Podgorica, (MINA) - Naming a street in Podgorica after former Minister of Internal Affairs of Montenegro and Minister of Defense of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY), Pavle Bulatovic, would send a message that war crimes are still politically acceptable, said a group of NGOs and civil activists.

In a joint press release signed by a group of 24 NGOs and civil activists, it is stated that civil society organizations strongly oppose the proposal of naming a street in Podgorica after Bulatovic, who, as they stated, was directly responsible for the war crime of deportation of Bosnian-Herzegovinian refugees.

In the joint press release of 24 NGOs and civil activists, it is stated that naming a street after Bulatovic would mean the support of today’s Montenegro for the war crime of deportation of Bosnian-Herzegovinian refugees.

The group of NGOs and activists expressed regret that their arguments against the initiative, which they presented last year, were not taken into account.

They pointed out that the fact that this proposal was supported by MPs belonging to the parties that publicly identify as civic-oriented, while in practice they participate in the rehabilitation of individuals associated with Montenegro’s wartime past.

They emphasized that the Ministry of Culture and Media is on the move, which, according to the Law on Monuments, should assess whether Bulatovic meets the requirements for “prominent personality”.

“We note that Article 10 forbids the erection of memorials to persons who had a negative role in the history of Montenegro or humanity”, the statement concluded.