The non-governmental organizations Center for Civic Education (CCE) from Montenegro and the Association for Social Research and Communications (UDIK) from Bosnia and Herzegovina have requested the Pension and Disability Insurance Fund of Montenegro to terminate the contract with the rehabilitation center “Vilina Vlas” near Višegrad.
They cite war crimes and systematic sexual violence committed in that facility during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina as the reason.
The Center for Civic Education from Montenegro and the Association for Social Research and Communications from Bosnia and Herzegovina have sent the Pension and Disability Insurance Fund of Montenegro an initiative to terminate the contract and withdraw the rehabilitation center “Vilina Vlas” near Višegrad from the vacation and recovery program that the Pension and Disability Insurance Fund offers to pension beneficiaries on favorable terms.
Pensioners in Montenegro have the opportunity to use vacation and recovery in several facilities in the country and the region, which is stated in the statement as an important and socially responsible measure. However, CCE and UDIK believe that the selection of these partner facilities must be in line with basic ethical principles, a culture of remembrance and respect for victims of war crimes.
The Vilina Vlas spa, located about five kilometers from Višegrad, was described during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina as a place of detention, torture and systematic sexual violence against the non-Serb population. According to a report by a special United Nations Committee from 1994, around 200 women were raped in this facility in 1992, some of whom were killed, while others committed suicide.
The text also states that 17 Bosniak citizens from the village of Sjeverin near Priboj were abused and tortured there, who were kidnapped in October 1992 by members of the paramilitary formation “Osvetnici”, led by war criminal Milan Lukić.
In one of the judgments of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, this facility was described as “a rehabilitation center converted into a women’s camp where women and girls were brought and systematically mistreated”. The statement added that, unfortunately, only one of the perpetrators was prosecuted, Željko Lelek, sentenced to 16 years in prison for crimes against humanity, including sexual violence committed in “Vilina Vlas”, while the others were mostly convicted for other crimes committed in Višegrad and surrounding areas.
After the war, “Vilina Vlas” continued to operate as a spa and rehabilitation center. The organizations emphasize that there is no information on the facility itself, nor in its official presentation, that it was a place of detention, torture and rape during the war. There is no memorial, memorial plaque or any other sign that would warn visitors about the crimes, which is described as a systematic attempt to erase the facts about the crimes committed with the support of the authorities of that entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The promotion of this facility for tourist and rehabilitation purposes without context and respect for the victims is assessed as an example of denial and normalization of crimes.
According to the statement, many guests who come to “Vilina Vlas” today are not aware that they are staying in the area where mass rapes and murders were committed three decades ago.
Therefore, CCE and UDIK call on the Pension Fund to initiate the procedure for terminating the current contract with the rehabilitation center “Vilina Vlas”, in accordance with the principles of social responsibility and respect for victims. At the same time, they demand that clear criteria be introduced in the future selection of partners that include respect for the dignity of war crime victims and a responsible attitude towards the heritage of the past.
The organizations express regret that the management of the Pension Fund has not taken such steps so far, although this issue has recently been re-emerged in Montenegro by some media.
The concluding message states that the termination of this contract would represent a clear signal that Montenegro does not agree to the normalization of crime scenes under the guise of tourism and rehabilitation, but that state institutions contribute to building a society that responsibly treats the past and shows solidarity with victims.
