The non-governmental organisations and civic activists that co-signed the appeal of 9 September 2026 today received a response from the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro, addressed to the glorification of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić by public officials. The EU Delegation stated clearly and unambiguously that the glorification of war criminals has no place either in the European Union or in candidate countries, and that Montenegro, as a candidate country, must respect the judgments of international courts, protect the dignity of victims and their families, and reject any glorification or relativisation of war crimes.

This position of the EU Delegation further confirms what we have been warning of: that the response of the Montenegrin authorities to Mandić’s telegram of condolences to the son of Ratko Mladić has to date been neither clear, nor adequate, nor in line with the standards the EU sets for a candidate country for EU membership.

We remind the public that Prime Minister Milojko Spajić has to this day not personally addressed this issue.

His Europe Now Movement (PES), rather than clearly and unambiguously condemning the glorification of Ratko Mladić, has confined itself to general formulations about “leaving war rhetoric behind,” “choosing the future,” and a general commitment to respecting the judgments of international courts, avoiding any specific naming or condemnation of the act itself — the expression of condolences by the Speaker of the Parliament of Montenegro to the son of a genocidal criminal convicted by final judgment. Such generalisation by PES constitutes an impermissible relativisation of Mandić’s gesture, which in essence lent support to the genocide in Srebrenica.

We further condemn in the strongest terms the statement made by PES MP Jelena Nedović: “We respect the judgments of the Hague Tribunal, but we also remember the victims across the territory of former Yugoslavia. We must not forget Bratunac and the photographs of murdered boys.” Through this inappropriate comparison, the PES MP attempted to justify genocide against innocent civilians, which cannot be justified by any means. One crime cannot justify another, least of all genocide. This rhetoric by an MP of the ruling coalition is an alarming signal that the genocide in Srebrenica is, within the highest institutions of Montenegro and beyond the Speaker of Parliament, no longer treated as a fact requiring unequivocal condemnation.

We pose the following question: how can a party that presents itself as the standard-bearer of Montenegro’s European path, and which bears the greatest responsibility to promote in practice the values on which the European Union is founded, simultaneously claim to be “choosing the future” while refusing to clearly condemn genocide and its perpetrators?

We once again call on Prime Minister Milojko Spajić:

1. To personally and publicly condemn, without further delay, the glorification of Ratko Mladić and the Srebrenica genocide by holders of public office;
2. To clearly distance himself from the characterisation of the gesture as mere “custom,” as Speaker of Parliament Andrija Mandić has attempted to present it;
3. To clearly condemn the public attempt by MP Nedović to justify the Srebrenica genocide and the war criminal Mladić;
To withdraw political support from officials who glorify war criminals, in line with the standards clearly articulated by the EU.

Montenegro cannot simultaneously seek progress on its European path while tolerating silence on the part of its highest state officials in the face of the glorification of genocide. The response of the EU Delegation is unambiguous. The Government of Montenegro must demonstrate, with equal clarity, that it genuinely shares European values.

Signatories:

Non-governmental organisations:

1. Human Rights Action (HRA)
2. Centre for Civic Education (CCE)
3. Centre for Women’s and Peace Education ANIMA
4. Juventas
5. Association “Štrpci – Against Oblivion”
6.  Women’s Rights Centre (WRC)
7. SPEKTRA Association
8. PRIMA
9. Centre for the Development of NGOs (CRNVO)
10. Centre for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro (CIN CG)
11. Dr Martin Schneider-Jacoby Association
12. LBTQ Women’s Association “Stana”
13. Women’s Action
14. Montenegrin Committee of Lawyers for the Protection of Human Rights
15. Antifascists of Cetinje
16.  Women’s Safe House
17. 
Civic Initiative 21 May
18. First Women’s Environmental Movement in Montenegro – Ecopatriotism
19. Bihor Culture Centre
20. Ikre Rožaje
21. Centre for Roma Initiatives
22. Centre for Democratic Transition (CDT)
23. 35mm
24. Ipso Facto
25. Centre for Monitoring and Research (CeMI)
26. Montenegrin PEN Centre
27. Montenegrin Philological Society
28. Media Institute of Montenegro
29. Montenegrin LGBTIQ Association Queer Montenegro
30. Centre for Democracy and Human Rights (CEDEM)
31. Green Home
32. Korifej Theatre
33. Association for the Protection and Promotion of Citizens’ Rights “Pravozastupnik”
34. Municipal Multiple Sclerosis Association of Bijelo Polje
35. Roma Youth Organisation “Walk with Us – Phiren Amenca”
36. Bosniak Forum of Montenegro
37. Bonum – Pljevlja
38. Natura
39. Ul-Info
40. Multimedijal
41. Fund for Progressive Policies
42. Husein Paša
43. Agora Femina
44. Mogul
45. Youth Activism Network (MOACG)
46. Expeditio
47. Regional Cooperation Initiative of Montenegro (Igman Initiative)
48. Montenegrin Society of Independent Writers
49. Alternative Theatre Active Company (ATAK)
50. Association of Lawyers of Montenegro
51. STEGA – Strategy for a European and Civic Montenegro
52. Montenegrin Women’s Lobby
53. Active zone

Civic activists:

1. Jovana Marović
2. Dina Bajramspahić
3. Paula Petričević
4. Milena Bešić
5. Aleksandar Dragićević
6. Darko Saveljić
7. Emir Pilav
8. Nikoleta Đukanović
9. Milica Kankaraš Berber
10. Sabina Talović
11. Goran Đurović
12. Almedina Dodić
13. Danijel Kalezić
14. Biljana Maslovarić
15. Vuk Vučeraković
16. Mato Kankaraš
17. Veselin Radulović
18. Mladen Ivanović
19. Vuk Iković
20. Milo Perović
21. Aleksandar Saša Zeković