Graffiti glorifying a convicted war criminal Ratko Mladic and incidents like this can only serve as motivation to build even stronger relations between Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and Montenegro.
This was told to "Vijesti" by the BiH Ambassador in Podgorica yesterday. Branimir Jukić, regarding graffiti that appeared earlier that day on the wall of the embassy building, glorifying the genocide in Srebrenica and the person convicted of that crime, Mladić.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro issued a statement condemning the graffiti in the strongest terms, calling it an act of vandalism. They said that this "heinous and unacceptable" act represents a direct attack not only on the diplomatic mission of a friendly country, but also on the fundamental values of civilization, the culture of remembrance and the dignity of the victims of the most serious crimes committed on European soil after World War II.
On the wall of the Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina, among other things, are written: "General, thank you for Srebrenica!", "Coffee sweet Mladić Ratko", the symbol of the four steels... One of the graffiti is signed "United force", which is the name of an organized group of fans of the Football Club "Rad" from Belgrade.
Some media outlets reported yesterday that a "swastika" and the inscription "UNTD4CE" appeared on a sign in the center of Podgorica, dedicated to the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.
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In 2017, the Hague tribunal sentenced Mladić, commander of the Republika Srpska army, to life imprisonment for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Jukić told the editorial staff that Montenegrin institutions reacted promptly after the graffiti appeared on the wall of the embassy building, which is located in the Podgorica neighborhood of Zagorič.
“... I would like to thank them for their professionalism, especially the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro, as we were also contacted by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Ervin Ibrahimovic, Head of the Directorate for Bilateral Affairs Marija Stjepčević and head of diplomatic protocol Marija Djerkovic Petrovic", he added.
He thanked all citizens, MPs and non-governmental organizations who condemned the content and messages of the graffiti and also expressed solidarity, "not only with the Embassy of BiH, but also with BiH as a state."
"What I have already repeated is that these graffiti and incidents like this can only motivate us to build even stronger and more solid relations between BiH and Montenegro," said Jukić.
Member of Parliament from the ruling Bosniak Party (BS), Kenana Strujić Harbić She stated that she was not surprised by the act of vandalism, considering that Montenegro is "at the doorstep of the European Union (EU)."
"It is undeniable that as we approach the date of formal membership, there will be more and more topics like this, all with one goal - to raise national tensions," she stated.
Member of Parliament for the opposition Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) Aleksandra Vuković Kuč, stressed that the "dirty campaign" promoting genocide will not stop Montenegro's membership in the EU, while her opposition colleague Nikola Zirojevic (Social Democrats) assessed that "normal Montenegro feels ashamed because of a small group of extremists."
Human Rights Action (HRA) condemned the writing of "shameful graffiti" on the embassy wall, saying they expect the perpetrators to be immediately identified and prosecuted.
"This is hate speech in the form of public approval of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, which is punishable by a prison sentence of six months to five years," they said in a Facebook post.
The Civic Alliance condemned the “act of vandalism and open hate speech,” stating that it “represents a grave and unacceptable attack on the basic values of a civilized society.” They called for additional measures to protect diplomatic missions and suppress hate speech.
The Strategy for a European and Civic Montenegro (STEGA) condemned the graffiti, saying that glorifying genocide is an open provocation.
From the Party of European Progress of the former Prime Minister Duško Marković They said that a state of European values must not be a suitable ground for the negation of the most serious crimes committed in contemporary Europe.
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