"Safe House" project report on the situation in Montenegro

The Military Court of Justice stroke almost into the center of Montenegrian political life. The trial process started against vice-president of Montenegro Government, Mr. Novak Kilibarda for his statements, which were described as "endangering the military and defense strength of FRY" and charges were also raised against two ministers - Mr. Dragan Soc and Mr.Vojin Djukanovic.

In the Military Court of Podgorica first two sentences for draft evasion were passed in the second half of April. Media reported that sentences from three months to two and half years were passed to three citizens who didn't respond to a summon for mobilization. It was enough for a lesson; few days later military authorities announced that : "response for the conscription was massive". Details were not presented if it was voluntary or forced. According to the words of Predrag Bulatovic, the leader of the biggest proMilosevic's party in Montenegro, there are 24 000 solders and reserve force members. One part of them wears uniform unwillingly, because they are forced to, or had not good enough excuses for avoiding it. Only in Cetinje 2000 summons for reserve forces were sent, which is, most probably, the highest percentage of summons in any city in FRY, considering its size.

According to unconfirmed information, response of military conscripts at the beginning of mobilization was not exceeding 30 percent, but later on, under the pressure and threats of court prosecution, percentage increased, reaching 65 to 70 percent.

However, The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Montenegro declared that14000 charges were raised against the citizens of Montenegro for evading draft calls.

Mounting tensions between the Army of Yugoslavia (VJ) and civil authorities and population of Montenegro

In spite of strong denial of Military Justice in Podgorica, Bozidar Vukcevic, civil state prosecutor of Montenegro, has brought 151 criminal charges against known and unknown persons from VJ. The Army denied this information claiming that from the beginning of NATO strikes, Montenegrian civil authorities submitted only 5 criminal charges to authorized military prosecutor. From that number, two are said to be concerning criminal charges of "endangering of public traffic".

The most severe incident occurred in the town of Rozaj where unidentified uniformed persons killed at least 6 persons who came from Kosovo. According to the statements of eyewitnesses, among whom is, according to available information, also three-membered patrol of MUP Montenegro; one 70 years old woman and 13 years old boy were killed.One townsman, resident of Rozaj district, was wounded. At the same time, soldiers of Vojska Jugoslavije and paramilitary forces expelled residents of villages Kaludjerski Laz, Gornji Bukelj, Donji Bukelj and Dacici from their houses and ordered them to leave for Rozaje."Everything is indicating it was done by VJ, more precisely by members of beransko-andrijevacki battalion", stated Mayor of Rozaj, Nusret Kalac.

Two days later, version of incident was offered by VJ. "Greater group of terrorists so called UCK, which was moving in columns, faced unit of the Second army of VJ, and attacked in the district of village Kaludjerski Laz. By decisive action of VJ, terrorist group was defeated and four persons were killed.

Confusion is even bigger with the fact that after shooting VJ blocked the whole area, and for more than 24 hours prevented Montenegrian policemen, civilians, investigating officers and representatives of republic government to reach the place of this incident.

Uninvited guests, camouflaged and armed, as usually military police is, tried to submit a summon for military court in Podgorica to Miodrag Perovic, one of the owners of weekly 'Monitor' and owner of "Antena M" radio. On the same day, military police was also trying to submit a summon to editor-in-chief of "Free Montenegro" radio, Nebojsa Redzic. In both cases rejecting of call-ups meant arresting of the accused. As Military authorities didn't mention why are they interested in close contacts with Mr. Perovic and Mr. Redzic, and prosecutors were not willing to check it at the court; it has left unclear, what in concrete cases inspired military prosecutor to demand criminal prosecution.

"There are two main reasons for attempt of military police to put me at the military court - my articles in last couple of months, in which I tried to explain the phenomenon of Montenegro, which, for the first time in its long history of 400 wars didn't join Serbia in fight against NATO alliance, and for the decision not to stop rebroadcasting of radio "Free Europe" program, as well as "Voice of America", and "BBC" ", were guesses of Dr. Perovic, at the conference for domestic and foreign journalists. Nebojsa Redzic, in the statement for "Monitor", connected his summon for the Military court to editing policy of radio "Free Montenegro", mentioning that, from the first day of NATO strikes, this radio, was bearing the pressure of the army. "It has started with telephone calls and warnings of colonel Simic, not to release certain information, and it has ended with the attempt to arrest me", says Mr. Redzic.

These indications can be easily confirmed on the example of two foreign journalists, Antun Masle, journalist of Croatian weekly magazine "Globus", and Erich Wayon, TV journalist from France, who are waiting in military prison for trial, as well as on the numerous examples of mistreating foreign journalists by members of VJ. During the NATO bombing the accreditation for journalists from the Secretary for Information of Republic of Montenegro was declared invalid by military authorities and numerous journalists faced expulsions, arrests and confiscation of equipment. Some other incidents were reported in weekly 'Monitor.' Two VJ reservists beat up 29 years old Alma Muslija, in the pastry shop of her mother, and Toma Papic, teaching assistant at the Faculty of Philosophy, was arrested at his working place by military police. Pastry shop "Mladost", in the center of Niksic was visited by two reserve soldiers and, and they started to mistreat the owner. Alma Muslija, daughter of the owner, tried to protect her mother, but one of two hit her in head, and broke her forehead.Arresting of assistant Toma Papic, brought up more unrest in lives of citizens of Niksic. Papic was arrested by few military police officers, at the hall of Faculty of Philosophy.