Action for Human Rights (HRA) announced that it is "protesting" because the members of the Parliament of Montenegro adopted the Bill on Veterans and Disability Protection at yesterday's session, which they say selectively prescribes the institute of "civilian victims of war" which implies the right to monetary compensation.
"Civilian victims of the war will be considered victims of the armed conflict with NATO in Montenegro, but not the families of civilian victims from Montenegro who suffered as a result of the armed conflicts in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, such as the kidnapped passengers from the train at Štrpci station," he states. in the announcement of Action for Human Rights.
"We hope that the adoption of such a discriminatory solution is the result of insufficient deliberation, and not discriminatory intent," said Action for Human Rights.
Related Articles
We remind you that 20 passengers were kidnapped and killed from the train at Štrpci station.
The passengers were abducted from the train "Lovćen" on the Belgrade-Bar line, at the local Štrpci railway station, when the Serbian army from Višegrad took 20 passengers of non-Serb nationality, mostly Bosniaks, from the train.
According to Action for Human Rights, the controversial Article 17a stipulates that the family of a civilian victim of war is "the family of a person who was killed, died or disappeared during armed conflicts during the state of war, on the territory of Montenegro".
Related Articles
Action for Human Rights claims that one of the two cumulatively set conditions, "that the crime against civilians must have been committed "during a state of war", excludes all the victims that occurred in connection with the armed conflicts of the XNUMXs in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. because the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia did not declare a state of war at that time, because its authorities wanted to cover up the military and other support they provided to the representatives of the Serbian minority in the wars in that territory".
"The state of war in the 1999s was declared only during the conflict with NATO in XNUMX. The second cumulative condition "on the territory of Montenegro" additionally excludes the families of the passengers kidnapped from the train in Štrpci, because their suffering occurred on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. even though they are Montenegrin citizens," said Action for Human Rights.
They point out that this, as they say, discriminatory amendment was proposed yesterday by Democrat MP Momo Koprivica, and that it was accepted by the competent committees (Legislative Committee and Committee on Health, Labor and Social Welfare).
"It was adopted on the same day by the majority of the votes of 41 deputies, among whom were the deputies of the Bosniak Party and the URA, which is particularly surprising, bearing in mind the program directions and earlier efforts of those political parties," Action for Human Rights pointed out.
As they say, "this solution contradicts the recommendations of the Committee on Enforced Disappearances, as well as the UN Working Group on Enforced Disappearances, which as early as 2015 requested Montenegro to provide quick, fair and adequate compensation to all persons who suffered damage as a direct result of enforced disappearances, regardless of when they were carried out, emphasizing that their rights should be guaranteed in a non-discriminatory manner".
"As the President of the State Milo Đukanović already refuses to sign the laws that the Parliament of Montenegro passed after the decree on its dissolution, we appeal to the newly elected President of the State, Jakov Milatović, not to sign the adopted Bill on Veterans and Disability Protection, but to of the upcoming parliamentary elections will be returned to a new, legitimate, convocation of the Assembly, which we expect to correct the injustice," the announcement states.
They add that although only one day was needed for the adoption of the mentioned discriminatory resolution, "The Resolution on the crime in Štrpci, which was initiated by the victims' families, has been waiting for its turn to be debated by the parliament for a year, from May 2022."
They also state that the proposal of that Resolution states that "the Assembly of Montenegro calls on the Government of Montenegro to find a legal mechanism for granting the status of civilian victims of war to the families of the abducted, as an expression of solidarity and moral support".
"Although nothing has been done on this issue, one of the proposers of the Resolution, MP Suada Zoronjić (URA), decided to support the proposed changes to the Law that exclude the families of the victims in Štrpci," the announcement states.
Action for Human Rights said that the other representatives of the Citizens' Movement URA did the same, as well as the representative of the Bosniak Party, Kenana Strujić Harbić, who could be expected to remember the victims of the kidnapping in Štrpci and advocate for their equal treatment.
As they say, the HRA repeatedly advocated for the introduction of an institute that would provide protection to all civilian victims of the wars of the XNUMXs, because this represents the moral debt of Montenegro that would have to be respected.
"However, this must be done in a legitimate way, by a legislative body in full mandate, which will not make any distinction between the victims," the statement concluded.
Bonus video:
