Montenegro’s government has allocated €100,000 for each of the 16 families of victims from tragic events during the 1990s wars, Prime Minister Milojko Spajić announced on social media platform X.
“Montenegro is correcting a decades-long injustice – compensation for the families of civilian victims of the 1990s wars,” Spajić wrote.
The allocated funds will support families affected by incidents in Štrpci, during the bombing in Murino and Tuzima, as well as the deportation of refugees. According to Spajić, €50,000 will be paid out this year, with the remaining €50,000 distributed in 2026.
“The loss of loved ones is irreplaceable, but it is our obligation to respect basic human rights, ensure equal treatment, and restore trust in our institutions,” Spajić said.
This marks the first time in over three decades that the state is providing tangible assistance to the families of civilian victims from the 1990s wars.
The families of victims from the Štrpci massacre, the Murino and Tuzima bombings, and the refugee deportations will each receive €100,000. The payment will be split between two years, with €50,000 this year and the remainder in 2026.
The government acknowledged that, for decades, the state failed to protect the basic human rights of its citizens and that the importance of confronting the past, recognizing past mistakes, and restoring solidarity had not been recognized until the 44th government. The statement also honors the victims of the Štrpci train station massacre on February 28, 1993, including Esad Kapetanović, Iljaz Ličina, Fehim Bakija, Šećo Softić, Rifaat Husović, Senad Đečević, Jusuf Rastoder, and Ismet Babačić.
Prime Minister Spajić also reiterated the government’s recognition of the victims of the 1999 Murino bridge bombing, including Miroslav Knežević, Olivera Maksimović, Julija Brudar, Vukić Vuletić, Milko Kočanović, Manojlo Komatina, and Paška Junčaj, who died in Tuzima during the same year’s bombing.
Additionally, the family of Osma Bajrović, a Bosnian refugee deported to Montenegro in 1992, will receive compensation. His remains have yet to be found.
The compensation follows the adoption of an Information from the Ministry of Social Welfare and Demography, led by Damir Gutić, and initiatives by Deputy Prime Minister Milun Zogović. This is in line with amendments to the Law on Veterans’ and Disability Protection approved by the Montenegrin Parliament on February 28, 2025.
“Recognition of the suffering of the families of civilian victims from the 1990s wars, institutional protection, acknowledgment of mistakes, and the correction of injustices is a duty of a society that upholds the rule of law and the values of a civic state,” the Prime Minister’s office stated.
