The non-governmental organization Human Rights Action (HRA) has called on the local government in Herceg Novi to erect a monument to the victims of the deportation of Bosnian and Herzegovinian refugees from Montenegro in 1992.
They said that Herceg Novi "has the opportunity to show solidarity with the victims and build a culture of remembrance, justice and reconciliation."
The NGO released a video with testimonies from "those who have experienced injustice personally and have lived with it for 33 years."
"Do the victims of the war crime of the deportation of refugees from 1992 deserve a monument in Herceg Novi? Listen to the testimonies of those who experienced the injustice personally and have been living with it for 33 years. Sadik Demirović is one of the few who survived the crime of Deportation. Sejda Krdžalija is a mother whose son Sanin, a famous accordionist, was deported and killed in the Foča KPD at the age of only 22. Alen Bajrović and Narcisa Bosno-Duranović remember their fathers, Osmo and Esad, who were also extradited from Montenegro and disappeared without a trace," the Facebook post reads.
Their testimonies, they said, remind us of a crime that must not be forgotten, which began in Herceg Novi.
"Innocent people were handed over to members of the Army of the Republika Srpska, who took them away and subsequently killed them in the vicinity of Foča and Bratunac. We call on the local authorities in Herceg Novi to extend a hand to the victims and support their wish from 2010 to erect a monument to the victims of the Deportation in front of the police building in that city. Herceg Novi has the opportunity to show solidarity with the victims and build a culture of remembrance, justice and reconciliation. A public opinion survey from 2024 showed that: 47,8% of Herceg Novi citizens believe that it is important to mark the sites of all war crimes; 33,2% support erecting a monument to the victims of the deportation of refugees in their city; only 30% are against, with a large number of citizens believing that there is not enough information about this crime (36.6%), "HRA reminds.
On Monday, May 26, a memorial gathering will be organized in front of the Herceg Novi Security Department in memory of the victims.
Bonus video:
