Human Rights Action (HRA) welcomes the initiative of the President of Montenegro, Jakov Milatović, to adopt a law that would ensure the rehabilitation and compensation of political prisoners detained in Goli Otok, Sveti Grgur, and other similar detention camps.

HRA recalls that, to this day, neither the government led by the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) nor the governments since 2020 have accepted the initiative of the Association of Goli Otok Prisoners and the Human Rights Action to pass such a law. As a result, the victims of grave human rights violations from Montenegro and their families remain the only ones in the region without legal redress. In contrast, Slovenia, Croatia, and Serbia have long since enacted laws to compensate these victims.

It is worth recalling that as early as 1992, the Parliament of the Republic of Montenegro condemned the “terror against convicts in Goli Otok and other infamous camps and prisons” and declared that “all of them will be provided with moral and legal satisfaction.” Furthermore, Ombudsmen Šefko Crnovršanin and Šućko Baković both advocated, but unsuccessfully, for the rehabilitation and compensation of Goli Otok prisoners.

A significant opportunity to resolve this issue was missed in 2015 with the adoption of the Law on Compensation for Victims of Violent Crimes.

The governments led by Duško Marković, Zdravko Krivokapić, and Dritan Abazović all failed to correct this historical injustice.

We urge the government of Milojko Spajić to immediately establish a working group to draft this law so that the few remaining survivors of Goli Otok can finally receive the justice they deserve, along with the descendants of those who have passed away.

We call on the government to ensure that this year, as we mark the International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims on March 24, we do so with at least a working group in place, actively addressing this issue.

It is important to emphasize that 3,390 Montenegrins were imprisoned in Goli Otok, accounting for 21.5% of the total number of detainees. This represents the highest proportion relative to the population of any former Yugoslav republic.

The government of Prime Minister Krivokapić failed to consider the proposal from HRA and the Association of Goli Otok Prisoners, despite previously stating that it would do so.

Denying justice to victims of human rights violations is a blatant disregard for human rights. Montenegro must make a decisive effort to ensure that all victims of past grave human rights violations receive recognition and are not forgotten.

A concrete break with the legacy of war, rooted in moral and legal principles, would be a crucial step toward a stable democratic future.