Excavations near the Mojkovac - Kolašin main road have uncovered the remains of four people, believed to be officers of the Army of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (VKJ) who were killed during the summer of 1942.
Four human skeletons were found on May 12th, across from the Church of the Nativity of Christ, when, on the order of the investigating judge of the High Court in Bijelo Polje, an excavation was carried out - a sounding, after which they were exhumed and sent for autopsy.
This was told to Vijesti by the president of the Council for Civilian Control of Police Work, Zoran Čelebić, who received a report from the acting director of the Police Administration, Lazar Šćepanović.
According to that document, seven officers were buried near the Mojkovac Temple, not six, as was originally believed.
It was also explained that the excavation originally began on April 28th, but was suspended when the descendants of the fallen officers found the skeleton.
"On April 28, 2025, the Municipality of Mojkovac informed the Mojkovac Security Department that on April 28 and 4, excavations of the mortal remains of VKJ officers killed in World War II would be carried out, and the location of the excavation was near the Mojkovac - Kolašin main road, a closer location across from the Church of the Nativity of Christ. The Higher State Prosecutor's Office in Bijelo Polje was informed about the notification in question, as well as the Administration for the Protection of Cultural Heritage. A partial excavation - excavation was carried out by the descendants of the killed officers, and on that occasion the remains of a human skeleton were found, after which the Bijelo Polje Police Department was notified, and further excavations were stopped," Šćepanović reported to the Council for Civilian Control of Police Work.
Čelebić requested information from the Police Directorate about their activities undertaken during the past and this year, at the behest of the Special State Prosecutor's Office (SDT) and other state bodies, which relate to cases and allegations of the mass existence of graves of civilian victims from the war and post-war period from 1941 to 1845, mostly those killed for ideological reasons.
The documentation provided to them shows that the officers of the Mojkovac Military District acted on the order of the Higher State Prosecutor's Office in Bijelo Polje, regarding the excavation of the remains of officers of the Army of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (VKJ) who died in World War II.
Šćepanović informed the Council that they had informed the Senior State Prosecutor in Bijelo Polje, Slavenko Smolović, about the found remains of a human skeleton, who declared that further excavations should be suspended:
"And that the place where the excavation began be secured because the exhumation and autopsy of the remains, which are presumed to be found at the excavation site, will be carried out."
He pointed out that the Mojkovac Police Department was then informed by the investigating judge of the Higher Court that the excavation - sounding, and therefore the exhumation and autopsy, of the mortal remains would be carried out on May 12, 5.
"The exhumation of the remains began at 09,00:1942 in the presence of the investigating judge of the Higher Court in Bijelo Polje, Vukomir Bošković, senior state prosecutor Slavenko Smolović, a forensic medicine specialist, the autopsy expert, Nemanja Radojević, and the descendants of the persons who were buried at that location, as is assumed, during the summer of 13,30. The excavation - sounding work was completed at XNUMX:XNUMX. The remains were found - four human skeletons that were removed from the scene by the autopsy expert," it says in the report submitted to the Council, which Vijesti has access to.
According to that document, in the coming period, the High Court in Bijelo Polje is expected to issue new orders for the excavation of the main road:
"Because according to descendants, the remains of three more people are found at that location. Also, since during the excavation, descendants learned that a total of seven people, not six, were buried at that location, the Court will subsequently issue a new order for the exhumation of all seven people"...
Čelebić told Vijesti that the actions of the Mojkovac Municipality could perhaps become an example of good practice and guidance for citizens, descendants of victims in other municipalities in Montenegro:
“But I believe that it is more important to have a systemic approach at the state level. The approach of the Mayor of Mojkovac, Vesko Delić, deserves public praise and support because he has responded responsibly and humanistically to the interests and needs of local residents. What is not good in this particular case is the uneven case law in the actions of higher courts in Bijelo Polje and Podgorica in relation to the war event in Mojkovac and the war and post-war crimes in Nikšić, Cetinje and Bar. We commend the overall and very professional actions of police officers and the Police Directorate as a whole, as well as the work of the Special State Prosecutor’s Office and the Chief Special State Prosecutor Vladimir Novović, whose requests for the exhumation of war crimes victims in the central and southern parts of Montenegro are persistently rejected. That is why there is no progress in the cases. This is inexplicable. The uneven case law should be eliminated. I am aware that this is usually challenging and demanding, but here we are dealing with identical factual circumstances, so there is no reason for judicial diversity. All citizens care about "Legal certainty and consistency of the judicial authority in both Bijelo Polje and Podgorica, because this reflects badly on the rule of law and the application of convention law in Montenegro. The law does not discriminate between citizens and treats us all equally, so we should adopt the same approach to its application," the president of the Council, lawyer Zoran Čelebić, told Vijesti.
According to available information, the remains of members of the Yugoslav Army in the homeland were being searched for in Mojkovac, who were killed by communists, after which their bodies were thrown into the Bliškovska Pit on Mount Kovren.
The media previously reported that the bodies of royal officers Jovan Mišnić, Dmitar Krgović, Petar Krgović, Blaž Radenović, Janko Gašević and Nikola Baltić were transferred and buried at the then cemetery in Mojkovac on June 15, 1942.
Years later, the communist authorities rejected the families' request, during the construction of the Bijelo Polje - Mojkovac - Kolašin highway, to have their remains removed, so their graves were covered by an asphalt road.
According to some testimonies and documentation from the State Archives of Montenegro, the place where the officers were buried is located in the direction of the current entrance to the Church of the Nativity of Christ, where the remains were found, after the families of the liquidated officers submitted a request for exhumation.
The announcement of the new law makes everyone happy
Čelebić explained to Vijesti that the Council for Civilian Control of Police Work has been intensively and with special attention for years monitoring the actions of police officers regarding cases and allegations of the existence of mass graves of civilian victims from the war and war period (1941-45) who died for ideological reasons.
"Montenegro is the only country from the former socialist bloc that has not officially taken a stand against innocent victims of political persecution and violence, especially those after the end of World War II, when, in parallel with the liberation of the country from occupiers and traitorous movements, the socialist revolution also ended, which took with it numerous innocent victims who died solely for ideological reasons, due to non-support or insufficient support for communism. The decision, or announcement, of the Prime Minister of Montenegro, Milojko Spajić, to begin drafting a new Law on Cemeteries has encouraged all those in society who are comprehensively, universally, dedicated to the protection of human rights and freedoms. This could also be an opportunity to officially recognize both war and post-war innocent victims, as well as for the state of Montenegro to treat their remains in a humane manner, affirming their integrity and human dignity," said Čelebić.
He pointed out that such an approach is strongly supported by all religious communities, especially the Orthodox Church in Montenegro.
He said that the Council appealed to the Prime Minister to advocate with the relevant ministry to have several provisions of the new Law on Cemeteries dedicated to this issue.
"We have expressed our readiness to begin drafting the text of the provisions of the law that would relate to concealed and unmarked graves from the war and post-war period, and direct consultations with the Prime Minister or his closest associates have been requested on this topic. It is obvious that the professional approach of the police and prosecutor's office, and even in the judiciary in general, is not sufficient to resolve this serious issue, but it is necessary to finally show political will and approach other solutions," said Čelebić.
No progress in the “Kotor” cave case
There has been no serious progress in the case of the victims in the "Kotor" pit in Nikšić. It is necessary to check how the Higher Court in Podgorica can support the rule of law, said Čelebić.
He pointed out that the latest information they have is that in mid-October 2024, police officers from the Nikšić Security Department acted in this case together with officers from the Center for Ecotoxicological Testing.
"On which occasion, for the umpteenth time in the seven years since the case was formed, a measurement of chemical hazards was carried out in the pit itself at a depth of 35 meters using a probe," said the President of the Council.
SDT is acting in the Zeković case
Šćepanović informed the Council that on May 16, officers of the Cetinje Military District received a report about the missing person Momčilo Zeković, who, according to the report, was taken from his home in the Bogdanov kraj settlement, Cetinje, in the evening hours of November 13, 1944, by members of the XNUMXth Montenegrin Brigade.
"After consultation with the acting state prosecutor at the Cetinje ODT, Sanja Radunović, the case was forwarded to the Special Police Department for further action," said Čelebić.
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