Crimes committed against Bosniaks in Pljevlja must not remain unpunished, stated Bosniak Party (BS) MP Kenana Strujić-Harbić today.

A statement released on the BS website noted that Strujić-Harbić cited “the claims made by former senior official of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Milan Paunović, during the Inquiry Committee session, where he indicated that over 10,000 weapons were distributed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs in 1992.”

The statement further mentioned that Strujić-Harbić is seeking clarification regarding the distribution of these weapons: who issued the orders, to whom were the weapons assigned, and ultimately, who was targeted for persecution.

Earlier today, the Vice President of the BS and MP in the Parliament of Montenegro, Jasmin Ćorović, urged an immediate institutional response on this matter.

Strujić-Harbić also highlighted “the repercussions of these events on the communities where Bosniaks lived, who faced terror during that period.”

“In Pljevlja, there was officially no war. No front line existed. Yet, there was widespread terror that not only resulted in casualties but also caused a significant decline in the Bosniak population in this city. This was organized and planned terror. The occurrence of crimes in Bukovica, including murders, beatings, robberies, mistreatment, and the persecution of the entire Bosniak community, alongside the destruction of their property, poses a rhetorical question,” emphasized Strujić-Harbić.

The Bosnian Serbs stated that confronting the truth and clarifying the circumstances surrounding these crimes is crucial, which, according to Strujić-Harbić, represent an ethnically and nationally motivated, systematically executed plan aimed at the ethnic cleansing of Bosniaks from Pljevlja and surrounding Sandžak towns.

Additionally, a call for competent institutions to investigate and clarify all events individually was made.

“It’s time to uncover who ordered and executed the attack on the property of the Islamic community in Pljevlja, detonated an explosive device under the car of the Pljevlja imam, shot at mosques in Pljevlja, and bombed the mosque in Raščići,” Strujić-Harbić stated.

“It’s time to reveal who orchestrated and carried out an armed assault on a bus, which seriously injured several of our fellow citizens of the Islamic faith.”

“It’s time to find out who incited and armed the paramilitary units patrolling Pljevlja, who occupied key strategic points and institutions, erected barricades, intimidated citizens, and besieged the police station?”

“It’s time to discover who was responsible for the series of religiously and nationally motivated crimes and incidents in Pljevlja and throughout Montenegro from 1991 to 1993?”

“It’s time to identify who planned, organized, and executed the systematic campaign of crimes, intimidation, and ethnic pressure against Bosniaks?”

“In conclusion, if Montenegro truly aspires to be a lawful, civil, and multiethnic state, it must confront this reality, as unpunished crimes send a dangerous message,” asserted Strujić-Harbić.

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