On topics such as the “Lora” and “Morinj” camps, anyone who is at least a little serious and cultured should speak in measured words, with respect for the facts. However, the statement of the Croatian Foreign Minister Gordana Grlić Radman - that "any equalization" of these casemates "actually relativizes and diminishes the victims in 'Morinje'", clearly indicating that he thinks that the victims of that camp are more worthy than those in "Lora".
This is how the interlocutors of "Vijesti" comment on the new provocative message from Grlić Radman. He and his Montenegrin colleague Ervin Ibrahimovic On Saturday, they laid wreaths in front of the memorial plaque at the site of the former Morinje camp. On that occasion, Grlić Radman said that "reconciliation cannot happen by equalizing guilt", and that he thinks that in the case of "the military prison 'Lora' there is a lot of ignorance" and that it seems to him that "the term is being politicized lightly".
"In the case of the military prison 'Lora', which has always been a military prison in the former Fifth Maritime District, the Croatian judiciary has encouraged proceedings, investigations, and of course has issued appropriate verdicts, or sentences. So any equating of this military camp here in Morinje with a military prison - actually relativizes, diminishes the victims in Morinje...", said the Croatian minister.
In an interview with "Vijesti" in mid-March, Grlić Radman denied the existence of the "Lora" camp, stating that "there is no and has never been any 'Lora camp'", that it is not an open issue between Podgorica and Zagreb, 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 at the time, without answering additional questions - what is "Lora" 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 monstrosity in “Lora” did not survive the 14 members of the former Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) from the so-called Nikšić-Šavnik group, who were captured on the Herzegovina battlefield in the spring of 1992 during the JNA's months-long aggression on Dubrovnik. The Croatian prosecutor's office has been investigating the case of the deaths of Montenegrin reservists since 2007, but even after 18 years, almost nothing is known about the extent of the investigation by the Split County State Attorney's Office.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to the editorial team's question about why Ibrahimović remained silent about Grlić Radman's statement.
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Lekić: Choosing words
Diplomat and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro Miodrag Lekić He told "Vijesti" that the questions about "Morinje" and "Lora" are difficult and painful because, he says, they open up from the black box of the tragic wars of the 90s in the territory of a once common state. He states that anyone who is even remotely serious and cultured should speak about these topics in measured words and with respect for the facts.
"It is noticeable that the topic of the 'Morinje' camp, which inevitably evoked the topic of 'Lora', is one of the many disputes in Croatian-Montenegrin relations, which are becoming increasingly dynamic, bearing in mind that the Croatian minister expands the scope of his demands every time he comes to Montenegro...", he said.
Lekić estimates that the impression is that the inadequate attitude of Montenegrin officials in the current situation encourages Grlić Radman to continue increasing the list of demands.
"It started from Boka Kotorska, and now it has reached the very south, to Ulcinj," he points out, alluding to a statement by the special advisor to the Croatian foreign minister. Vande Babić Galić, who told "Vijesti" last week that Grlić Radman is coming to Montenegro to, among other things, discuss with Ibrahimović "property compensation for Croats in Tivat, Dobrota, and the situation of Croats in Ulcinj and other important topics."
The interlocutor states that it would not be good for such an important topic to take on the dimensions of "broad frivolity", nor for an "anti-Croatian mood" to be created in Montenegro, where discontent with the current situation is growing.
"Croatia is a democratic state, not everyone thinks so, starting with the Croatian president (Zoran Milanovic), as the current government, which is, of course, legitimate. As one illustration of democratic pluralism in Croatian society, we can take, and specifically regarding Lore and the Croatian-Montenegrin dispute, the position in 'Slobodna Dalmacija', which is formulated in the subtitle: 'Someone should tell our minister not to embarrass us anymore'", said Lekić.
He claims that “it is not up to us to support, much less use such words”, because, Lekić notes, the impression is that Grlić Radman is “a very open person and consistent at his level”. He says that in this situation “similar words” could be used for Montenegrin officials from whom, he says, instead of silence and inferiority, the Montenegrin public still expects clear, publicly argued positions and a strategy for resolving open issues with Croatia, “primarily in relation to Prevlaka”.
"Therefore, it is necessary to resolve the above issues in a serious, professional, state-dignified and cultural manner. That is why there is hope that everything will be shifted to a somewhat more serious track and thus, in the spirit of good-neighborly and equal cooperation, open problems will be resolved," he concludes.
Ponos: Don't compare victims
Croatian journalist and publicist Tihomir Ponoš He told "Vijesti" that it should be noted that the victims should not be compared or equated, but rather respected, adding that Grlić Radman used the noun "equalization" and stated that this belittles the victims of "Morinje".
"It is clear from his statement that he believes that the victims of 'Morinje' (imprisoned Croats) are more valuable than the victims of 'Lora' (Serbs and Montenegrins). Such a position of the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs fits into the narrative about, among other things, the moral superiority of 'our victims' and the complete moral inferiority of the party to which the perpetrators belong (in this case - the war crime in 'Morinje'), and thus 'their victims' (in this case the victims of 'Lora')," explains the interlocutor.
He recalls that, regarding the "Lora" case - "a prison run by the 72nd Battalion of the Croatian Military Police (VP)" - part of the Croatian public is trying to create a narrative according to which war crimes were not committed there.
"It should be recalled that there are two final verdicts for war crimes committed, that prisoners of war and illegally detained civilians were detained (and were victims of war crimes) in 'Lora', among whom died from abuse." Gojko Bulovic i Nenad Knezevic", said Ponoš.
He explains that in Croatia, attempts are being made to deny the war crimes in 'Lora' with "a poor propaganda film" such as the film. Jakov Sedlar "72nd VP Battalion - the truth", adding that the film was also made with the financial support of the Ministry of Croatian Veterans.
Ponoš says that, taking this into account, and also the fact that there is no memorial dedicated to the victims of war crimes in "Lora", Grlić Radman's cynical statement - that "the culture of remembrance is important not only for Croatia and the victims, but also for Montenegro", and that it is "important for all of us in order to cherish that memory and so that new generations to come can learn about all those dark moments of our common past and what happened".
"The current government in Croatia can be expected to use the position of a member of the European Union towards a state that wants to be one, even in the issues of war and crimes from the 1990s, in relation to Montenegro, along with the increasingly pronounced lack of culture of forgetting when it comes to crimes committed by the Croatian side, as opposed to the culture of remembrance," Ponoš pointed out.
It is believed that JNA reservists were killed in "Lora" - Dusan Barovic, Port of Gazivoda, Borivoje Zirojevic, Ranko Vujović, Dragoman Doknic, Dragan Jakovljevic, Pavle Popović, Milos Perunovic, Ratko Simovic, Neđeljko Jankovic, Miljan Susic, Radivoje Petkovic i Radomir VulićThe International Red Cross recorded only Luka Adzic, who was exchanged in August 1992 in a very difficult psychological and physical condition. A year later, he died in Nikšić as a result of severe abuse.
The remains of 12 members of the group, as "Vijesti" wrote, were discovered years later in various locations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, near Duvno, Mostar and Trebinje, and the body of Miloš Perunović has not yet been found.
Morinj and relations with Croatia
In the Morinje camp, 292 people from the Dubrovnik region were imprisoned in inhumane conditions (the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro and Croatia were coordinating the lists of detainees because their documentation did not match). 169 prisoners testified about the inhumane treatment they were subjected to. Four people were sentenced to 12 years in prison for this war crime in court.
In Morinj, at the beginning of October 2022, the then Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense, Ranko Krivokapic i Rasko Konjević, with Grlić Radman and Tom Medved (Minister of Croatian Veterans), unveiled a memorial plaque commemorating the fact that in the early 1990s, a so-called Collection Center for prisoners of war from the Dubrovnik battlefield operated in that place for several months.
The plaque was placed outside the procedure stipulated by the Law on Memorials, i.e. without a decision of the Government and the consent of the Municipality of Kotor. Therefore, in mid-October 2022, the former Administration for Inspection Affairs issued a Decision on the removal of the plaque and obliged the Municipality of Kotor to implement it. However, the removal was repeatedly prevented by members of the Army of Montenegro.
According to a part of the Montenegrin public, the plaque does not correctly treat the historical circumstances when Montenegro was a participant in the aggression against Croatia in the area of Konavle and Dubrovnik.
Montenegro and Croatia began bilateral consultations at the end of January with the aim of overcoming disputes that prevented Zagreb from closing Chapter 31 (foreign, security and defense policy) in negotiations with the EU.
As “Vijesti” recently wrote, an agreement is close and should include the payment of compensation to Croatian citizens who were detained in the former Morinje camp and the non-removal of the memorial plaque at that site, as well as changing the name of the city swimming pool in Kotor. In August 2021, the Kotor parliament decided to name it after Zoran Džimi Gopčević, who they said was one of the best water polo players in the area. Zagreb condemned this, claiming that Gopčević was a guard in the Morinje camp.
Part of the agreement should also be that the ship "Jadran", which Zagreb claims, should not be discussed in either Montenegro or Croatia, until the issue is resolved by agreement between the two countries or through international arbitration.
Teršelič: Grlić Radman avoided the significance of "Lora"
Vesna Teršelič, director of the Croatian organization "Documenta - Center for Dealing with the Past," told "Vijesti" that human rights organizations "certainly do not equate the camps," but only emphasize again that the facts about violations of humanitarian law in each camp should be established by the judiciary.
"I regret that Grlić Radman once again failed to call for the prosecution of all war crimes, avoiding highlighting the importance of prosecuting war crimes against prisoners in Lora," she said.
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