Yesterday, the President of Montenegro, Jakov Milatovic, issued a public apology to the families of those killed during the deportation of Bosniaks from Herceg Novi in the war in 1992.
In 1992, Montenegrin police arrested 54 people in Herceg Novi, who were then handed over to the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS). The remains of most of those deported have not been found to this day.
Milatovic spoke with representatives of non-governmental organizations dealing with issues of war crimes in Montenegro and with Alen Bajrovic, the son of Osman Bajrovic, who was killed in the deportation. Bajrovic’s body was never found.
“Alen, on behalf of Montenegro, I want to apologize to you and your family for the crime in which your father and many other innocent victims died. We as a society must face the truth, especially when it is dark and I hope that nothing like this will ever happen again,” said the President of Montenegro in a conversation with Bajrovic, who told him his life story and the family’s struggle to discover the truth about his father.
Moreover, Milatovic emphasized a clear departure from the war policies of the then government, the consequences of which, he said, are still burdening Montenegrin society today.
As announced by Milatovic’s Cabinet, representatives of the civil sector pointed out that, after more than three decades, they have the opportunity for the first time to discuss the topic of the crime of wartime deportation with the president of the country, which they consider very important.
“They said that the crime that took place was not only a trauma for the families of the victims, but also for society as a whole, and that it must therefore be fully investigated, through an indiscriminate approach of the judiciary and strengthening the culture of commemorating past events. They reminded that despite the initiatives of numerous institutions to build a monument to the victims in the yard of the Herceg Novi Security Center and the establishment of the Day of Remembrance for the Crime of Deportation, they have not yet received a response,” the announcement states.
The meeting with Milatovic was attended by the representatives of Action for Human Rights Tea Gorjanc–Prelevic, the Center for Civic Education Daliborka Uljarevic and Tamara Milas, as well as the Center for Women’s and Peace Education ANIMA Ervina Dabizinovic, N1 reports.
E.Dz.
