Montenegro report highlights glorification of Ratko Mladić

The Center for Civic Education (CGO) in Montenegro has released an analytical report documenting the glorification of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić. The report, titled ‘Strategies of Relativizing Evil’, examines how Mladić is being celebrated by various actors, including holders of state and local functions, political officials, and religious representatives. CGO notes that this glorification has moved beyond social media into organized gatherings, graffiti, and public displays in several Montenegrin cities.

The report highlights an inconsistent institutional response in Montenegro. While legal frameworks exist to address the denial or minimization of war crimes, CGO observes that reactions from the police and judiciary have been swifter toward street protesters than toward public officials. This disparity, according to the report, creates a perception that political power influences the boundaries of legal accountability.

In a related context of historical revisionism, discussions have surfaced regarding Srđa Trifković, who has published content in Die Weltwoche denying the Srebrenica genocide and portraying Mladić as a capable military commander. Records from the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) indicate that Trifković was present at a meeting with Radovan Karadžić on July 13, 1995, during the period of the Srebrenica genocide.