with the help of expert literature, such as the book “Losing Humanity – Srebrenica as a Historical Fact” by Dragan Popović, PhD, which is freely available online and describes typical narratives used to deny that genocide, including this one.
There is no dispute that all civilian victims, in Bratunac and elsewhere, deserve respect, truth and accountability. However, a crime such as the Srebrenica genocide, as well as the glorification of those convicted for it, cannot be relativised by any “but”, as Nedović did.
We once again call on Milojko Spajić, President of PES and Prime Minister, to clearly condemn the sending of the telegram following the death of war criminal Ratko Mladić. We call for the dismissal of Andrija Mandić, who sent that telegram, thereby sending a telegram of support to the Mothers of Srebrenica.
We call on the Government, by withdrawing its support from any other public official who glorifies any war criminal, to express its support for the families of that war criminal’s victims as well. Those are European values, nothing else.
We point out that the aggressive campaign launched against civil society representatives by PES officials and social media accounts close to the authorities nevertheless shows that it is uncomfortable to defend supporters of war criminals and that there is an attempt to divert attention towards other war crimes that no one disputes.
Non-governmental organisations:
- Human Rights Action (HRA), Tea Gorjanc Prelević
- Centre for Civic Education (CCE), Daliborka Uljarević
- Centre for Women’s and Peace Education ANIMA, Ervina Dabižinović
- Juventas, Ivana Vujović
- Association “Štrpci – Against Oblivion”, Demir Ličina
- Association SPEKTRA, Jovan Ulićević
- Women’s Rights Center (WRC), Maja Raičević
- PRIMA, Aida Perović
- Centre for Development of Non-Governmental Organisations (CRNVO), Zorana Marković
- Center for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro (CIN-CG), Milka Tadić Mijović
- Dr Martin Schneider-Jacoby Association, Zenepa Lika
- Association of LBTQ Women “Stana”, Ana Dedivanović
- Women’s Action, Slavica Striković
- Montenegrin Lawyers Committee for the Protection of Human Rights, Velija Murić
- Antifascists of Cetinje, Filip Kuzman
- Women’s Safe House, Budislavka Mira Saveljić
- Civic Initiative 21 May, Rade Bojović
- First Women’s Environmental Movement in Montenegro – Ecopatriotism, Ivana Čogurić Rašović
- Bihor Cultural Centre, Mirsad Rastoder
- Ikre Rožaje, Velida Hodžić
- Centre for Roma Initiatives, Fana Delija
- Centre for Democratic Transition (CDT), Milica Kovačević
- 35mm, Darko Ivanović
- Ipso Facto, Milena Popović Samardžić
- Centre for Monitoring and Research (CeMI), Zlatko Vujović
- Montenegrin PEN Centre, Boban Batrićević
- Montenegrin Philological Society, Milan Marković
- Montenegro Media Institute (MMI), Olivera Nikolić
- Montenegrin LGBTIQ Association Queer Montenegro, Staša Baštrica
- Center for Democracy and Human Rights (CEDEM), Nevenka Vuksanović
- Green Home, Azra Vuković
- Association for the Protection and Promotion of Citizens’ Rights “Pravozastupnik”, Budislav Budo Minić
- Municipal Multiple Sclerosis Association Bijelo Polje, Lidija Guberinić
- Roma Youth Organisation “Walk with Us – Phiren Amenca”, Elvis Beriša
- Forum of Bosniaks in Montenegro
- Bonum – Pljevlja, Milan Medenica and Ruždija Strujić
- Ul-Info, Mustafa Canka
- Multimedijal, Željko Đukić
- Fund for Progressive Policies, Ćazim Lisičić
- Husein Paša, Denijal Geljić
- Expeditio, Tatjana Rajić
- Initiative for Regional Cooperation of Montenegro (Igman Initiative)
- Montenegrin Society of Independent Writers, Dragana Tripković
- Alternative Theatre Company (ATAK), Vasko Raičević
- Association of Lawyers of Montenegro
- STEGA – Strategy for a European and Civic Montenegro
- Montenegrin Women’s Lobby, Aida Petrović
- Active Zone, Miloš Marković
- Agency for Local Democracy Nikšić, Kerim Međedović
- Mogul, Džemal Perović
Civic activists:
- Jovana Marović
- Dina Bajramspahić
- Paula Petričević
- Milena Bešić
- Aleksandar Dragićević
- Darko Saveljić
- Emir Pilav
- Nikoleta Đukanović
- Milica Kankaraš Berber
- Sabina Talović
- Goran Đurović
- Almedina Dodić
- Danijel Kalezić
- Biljana Maslovarić
- Mato Kankaraš
- Veselin Radulović
- Mladen Ivanović
- Milo Perović
- Aleksandar Saša Zeković
- Vuk Iković