Montenegro faces criticism over glorification of war criminals

Political activist and scholar Emir Pilav has criticized the Montenegrin state for its perceived failure to prosecute the glorification of war criminals. The controversy stems from statements made by Metodija Ostojić, a metropolitan of the Serbian Orthodox Church, who referred to the Chetnik war criminal Pavle Đurišić as an ‘inspired hero’ and associated Ratko Mladić with the ‘holy virtues’ of the Serbian people.

The Higher State Prosecutor's Office in Bijelo Polje recently rejected a criminal complaint against Ostojić regarding his comments on Đurišić, stating that the investigation found no elements of a criminal offense. Meanwhile, a separate investigation by the Podgorica Higher State Prosecutor's Office regarding his comments on Mladić is still pending.

Pilav argued that when a state remains silent while war criminals are glorified, it becomes an accomplice to the problem. He characterized such rhetoric not as ignorance, but as a conscious humiliation of victims and a violation of laws intended to sanction the denial of genocide.