Human Rights Action (HRA) strongly condemns the appointment of Jovan Vučurović as Minister without Portfolio in the third reshuffle of the 44th Government of Montenegro, given that he is publicly known for denying the Srebrenica genocide and for holding a series of other positions incompatible with serving in the Government of a civic and European Montenegro.

Jovan Vučurović is publicly known for denying the Srebrenica genocide, glorifying Chetnik ideology, disparaging LGBTIQ+ persons and disregarding their rights, participating in commemorations of the unconstitutional Day of Republika Srpska, and referring to Kosovo as a “fake state.” An individual holding such publicly expressed views cannot be considered fit to serve as a minister in a Government that is obligated to protect human rights, uphold international law, and foster good-neighbourly relations.

It is particularly paradoxical that Vučurović’s appointment as a member of the Government was supported precisely by the minority parties that in 2021 voted to dismiss then-Minister of Justice Vladimir Leposavić over his relativisation of the Srebrenica genocide. Representatives of the Bosniak Party and the Albanian Forum voted in favour of Vučurović’s appointment – with the exception of BS MP Kenana Strujić Harbić, independent MP Maja Vučelić, and Albanian Alliance MP Iliri Čapuni. HRA recalls that members of the Government do not represent solely the parties that nominated them, but the State of Montenegro as a whole, and that the appointment of a person holding such views seriously undermines its credibility.

The European Union likewise expects Montenegro to respect human rights, to accept judicially established facts concerning war crimes, and to pursue genuine reconciliation with the past.

The European corpus of civilisational values grounded in human rights is not a menu from which one selects at will – these values can only be upheld in their entirety.