The lack of punishment in the "Lora" camp case means a collapse of ethics and international humanitarian law, announced Deputy Prime Minister Momo Koprivica.
He said that impunity for the crime in "Lora", as well as any other crime, cannot be justified by anything.
"Prosecution of this crime, like any other crime, is both a moral and legal imperative. The only survivor of the victims, who were otherwise arrested on Bosnian soil, Veselin Bojović, is registered by the International Red Cross as a prisoner who underwent torture, who also handed over material evidence to the prosecution, and is a living witness to the ordeal in that camp," Koprivica wrote in a post on the social network Iks.
He pointed out that the head of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, Serge Brammertz, in his address to the United Nations Security Council regarding the work of the Prosecutor's Office on December 10 last year, "spoke affirmatively about the work of our SDT (Special State Prosecutor's Office)", whose jurisdiction includes war crimes.
Koprivica stated that the Criminal Procedure Code has also been amended to allow for the use of evidence from the International Residual Mechanism, which, according to Koprivica, is important for the prosecution of war crimes.
He said that these are evidence of Montenegro's essential commitment.
"The documentary film by Radio-Television Nikšić 'Evil Spring 1992', made on the principles of honest research, is a great contribution to the culture of remembrance. The Dalmatian Helsinki Committee and Tonči Majić, who spoke about this crime, fought against torture and for the criminalization of crimes, deserve the greatest respect because in difficult times they instilled hope in the power of justice and ethics," the announcement reads.
"Based on the control hearing and the Report of the Committee on the Political System, Judiciary and Administration, which I chaired in the 27th convocation, the Parliament of Montenegro condemned the crime in Lora, and confirmed that the innocent victims of that crime are part of our culture of remembrance," said Koprivica.
Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman, in an interview with "Vijesti" published on Monday, denied that the "Lora" camp existed, in which Montenegrin citizens also died. He stated that "there is no and has never been any 'Lora camp'", that it is not an open question, but "a narrative that aims to equate aggressor and victim".
"Everything about the events in the 'Lora' prison has been processed and adjudicated, and is in the domain of judicial proceedings, which is neither possible nor necessary to comment on," said Grlić Radman, in response to additional questions from the newspaper about what "Lora" is if not a camp, and how shedding light on the suffering of people who were prisoners of war, who, in accordance with international humanitarian law, deserved protection from torture and killing, can be "a narrative that aims to equate aggressors and victims."
The office of President Jakov Milatović told "Vijesti" that Grlić Radman's messages about "Lora" do not contribute to improving relations between Zagreb and Podgorica.
"Vijesti" was told the day before yesterday by the office of Prime Minister Milojko Spajić that, if there are testimonies about "Lora", it cannot be said that the prison did not exist, nor that the testimonies about Montenegrin citizens who were captured and killed there can be ignored.
"Montenegro wants justice for all victims and is ready to persevere to the end in prosecuting crimes and compensating victims, in accordance with international law... Montenegro expects the competent institutions to resolve these issues in mutual cooperation. In this regard, we encourage the Croatian and our state prosecutor's offices to cooperate even closer so that all perpetrators of criminal acts are prosecuted and justice is served for all," they said.
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