LOCAL PRESS

Sweden’s unequivocal support for Serbia’s EU integration (Tanjug/RTV)

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic talked on Tuesday with Swedish parliament speaker Andreas Norlen about bilateral relations between the two countries, European integration, reforms and activities that Serbia is implementing in the process of joining the EU. She pointed out that European integration is a strategic goal and a key priority, and that Serbia greatly appreciates the support of the Swedish government in that process. The reforms that Serbia is implementing in the field of rule of law, judiciary and state administration speak in favor of the government’s commitment to essential changes, she explained and stated that the reforms are not exclusively for Serbia’s EU membership, but are also a precondition for a better life for our citizens. The focus of the reforms is, above all, on the judicial system, which has the widest impact on our society, but also on the economic stability of the state, because, as she explained, it has a direct impact on creating a favorable investment climate. Norlen said that Sweden remains committed to EU enlargement to the Western Balkans and support to Serbia in the areas of reform of the rule of law and justice, but also the fight against corruption and freedom of the media. When it comes to media freedom, Brnabic emphasized that the important task of the state is the safety and protection of journalists, and that the positive effects of the activities of the Working Group dealing with this issue are visible, which results in a decreasing trend of reported cases of endangering journalists’ safety. Norlen noted that Sweden’s support for Serbia’s integration will continue to be unequivocal, pointing to the fact that our countries are also connected by a large Serbian diaspora, very well integrated into Swedish society.

Petkovic: Pristina tried not only to put a band-aid on the mouth of Ivan Todosijevic but also the entire Serb people (RTS)

The Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Petar Petkovic has told the morning news of Radio and Television of Serbia (RTS) that “with the shameful decision to confirm the two-year prison sentence for the MP of the Serb List and the mayor of Zvecan Ivan Todosijevic for statements about Racak, the Pristina judiciary caused incalculable damage to the reconciliation process in Kosovo and Metohija”. He says that at issue is a shameful, unacceptable and political verdict of Pristina, that it is an instrument of Pristina politicians to deal with the Serb people in Kosovo and Metohija. “Yesterday, the so-called rule of law in Kosovo and Metohija in Albanian areas was written in black letters because Pristina tried not only to put a band-aid on the mouth of Ivan Todosijevic but also the entire Serb people. And it would be good that this was also noticed by Twitter and many Western countries that talk about democracy and freedom of speech, and precisely what happened in this verdict, where a man is sentenced to go to prison for two years just because he told the truth, is absolutely unacceptable,” Petkovic said. Petkovic states that “this scandalous decision, which is not based on law or justice, has dangerously violated the security situation in Kosovo and Metohija, because the verdict against Ivan Todosijevic is a verdict for every Serb who fights for the truth”. “On the occasion of this shameful verdict, urgent consultations of the Serb List with the leadership of the Republic of Serbia will be held, and our response will be decisive and strong,” he said. This decision “suspended the right to freedom of opinion and speech on the soil of modern Europe in the XXI century and introduced a verbal offense in Kosovo and Metohija”, and “in this way it seeks to deny Serbs the right to opinion, freedom of speech and telling the truth”. “This political verdict is the most direct violation of the Brussels agreement in point 10, which refers to the judiciary, and whereby it was agreed that in cases coming from Serb communities, judges of Serb nationality decide by a majority. However, only judges of Albanian nationality decided in the first instance and in the second instance procedure. Albanians sued, Albanians ruled,” he stated. Petkovic estimates that with the verdict against Todosijevic “the persecution of Serbs, not only in Kosovo and Metohija but also in the region, continue with synchronized legal decisions aimed at criminalizing the Serb people and blaming them for all events during the 1990s”. “This will not prevent the Serb people from testifying to the truth at every opportunity and in every place, with their heads held high like Ivan Todosijevic. The state of Serbia will continue to provide all necessary legal and any other assistance to Ivan Todosijevic, who was attacked by Pristina just because he is a Serb and defending the truth,” concludes the Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija.

Independent commission reiterates: There was no genocide (Beta/B92)

There was no individual crime of genocide, or genocide in general, in Srebrenica. This is the conclusion of the Independent International Commission for the Study of the Suffering of All Nations in the Srebrenica Region in the period 1992-1995, formed by the government of Republika Srpska (RS). Gideon Greif, the president of the commission, told reporters at Tuesday’s conference at the Association of Journalists of Serbia (UNS) Press Center in Belgrade, adding that all 10 of its members, international experts, were completely independent in the research that lasted two years and that no pressure was put on them. “After a detailed investigation, it was concluded that there was no individual crime of genocide, or genocide in general, in Srebrenica. Although the commission did not take into account killings outside those related to Srebrenica, it recognizes the fact that thousands of people, mostly prisoners of war, were killed in the most horrible ways and that those responsible for those crimes must be punished,” Greif said. According to him, the definition of genocide set by the Hague Tribunal will not stand the test of time. “In order to prevent future genocides, it is very important that the notion of genocide as a crime must not be distorted. If this notion continues to be used lightly, as in the case of Srebrenica, it will lose its meaning. Genocide charges will be linked to any conflict in the future, and most importantly, there will be no consequences,” Greif said. As he stated, that report should help in dealing with the past, which would lead to the strengthening of trust and tolerance among the inhabitants of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H), as well as the final reconciliation and coexistence of present and future generations. “Our only goal was the truth. We believe that the results of our research are a reflection of reality, a reflection of those events, and I hope that in time, not immediately, other institutions around the world, other experts, will change their minds, or at least adapt their conclusions to ours.” “I am sure that we have done a very detailed job and we are convinced that our report, which is more than 1.000 pages long, reflects what really happened in that region, without prejudices, without legends, without magnification. We fully stand behind it,” Greif said. The Vice-President of the commission Yuki Osa stated that they do not want to deny in any way what happened then. “A crime has happened. In order to prevent such crimes in the future, we must prevent wars and armed conflicts,” Osa said. One of the members of the commission Stephen Meyer said that it was not clear to him how a law, such as the law on genocide denial imposed by the former High Representative in B&H Valentin Inzko could have been passed. “A lot of people here say, ‘Okay, that’s the law.’ I can understand that. But I can’t understand how the B&H Prosecution accepts that. This law was not passed by the government, it was imposed, and I think it was imposed illegally and without morality,” Meyer said. He estimated that Inzko’s law will cause a counter effect, that is, that it will additionally divide B&H. The complete report of the Independent International Commission for the Study of the Suffering of All Nations in the Srebrenica Region in the period 1992-1995 can be found on the website https://incomfis-srebrenica.org.

REGIONAL PRESS

Salkic sends letter to Schmidt and urges him to eliminate asymmetric solutions from entity constitutions (BHT1)

RS Vice President Ramiz Salkic sent a letter to High Representative Christian Schmidt on Tuesday and urged him to take steps towards elimination of asymmetric solutions from entity constitutions, as well as to end systemic discrimination conducted by the RS authorities. Salkic claims that the decision of the Constitutional Court of B&H about the status of constituent peoples was implemented formally but not essentially and Bosniaks and Croats in the RS do not have the same constitutional and institutional protection as Serbs in the Federation of B&H (FB&H). The letter further reads that asymmetric solutions regarding competences of the FB&H House of Peoples and the RS Council of Peoples, as well as competences of entity presidents and vice presidents, have to be eliminated if true equality is to be achieved.

Different stances (Oslobodjenje)

The Public Relations Office of the B&H Presidency stated that Bosniak member of the B&H Presidency Sefik Dzaferovic on Tuesday met with Ambassador of China to B&H Ji Ping, on which occasion they concluded that bilateral relations of the two countries are good and should be improved in political, economic and cultural context. They also discussed matters on which the countries have different views. With regard to the position of the High Representative, Dzaferovic stated that the High Representative has a full legitimacy for his work as in line with the Dayton Peace Agreement.

Niksic and Nelson: Fabricated affairs are camouflaging real problems of the citizens (Dnevni list)

The daily reports that SDP leader Nermin Niksic met (on Monday) with US Ambassador to B&H Eric Nelson and new Deputy Chief of Mission Deborah Mennuti and that they talked about the political situation in B&H. According to the article, focus of the meeting was on, among other issues, changes to the B&H Law on Elections dealing with elections of members of the B&H Presidency and introduction of mechanisms that would protect integrity of the election process and prevent mass-scale abuses. Niksic conveyed SDP’s views to Ambassador Nelson and said SDP is against asymmetric election of members of the B&H Presidency. According to Niksic, when it comes to the election of the B&H Presidency members, SDP is prepared to be a part of the solution, be it direct or indirect election, on condition that proposals deal with election of all members of the Presidency. The SDP leader added by saying SDP will never agree to asymmetric solutions because it would practically mean B&H is not a single state but a state community. The article further reads that as Ambassador Nelson was interested in SDP’s position about the current situation caused by (imposition of) amendments to the B&H Criminal Code dealing with ban of genocide denial, Niksic said that officials from the RS have a historic opportunity to accept the truth that has been confirmed in court of law. The SDP leader added he is expecting that relations in the state institutions will normalize soon because there is no other option but to abide by the law. In addition, Niksic said that real problems of citizens got sidelined, which only suits the ruling authorities and not the citizens.

Lagumdzija: Svraka relieved of duty of member of Second-Instance Disciplinary Commission in Tadic case (BHT1/RTRS)

The President of the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of B&H (HJPC) Halil Lagumdzija confirmed on Tuesday that Mahmut Svraka has been relieved of duty of member of the Second-Instance Disciplinary Commission in the case against Chief Prosecutor of the Prosecutor’s Office of B&H Gordana Tadic, because his mandate will end soon. Lagumdzija explained that, for this same reason, Svraka has been relieved of duties in all commissions, given that the end of his mandate as member of the HJPC automatically implies the end of possibility to perform duties of members in disciplinary commissions of this Council. RTRS reminds that the recusal of Svraka from the Second-Instance Disciplinary Commission in the Tadic case was requested by Tadic’s defense attorney Vlado Adamovic. Some FB&H media reported that, accompanied with Director of the B&H Intelligence-Security Agency (OSA) Osman Mehmedagic, Svraka went to the SDA Headquarters (HQ) in Sarajevo where SDA leader Bakir Izetbegovic allegedly offered him to choose a new function if he endorses Tadic’s removal from her post.

Report on suffering of all peoples in Srebrenica during 1992-1995 presented in Belgrade (FTV/ATV)

FTV reports about another denial of the genocide as the report of the so-called International Independent Commission for Research of Suffering of All Peoples in Srebrenica Area 1992-1995 was presented in Belgrade on Tuesday. Seven members of the aforementioned commission said that they accepted to be a part of this body because they were guaranteed that there will be no pressures and they expect that results of their work will find their way outside of the RS and Serbia. Chair of the Commission Gideon Greif said that they are confident that the result of their report reflects real events and hopefully that other institutions and international organizations all over the world will change their mind over time and adjust it to theirs. Commenting on the fact that media reported that the World Jewish Congress rejected their report as fake and as a disgrace, Greif stated that the report is not fake but original and that the source that reported this is fake. Member of the Commission Steven Meyer commented on the law that former High Representative Valentin Inzko imposed by saying that it was imposed in an illegal and in an immoral way which has something to do with the tragedy of this part of the world that was under domination of others for a long period of time and until just recently.  Meyer assessed that the Inzko’s law will have an opposite effect and that it will influence further breakdown of B&H. The reporter concluded by saying that it is not a problem to present the report in Serbia and the real question is what to do next with the report and where. ATV states that a crime was committed in Srebrenica in 1995, but that according to the United Nations definition and convention, it cannot be subsumed under the term genocide. Meyer said that he plans to travel to the RS and that he hopes that he will not be arrested, because he plans to repeat his position that the crime in Srebrenica was not genocide. The 1,106-page report lists all the events that preceded July 1995. The report covered the suffering of all peoples in the Srebrenica region since 1992 in the municipalities of Srebrenica, Bratunac, Zvornik, Milici and Vlasenica. Until now, international courts have ruled exclusively on crimes committed in July 1995, but the Commission has found that even then, the largest number of Bosniaks were killed during hostilities and war conflicts. It is estimated that between 4,000 and 5,000 people were killed during the breakthrough towards Tuzla on the entire route, in fighting and clashes, including suicides and minefield casualties. Greif pointed out that the Commission stands behind every letter of the Report and that the only goal was the truth. “The (Hague) Tribunal’s definition of genocide will not stand the test of time, because the Commission is convinced that the crime in Srebrenica cannot be called genocide. The final report should contribute to strengthening trust and tolerance between the peoples of B&H and contribute to the final reconciliation and coexistence of present and future generations”, Greif pointed out. Members of the Commission consider to be cowardly the move of Inzko, who imposed the law on the prohibition of genocide denial during his resignation. Meyer said he could not believe the move that was made by Inzko three days before his departure and he also does not believe anyone in B&H should accept such a law. So far, 27 people have been tried before the Tribunal for crimes against the Bosniak population in the Srebrenica region, 20 of whom have been sentenced to four life sentences and 272 years in prison. The report states that the judges were strongly influenced by the Western media, where the Muslim side was portrayed as a defender, and each of their military actions was presented in the context of defense against Serb forces. “No one has ever heard of the 28th Division. They just believed civilians had been killed. They did not have that information because the same story was told for 25 years, which has nothing to do with reality”, emphasized member of the Commission Valter Manosek. In conclusions of the report, the members of the Commission call on the scientific, academic and professional community to continue research on this tragic topic, in order to move it from the sphere of manipulation to the sphere of science and expertise.

Only truth and justice (Glas Srpske, by Darko Momic)

In an interview to the daily, member of the Commission on Srebrenica and international police expert Adenrele Shinaba from Nigeria said that everyone in B&H and region needs the truth for the sake of the process of reconciliation and coexistence and the report of the Commission on Srebrenica can and should be the path to reconciliation. Shinaba, who is the author of an entire chapter in the report, argued that he noticed omissions in the work of a team of investigators of the former International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY): “The team did not look into circumstances of killings, which I believe is an important part of the investigation. It also failed to determine the status of participants of the convoy, i.e. whether that was a military or civilian convoy, and our investigation determined beyond any doubt that it was a military convoy of members of 28th Division of the Army of the Republic of B&H”. In spite of this, Shinaba added, the ICTY accepted and presented the list of missing persons compiled by the International Committee of the Red Cross as a list of war crimes victims. Shinaba also claimed that “it can be said with a great probability” that some 4,000-5,000 people were killed in combat, mutual skirmishes or committed suicide. Based on this, Shinaba noted that the Commission estimated that the minimum number of people who were captured in breach was between 1,500 and 2,000 and the maximum number was between 2,500 and 3,000. “In order to establish the number of people executed by mass shooting, we start with the assumption that the maximum number of executed people is equal to the overall number of people captured in the breach. In addition to this, we must keep in mind the fact that a certain number of prisoners were not executed but were later exchanged,” Shinaba stated.

Krivokapic: Cetinje monastery is Metropolitan’s place, why would he go to Podgorica (Vijesti)

The right to choose the place of enthronement is neither government’s nor parliament’s nor the Defense and Security Committee’s competency. It’s only the right of the ones who are performing it – Metropolitan and the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral, said Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapic. When asked about the statement of the President of the parliamentary Defense and Security Committee Milan Knezevic, who had told the press that the Committee was going to decide whether the ceremony would take place in Podgorica or Cetinje in the coming days, adding that not only the PM and the President of the country should decide on it, Krivokapic said: “I’m surprised to learn that someone can change the place, but it should be checked.” According to him, church officials know very well that the Cetinje monastery is Metropolitan’s seat. “Why would someone go to Podgorica? If he goes to Podgorica, maybe tomorrow he should leave Montenegro.” Krivokapic also adds that the fuss over Joanikije’s enthronement has displayed undesirable tendencies.

Despite tensions, Joanikije doesn’t give up on Cetinje (Pobjeda/Vijesti)

Despite the raised tensions, the Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral of the Serbian Orthodox Church Joanikije is not giving up on his enthronement on 5 September in the Cetinje Monastery. “It goes without saying that it will be in Cetinje”, he told Vijesti on Tuesday.

Pobjeda writes that Joanikije, despite the opposition of the security sector leaders, insisted on a huge celebration, so he invited over 200 guests because the enthronement, according to the agreement with the Ministry of Health, will be in the open. According to current epidemiological measures, it is not possible to organize a gathering with over 50 people outdoors. Serbian Patriarch Porfirije will enthrone the new Metropolitan Joanikije Micovic in the Cetinje Monastery on 5 September, according to an invitation sent to top state officials, ministers, leaders of ruling political parties, the diplomatic corps and the judiciary.

Abazovic meets with Vuksic: ANB dedicated to protection of Montenegro’s national interests (CdM)

Deputy Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic paid a visit to the National Security Agency (ANB), where he met with Director Dejan Vuksic and his associates. The ANB fully protects the national interests of Montenegro and has the active support of the government for all its activities. I exchanged views with Director con all security challenges in our country and I can say that we are jointly committed to achieving goals for the benefit of Montenegro. At this moment, peace, stability and development are priorities, and the ANB makes a great contribution to such processes, said Abazovic. Abazovic and Vuksic visited ANB’s several main sectors. They stated that the cooperation of the ANB with international partners is at an extremely high level, which affects the credibility of Montenegro and its services. Vuksic informed Abazovic about the main activities that the ANB is undertaking at this moment. They also exchanged views on the priority projects that the ANB should implement in the coming period. “Media articles that try to cast a shadow over the work of the security services or create discord among the leaders are completely incorrect and are aimed at collapsing the institutions of the system and damaging Montenegro’s international reputation. We will not allow that. We are determined to end crime, extremism and make Montenegro a progressive and rich state for all its citizens. I am convinced that the ANB and all its employees are fully committed to that goal,” Abazovic concluded.