Exhibition „Dubrovnik siege through the ICTY’s judgements” opens in Podgorica

On 30 May 2024, the representatives of the Mechanism Information Programme for Affected Communities (MIP) and the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism) spoke at the opening ceremony of the exhibition titled "Dubrovnik Siege through the ICTY’s Judgements," held in Podgorica, Montenegro.

The exhibition was produced by the Youth Initiative for Human Rights (YIHR) Montenegro in collaboration with the MIP and supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). During its production, the MIP assisted the YIHR with conceptualising the exhibition using facts established before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) regarding the crimes committed during the shelling of Dubrovnik in late 1991. The MIP also provided related archival material, such as footage and other documents admitted as evidence.

Entirely based on the ICTY’s legacy, the exhibition presents a multimedia combination of judicially established facts and supporting evidence, such as military documents, reports from international observers, and photo and video records from the time of the shelling of Dubrovnik.

In his address, MIP researcher Mr. Nemanja Stjepanović emphasised the importance of the ICTY's legacy in facing the past and remembering those who suffered during wartime events. He noted that MIP similarly cooperates with numerous civil society organisations, museums, documentation centres, media, educational institutions, and other organisations from the former Yugoslavia region.

Mr. Aleksandar Kontić, a representative of the Mechanism’s OTP, reminded attendees that more than three decades have passed since the shelling of Dubrovnik, and the crimes committed during that time have only been prosecuted before the ICTY. He emphasised the importance of trials before domestic courts and expressed hope that those responsible for crimes against civilians and the cultural heritage of Dubrovnik will be prosecuted.

Engagement on the production of the exhibition „Dubrovnik siege through the ICTY’s judgements” forms part of the MIP’s efforts to support projects and events implemented by civil society organisations active in the field of transitional justice in the region of the former Yugoslavia.

The aim of the MIP is to improve the knowledge and understanding of citizens and communities in the countries of the former Yugoslavia about the crimes committed during the conflicts of the 1990s, based on the jurisprudence of the ICTY and the Mechanism. The MIP is funded by the European Union.