Today marks 26 years since the NATO bombing of the bridge in the small town of Murino, located in northern Montenegro. The attack claimed the lives of six civilians, including three children: Miroslav Knežević (14), Olivera Maksimović (13), and Julija Brudar (11), alongside Vukić Vuletić (46), Milka Kočanović (69), and Manojlo Komatina (72).

Eight others were injured.

In addition to the bridge, several civilian structures, such as a local store and the community center, sustained damage on April 30, 1999. Notably, there were no sirens or other warnings prior to the bombing—this fact has been confirmed by a final court decision.

The affected families filed lawsuits against the state of Montenegro for compensation, arguing that they were not adequately notified about the bombing risk, despite NATO having informed the authorities about the planned targets.

However, the Supreme Court of Montenegro ruled against compensation payments, citing the expiration of the statute of limitations, as no criminal proceedings had ever been initiated against those responsible for failing to warn civilians. In the initial court case, the court determined that civil courts are not permitted to establish whether damage was caused by a criminal act for the purpose of applying a longer statute of limitations. Consequently, it was unjustly concluded that the Komatina family was not entitled to the previously awarded compensation, while the claims of other families were dismissed as outdated.

This year, an important step was made toward recognizing victims’ rights to reparations. More than two decades later, the victims of the Murino bombing and their families were officially recognized as civilian war victims through amendments to the Law on Veterans’ and Disability Protection. Last Friday, the Government also decided to award a one-time payment of €100,000 to each family of the deceased victims—signifying a crucial acknowledgment of the long-standing injustice.

It is important to note that this government decision pertains to compensation for missed social benefits; however, the families have yet to receive compensation for the emotional suffering caused by the loss of their loved ones. Furthermore, the issue of accountability for failing to warn the residents of Murino about the impending danger has not been addressed. We anticipate that Montenegro will take up these matters in the future.

Representatives of Human Rights Action (HRA) are attending today’s memorial gathering at the monument in Murino, organized by the Diocese of Budimlja and Nikšić, the families of the NATO bombing victims, the local community of Murino, the Society of Serbian Hosts of Montenegro, and the Serbian National Council of Montenegro.