Đurišić glorified in Herceg Novi: The Prosecutor's Office is following the case, the police and city elders are silent

The prosecution claims to be following a new case of glorification of the notorious Chetnik commander Pavle Đurišić at a charity concert in Herceg Novi, the police are silent about whether they recorded any incitement to hatred at the public gathering they monitored, and even the local city leaders, some of whom spoke at the event, are not commenting on the matter.

In the town under Orjen, on the Kanli Tower, the day before yesterday (Sunday) a concert "For our Kosovo and Metohija" was held, at which part of the audience praised Đurišić. A banner was displayed with the message - "Đurišić, young major, you are the pride of Montenegro", and part of the crowd sang these verses, from a song dedicated to him.

The event was organized by the Red Star Belgrade fan foundation - "delija" from Montenegro, with, as the announcement said, the blessing of the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral. Concerts like the one the day before last have been held several times at the Kanli Tower.

The speaker of the Herceg Novi parliament also spoke at the gathering, which, as announced, was raising funds for the Serbian people and churches and monasteries in Kosovo. Miloš Konjević (New list).

The event at which Đurišić was honored was preceded last week by the unveiling of a monument to that Chetnik commander in Gornji Zaostar near Berane, where supporters of the Chetnik movement physically and psychologically harassed the journalist teams of "Vijesti" and "Pobjeda".

The incident occurred after inflammatory rhetoric at a liturgy held by the Metropolitan of Budimlje-Niksic of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) on the eve of the unveiling of the monument. MethodsHe said that he is not afraid of the state, or rather "their power, which cannot even bring order to the streets", nor of young people in expensive suits "who have occupied high political and state positions and think they can do as they please and think".

Journalist at the weekly "Monitor" Predrag Nikolić, assessed for "Vijesti" that some of the ruling parties are inciting events like this one in Herceg Novi.

"The seeds of the 90s are bearing fruit. Not only in Herceg Novi, but throughout Montenegro, with the full support of the Church and some of the ruling parties. The problem is that the institutions are 'on vacation', so they cannot adequately respond to rampages such as the violence against photojournalists in Berane," he said.

Nikolić claims that such practices could be repeated and that "more similar performances" should be expected.

"Especially since one part of the government is sponsoring this, while the other is wisely keeping quiet. It's like with the current fires, silence won't help them, and when it starts burning, someone will have to put it out," the interviewee noted.

The Higher State Prosecutor's Office in Podgorica told "Vijesti" yesterday that they are monitoring whether a criminal offense - inciting national, racial and religious hatred - has been committed anywhere, including in Herceg Novi.

"The Higher State Prosecutor's Office in Podgorica, within its jurisdiction, monitors and assesses whether the statements and actions of any person contain essential elements of a criminal offense within the jurisdiction of this prosecutor's office, so if it assesses that it is necessary to form a case regarding any case, the public will be informed in a timely manner," they said.

On the other hand, the Police Directorate did not respond to the editorial team's question about whether they had determined that the same criminal act had been committed at the concert, and if so, why the concert was not interrupted. A few hours before the event, the Directorate announced on the social network Iks that their officers would "observe the public event."

The head of the Herceg Novi assembly, Konjević, who was the leader of the Herceg Novi List in the recent local elections in that municipality, also remained silent when asked by "Vijesti". That list was supported in the elections by the Prime Minister Milojko Spajic and his Europe Now Movement (PES).

Konjević did not answer whether he thought he had a place at the rally praising Đurišić and whether he condemned the banners dedicated to the Chetnik commander. The Novska Lista party did not respond to the questions either.

The newspaper did not receive any comment on the event and the messages sent from it, even from the first person in Herceg Novi. Stevan Katić (Democrats). He did not answer whether he was aware of the concert, whether he attended it, how he viewed the singing of songs dedicated to Đurišić, or how he interpreted the messages sent from the public gathering.

The Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) announced last night that the glorification of the figure and deeds of the "Chetnik butcher Đurišić" at a humanitarian concert is "shameful and scandalous."

"It is terrible and unacceptable that in Herceg Novi, a city whose very essence is deeply woven with anti-fascism, emboldened by the policies of some in power, they are shamelessly falsifying history - they are equating executioners with victims and calling war criminals heroes," the strongest opposition party underlined.

The European Alliance, which consists of the Social Democrats, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Liberal Party, yesterday called on the PES to declare "whether it consistently stands by the Chetnik orgy of the Novska Lista", their partner at the local level, recalling that the representative of that local party entered the state parliament from the list of the strongest ruling party.

"Given that some of their officials swear by their and their families' anti-fascist tradition, while in the meantime they are splashing around in the pools of neo-fascism propagators in Montenegro, it is important to find out what the party headquarters thinks about last night's Chetnik orgy politically directed by Konjević. Of course, in the event that 'young guys in suits' are allowed to take a piss from Uncle Ostojić (Metodija). Ah, those Prime Minister's uncles...", they said in a statement.

President of the SDP Ivan Vujović, said that "from Berane to Herceg Novi the Chetnik dagger is celebrated."

"It's not Mickey (Prime Minister Spajić)'s fault, even though he is in power, he is just the prime minister and leader of the strongest party in parliament. It's not Mickey's fault that obscure BIA (Security Intelligence Agency) operatives are running rampant across the country and inciting violence. It's not Mickey's fault that the police are watching as journalists are beaten and threatened with knives. What can good Mickey do when his police are colluding with the thugs - fascists, and instead of removing, taking away and destroying the monument, which is a shame, he ends it with a gentleman's agreement with BIA agent Ostojić, where else but in a church. OK, some will say, the police, that was still a ban and a feud of 'moderate' Democrats," he said.

Reis of the Islamic community in Montenegro Rifat Fejzic, said that the "most dangerous fire" these days is "the one that is burning the roots of a civil, democratic and multiethnic Montenegro."

"I call on all democratic forces in Montenegro, primarily the Prime Minister and minority parties, to put out this fire, if it is not too late, or not to give it legitimacy," he said on the X network.

Đurišić was the supreme Chetnik leader in 1941. Dragoljub Draza Mihailovic appointed one of the commanders of the Chetnik forces in Montenegro. In the following months, Đurišić's intensive collaboration with the Italian and then German occupiers began, during which his Chetniks repeatedly committed massacres of the civilian population.

Femic gets 30 days in custody

Podgorica resident Danko Femić was ordered to be detained for up to 30 days due to reasonable suspicion that he committed two criminal offenses - coercion, to the detriment of photojournalists from "Pobjeda" Stevo Vasiljević and "Vijesti" Boris Pejović, as well as the criminal offense of endangering security, to the detriment of Pejović.

This is the decision of the investigating judge of the Basic Court in Berane, Ivan V. Došljak, at the proposal of the Basic State Prosecutor's Office there.

Also, Vojislav Rmuš was arrested for the attack on Vasiljević and Pejović, and as the police said, for committing a violation of the Law on Public Order and Peace.

The police also detained Vlado Stijović for attacking the journalist teams of two daily newspapers, but he was released.

The Bijelo Polje Higher State Prosecutor's Office announced yesterday to "Vijesti" that it has opened a case regarding the statements of participants in the event where the monument to Đurišić was unveiled.

The statue of Đurišić was erected on Thursday, unveiled on Friday, and removed the same day in the afternoon. The statue was moved to the Church of St. Mother Paraskeva in Gornji Zaostar. The monument was removed by locals, according to what they claimed was a prior agreement with the police.

Fans of the Red Star Football Club unfurled the same banner as the one seen on the Kanli Tower and sang the same song dedicated to Đurišić on Saturday at the Serbian Championship football match against TSC from Bačka Topola.