On Friday, 15 March 2024, 23 non-governmental organizations sent an appeal to the president of Democratic Montenegro (Democrats), Aleksa Bečić, to influence the councilors of that party in the Assembly of the Capital City to withdraw the proposal to name a street in Podgorica after Pavle Bulatović, the minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Montenegro and Minister of Defence of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the wars of the nineties.

Our non-governmental organizations firmly oppose this proposal. We believe that public tribute to Bulatović would mean the glorification of the war crime of Deportation, which Bulatović ordered, that it would cause additional suffering to the families of the victims of that crime, and that such an act would offend all citizens of Montenegro who care about justice. It is unnecessary to emphasize that this would further encourage divisions in our society and that it would certainly not have a positive impact on good neighbourly relations with neighbouring countries and on European integration. However, the most important thing in this context is to take into account what role models we leave for future generations, if we want to save Montenegro from new wars, suffering and crimes.

We will organize an adequate protest if this proposal reaches a vote in the Assembly of the Capital City.

Signatures (in alphabetical order in Montenegrin):

Human Rights Action

Spektra Association

Centre for Civic Education (CCE)

Center for Civil Liberties (CEGAS)

Center for Democracy and Human Rights (CEDEM)

Center for Investigative Journalism (CIN CG)

Center for Monitoring and Research (CeMI)

Center for the Development of Non-Governmental Organizations (CRNVO)

Center for Women’s and Peace Education ANIMA

Women’s Rights Center (WRC)

LGBTIQ Association Queer Montenegro

Montenegrin PEN Center

Montenegrin women’s lobby

Montenegrin Philological Society

Society of Montenegrin Publishers

ERA – LGBTI Equal Rights Association for Western Balkans and Turkey

Institute for Socio-Political Research – Analitico

Montenegrin Media Institute

Juventas

PRIMA

Women’s Safe House

Association of Youth with Disabilities of Montenegro

Association “Strpci – Against Oblivion”