Youth Initiative for Human Rights strongly condemns the Ministry of Defence establishing a tradition at the Belgrade Book Fair where for the second consecutive year a platform and voice is given to convicted war criminals such as Nebojša Pavković, Vladimir Lazarević, Dragoljub Ojdanić and Vinko Panudrević through the edition of ‘Ratnik’ and a variety of public events.

In this way, by giving a public opportunity to deny their crimes, the Ministry of Defence protects and glorifies war criminals hiding behind the value of truth and pride, yet again killing the memory of the victims of those crimes.

The Ministry of Defence has once again shown its criminal face at the Book Fair by promoting war criminals who do not consider their victims worthy even of a footnote. Given their implicit or vocal defence of the war criminals, we assume that the PM Ana Brnabić and President Aleksandar Vučić are one step away from erecting a monument dedicated to Slobodan Milošević.