Bosniak Council: SDT to deal with war crime of deportation of Bosniak refugees from Herceg Novi

The Bosniak Council in Montenegro announced today that it is once again appealing to the Special State Prosecutor's Office (SDT) to deal with the war crime of the deportation of Bosniak refugees from Herceg Novi.

"The Bosniak Council in Montenegro recalls the war crime of deportation that occurred 34 years ago, and which has not received a fair judicial epilogue to this day. We sympathize with the pain of the families of the victims, some of whom have not yet found the remains of their loved ones, pointing out that there is still no memorial at the place where the crime began in Herceg Novi," the statement said.

The Bosniak Council added that "this war crime bears the mark of shame, injustice and indifference of the state of Montenegro on whose territory it took place, at the end of May 1992."

"We once again appeal to the Special State Prosecutor's Office to re-investigate this crime, in which a hunt was conducted for people who sought refuge in Montenegro. We believe that both the perpetrators and those who ordered it should be prosecuted, as well as all those responsible for the deportation and sending dozens of refugees to their deaths," the statement reads.

The Bosniak Council said that they also believe "it is high time for state and local authorities to create the administrative and technical conditions to erect a memorial within the premises of the Herceg Novi MUP building, whose police officers and their superiors then carried out this heinous crime."

"We are also asking that textbooks finally include content so that children in schools have knowledge about this and other war crimes that occurred in Montenegro. Facing the past and the war crimes committed implies adequate punishment of all those responsible, but also full knowledge and awareness that permanent memorialization of these shameful and tragic events from recent Montenegrin history is necessary," said the Bosniak Council.

They said that "without full truth and justice, there can be no dealing with the past, and therefore no reconciliation, as an important prerequisite for building the European future of Montenegro and the region."

"Representatives of the Bosniak Council will today, together with other organizations and family members of the victims of deportations, participate in marking this tragic date in Herceg Novi," the Bosniak Council said.