Ličina: Parliament to adopt a law that recognizes all civilian victims of war and declares protection for their families

The state of Montenegro has the opportunity, a full 32 years after the war crime against the kidnapped civilian passengers from the train in Štrpci, to finally turn to its citizens, who suffered the most severe losses as a result, said Demir Ličin, a representative of the injured families.

He said this today at the Memorial to the Victims in Bijelo Polje, where the 32nd anniversary of the crime in Štrpci is being marked.

In addition to the families of the victims, a large number of citizens attended the commemoration, as did representatives of the Municipality of Bijelo Polje, political parties, and the non-governmental sector.

"The Parliament of Montenegro should adopt a law that recognizes all civilian victims of war and proclaims social protection for their families. In addition, the government should correct the fact that for three decades you were left to suffer alone, without social support," said Ličina, emphasizing that Montenegro should in this way send a clear message that the state must never again neglect the innocent victims and their wounded families.

The municipality should establish an award named after Toma Buzova

Representative of the Association "Štrpci protiv oblivion" Edin Smailović pointed out that this country has no future without changes in education and culture, punishment of crimes and compensation for victims.

"To educate future generations through the educational and cultural process in such a way that it never occurs to them that it could ever happen that someone like the perpetrator of this crime could ever be a hero. Today, when it comes to the public of Montenegro, we have an unfavorable and dominant discourse when it comes to the public of Montenegro and the region. It is essential that future generations be raised on some different postulates," he said.

Smailović highlighted as particularly important the initiative of the NGO Civic Alliance for the Municipality of Bijelo Polje to establish an award named after Tom Buzov, a man who sacrificed his life in an attempt to confront those who committed the crime in Štrpci.

"Also, through literary competitions, teaching and educational processes, but also through an uncompromising real state that will uncompromisingly punish every form of expression of hatred and denial of crimes, no matter from which side it comes. Otherwise, if we do not do this, the state of Montenegro is just a foundation for a similar crime; it is only a question of when and to whom," Smailović warned.

Mirsad Rastoder from the Bosniak National Council recalled all the suffering that the families have endured since the first day of the crime, emphasizing that they are particularly pained that this agony continues because justice has not been served.

"I have been one of the witnesses to this drama since February 27, 1993. Unfortunately, the trial of those responsible for this terrible crime is still ongoing. I must point out that the Bosniak Council supports all the demands of the families of those killed in Šrpci, as well as the families of all civilian victims during the war. Today, the minister in Podgorica confirmed his hope that the Government and Parliament of Montenegro will, first of all, adopt a law on civilian victims of war, and then, through a decree, achieve a minimum of justice for the families of the victims in this and other cases concerning Montenegro. I ask you to at least pay respect in your thoughts to the people who have been trying to establish the truth since 1993 and for justice to reach them someday," Rastoder emphasized.

Montenegro must send a clear message that the state must never again neglect the innocent victims and their wounded families.

The need to punish crimes and compensate all victims of civil wars, as well as the need to adopt a law that recognizes civilian victims, was highlighted today in the Parliament of Montenegro by Tea Gorjanc Prelević, executive director of the non-governmental organization (NGO) Human Rights Action (HRA), who addressed the families of victims of crimes in Štrpci with emotional words.

"Many colleagues, journalists, lawyers, human rights activists, from that tragic '93 until today, have tried to ensure that this terrible crime is not forgotten. But we cannot replace the state. Now, 32 years after the war crime against civilians, the kidnapping of passengers from a train traveling on the Belgrade-Bar railway, the state has a historic opportunity to prove its statehood by turning to you, the families who lost their loved ones in that crime," she said, emphasizing that they expect the Parliament of Montenegro to adopt a law today that will adequately recognize all civilian victims of the wars of the 90s in Montenegro and provide their families with the dignified status of social protection that they should have received 30 years ago.

Gorjanc Prelević pointed out that they expect the Government of Montenegro to at least partially correct the injustice done to the families, who were unjustly neglected for 30 years, not receiving the support they deserved from the state.

"I know it is sad, too late and too little, but it will be valuable, even for new generations, if Montenegro, with this law and the Government's decision, sends a clear message that the state must never again neglect the innocent victims and their wounded families," said Gorjanc-Prelević.

The crime in Štrpci occurred 32 years ago when uniformed individuals under the command of Milan Lukić in 1993 removed 20 civilians from a train, took them to an unknown destination, and killed them.

The crime in Štrpci was committed by members of the Army of Republika Srpska (RS), who stopped a train operating on the regular Belgrade-Bar line at the Štrpci railway station, on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

And they took out, then robbed and killed 20 passengers. The oldest was 59 years old, and the youngest was only 16.

Esad Kapetanović, Ilijaz Ličina, Fehim Bakija, Šećo Softić, Rifat Husović, Halil Zupčević, Senad Đečević, Jusuf Rastoder, Ismet Babačić, Tomo Buzov, Adem Alomerović, Muhedin Hanić were killed.

Also killed were Safet Preljević, Džafer Topuzović, Rasim Ćorić, Fikret Memović, Fevzija Zeković, Nijazim Kajević, Zvjezdan Zuličić and an unknown person.

Criminal proceedings for the crimes committed were conducted in three countries – Montenegro, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

For this crime, more than ten members of the group that carried out the kidnapping were sentenced to prison terms ranging from ten to 15 years, including Nebojša Ranisavljević, who was the first from that group to be convicted in 2002, before the High Court in Bijelo Polje.

Lukić was never tried for the kidnapping in Štrpci, as he was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Hague Tribunal for other crimes committed in Višegrad.