Vraneš asked UP to approve the concert of Baja Mali Knindža for May 21st in Pljevlja

The Municipality of Pljevlja submitted an official request to the Police Directorate for permission to hold a public gathering - a concert by singer Mirko Pajčin, better known as Baja Mali Knindža, on May 21st, exactly on the 20th anniversary of the celebration of Montenegrin Independence Day.

"Vijesti" learned that the UP's request arrived on Thursday, but no decision has been made yet whether to ban the singer's performance, whose songs contain nationalistic, chauvinistic and warmongering messages that glorify Serbian war criminals and incite ethnic and religious hatred.

The Police Directorate should also request the opinion of the National Security Agency and the Prosecutor's Office in order to jointly decide whether to ban the gathering, which could threaten national interests, especially on the 20th anniversary of Montenegro's independence.

A group of non-governmental organizations and activists announced today that they are protesting against the performance and promotion of Baja Mali Knindža, whose songs, they claim, contain nationalistic, chauvinistic and warmongering messages that glorify war crimes and criminals and incite ethnic and religious hatred.

"His performances were banned in Croatia and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, because the lyrics of his songs are considered hate speech," the statement said.

They point out that the announcement of Baja Mali Knindža's performance in Pljevlja is deeply concerning, especially if, as they said, the government would support it by financing it from the municipal budget.

According to them, it is unacceptable that the money of all citizens of Pljevlja, including over 4000 citizens of the Islamic faith (17 percent of the population), is used to finance a performer whose songs incite hatred towards Bosniaks and Muslims, or deeply insult all who uphold civic and anti-fascist values.

"His songs glorify Ratko Mladić and Radovan Karadžić, who were convicted of genocide and other war crimes committed during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. His lyrics contain open messages of ethnic and religious hatred, as they support war crimes, as confirmed by songs such as: 'I don't love you Alija because you are a Balija', 'You will remember Vukovar, the city of Knin and old Mostar, you will also be hurt by the Kupreš Gate, there are no Croats there anymore', as well as 'Srebrenica has fallen, and Žepa will fall too, Republika Srpska, but you will be beautiful'," the statement points out.

Non-governmental organizations and activists add that, for example, in the song "Oj Alija, odnejala te voda", he systematically lists the cities in which documented war crimes against Bosniaks were committed – Prijedor, Bijeljina, Brčko, Višegrad and Zvornik – in a way that celebrates these crimes.

Such content, they claim, crosses the boundaries of artistic expression and contributes to the normalization of hate speech and warmongering narratives in public space, with already known and documented tragic consequences throughout the region.

"We remind you that even publicly glorifying convicted war criminals constitutes a criminal offense of inciting hatred and intolerance, punishable by imprisonment of six months to five years. In addition to the Criminal Code of Montenegro, hate speech is also prohibited by the Law on Prohibition of Discrimination and the Law on Public Order and Peace. Pljevlja is a multiethnic city with a long tradition of mutual respect and coexistence."