The Ministry of Culture sends an inspection to Petnjica to conclude the Rastoder case

The Ministry of Culture and Media will send a cultural heritage inspection to Petnjica to investigate whether there is an official decision in that municipality to name a street after a war criminal. To Osman Rastoder, in order to close the case, "Vijesti" learns.

Minister Tamara Vujović (Democrats) was in Petnjica last week following media reports that the small town in northern Montenegro has a Rastodera street. She said she did not find the sign with the inscription mentioned in the media at the scene, but announced a detailed inspection.

In 2015, “Vijesti” reported that some citizens of Petnjica had voluntarily erected several street name signs. Among them was one with the name Rastodera, a photo of which (the sign) was published on the Facebook page of Radio Petnjica.

The Municipality of Petnjica announced last week that the local government authorities had never considered or made a decision to name a street after Rastoder.

"In fact, at one point an irresponsible individual put up a sign, which was immediately removed by the relevant authorities," they stated.

The authorities of the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia declared Rastoder a war criminal after the end of World War II, and the leader of the Muslim Militia, a paramilitary formation that collaborated with the fascists, was killed in January 1946 under unclear circumstances.

The Ministry of Culture announced the removal of illegally erected monuments following the unveiling last week of a bust of the notorious Chetnik commander. Pavlo Đurišić in the village of Gornje Zaostro in Berane. The monument was removed to the local church on the same day it was discovered (last Friday), while state authorities demolished the monument's pedestal.

The municipality of Gusinje removed a monument to a fascist collaborator in World War II on Thursday. Jusuf Čelić (Isufu Kameru Chelayu), which was erected in the village of Vusanje. The monument was dismantled on the orders of the Ministry's inspector for cultural heritage. She ordered it on Tuesday (August 12), giving the Gusinje administration three days to complete the work, which they complied with.

President of the Municipality Sanel Balić (Bosniak Party) did not respond to "Vijesti's" question about the location of the removed bust.

Vujović announced yesterday that the Ministry, in cooperation with other institutions, will continue to protect cultural heritage, will not allow historical revisionism, and will carefully defend "the values on which Montenegro is based, as a state of the rule of law, anti-fascism and a European future."

"If the legally prescribed procedure had been followed when erecting the monument (to Čelić) in 2013, from the initiative, through expert opinion, to the approval of the competent department, the explanation of the decision would have already included a position based on historical facts," she pointed out, reacting to the statement by the president of the National Council of Albanians (NSA), Fake Nike, who announced on Thursday that Čelić was not a collaborator of the occupiers, but a respected fighter for the freedom of his people and the locals in Plav and Gusinje.

Čelić was the commander of a company of volunteers, a militia made up of Albanians living in the area of Plav, Gusinje and Albania, which, according to some historians, was responsible for crimes against the Orthodox population. This paramilitary force was formed by fascist Italy.

The Law on Memorials stipulates the prevention of the erection of monuments for events that mark the loss of freedom or independence of Montenegro, symbolize or signify cooperation with the occupier, its ally or helper, as well as for persons who were collaborators of the occupier, its ally or helper, who represented fascist, chauvinist or Nazi ideas or ideologies, who were convicted of a crime against humanity or other goods protected by international law or who were declared war criminals...

According to this regulation, monuments are erected in accordance with the erection program, which is adopted by the municipal assembly, the capital city and the royal capital, with the prior consent of the state administration body responsible for cultural affairs (ministry).