The President of Montenegro, Jakov Milatović, is expected to present today an initiative to the Parliament regarding the enactment of a law for the rehabilitation and restitution for political prisoners on Goli Otok, who were suspected of supporting the Informbiro Resolution, according to unofficial sources from “Vijesti”.

This initiative will address individuals who were imprisoned without a fair trial or valid evidence, whether through administrative actions or lack thereof, and who endured inhumane treatment on Goli Otok, Sveti Grgur, and other facilities, due to alleged or assumed backing of the Informbiro Resolution of 1948.

The Informburo was the successor to the Comintern (Communist International), comprised of various communist parties, and its resolution critiqued the leadership of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia, headed by Josip Broz Tito, for straying from Marxist-Leninist tenets and for taking measures against the Soviet Union, which was led by Joseph Visarionovich Stalin, ultimately abandoning the position of the working class…

This discord led to a rupture between Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union, prompting the Yugoslav authorities to initiate a crackdown on those they viewed as Stalinist sympathizers. A prison system was established for these individuals, referred to as informers, with Goli Otok being the largest facility, located off the coast of Rab, Croatia.

According to records from the former Federal Secretariat for Internal Affairs of the SFRY, there were 16,101 inmates across Goli Otok and the connected prison system, 3,390 of whom were from Montenegro.

As reported by “Vijesti”, Milatović believes that legislating for the rehabilitation and compensation of the victims from Goli Otok represents not just a legal measure, but also a moral obligation for Montenegro to acknowledge and remedy the injustices suffered by these individuals due to their authentic or assumed beliefs. He posits that this would align Montenegro with neighboring nations that have already taken steps to safeguard human rights.

The head of state, in accordance with the newspaper’s findings, feels that the lack of governmental action towards rehabilitating Goli Otok victims thus far, despite the fact that Montenegro had the highest prisoner percentage relative to its population, signifies a legal and moral failure, along with a disregard for fundamental human rights. Thus, he considers the enactment of this law essential for rectifying a historical wrong. Furthermore, given that many victims have passed away, Milatović underscores the need for ensuring not only their posthumous rehabilitation but also just restitution for their descendants, who have faced discrimination and economic hardships.

Milatović intends for the proposed Draft Law on the Annulment of Judgments, Decisions, Acts, and Actions of the State Bodies of the Republic of Montenegro and the FNRY against individuals accused of supporting the Informbiro Resolution of 1948—previously prepared in 2006 by the Citizens’ Association “Goli Otok”—to serve as the foundational basis for this legislative proposal.

In March of last year, when announcing his commitment to initiate compensation for the victims of Goli Otok, the President of Montenegro described the camp as “a black mark in our history and a symbol of suffering for thousands of citizens and their families,” reiterating his support for the ongoing efforts by civil society and the “Goli Otok” Citizens’ Association to resolve these matters, similar to actions taken in Slovenia, Croatia, and Serbia.

“Only a state that addresses its moral obligation towards those whose rights have been profoundly violated and who have endured neglect over the years can pursue a genuine path of progress,” he remarked at that time.

The only formal act adopted in Montenegro pertaining to the compensation of political prisoners thus far is the Declaration condemning Human Rights Violations and Abuse of Power, which was ratified by the Parliament of the Republic of Montenegro in January 1992.

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