NGOs Urge Montenegro’s Pension Fund to Cut Ties with Controversial Center

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina are calling for the termination of a contract with the rehabilitation center “Vilina Vlas” near Višegrad. The Center for Civic Education (CGO) and the Association for Social Research and Communication (UDIK) have sent a formal initiative to Montenegro’s Fund for Pension and Disability Insurance, urging it to withdraw the center from its vacation and recovery program offered to pensioners.

In a joint statement, the organizations highlighted the troubling history of “Vilina Vlas.” Located approximately 5 kilometers from Višegrad, the site was used during the Bosnian War as a detention center known for torture and systemic sexual violence against non-Serbian populations. The NGOs stress that the selection of partner facilities for pensioners must align with fundamental ethical principles, the culture of remembrance, and respect for the victims of war crimes.

According to a report by a special United Nations Committee in 1994, nearly 200 women were raped at this facility in 1992, with some victims murdered and others tragically committing suicide. The statement also references the abduction of 17 Bosniak citizens from the village of Sjeverin in October 1992 by a paramilitary group led by Milan Lukić.

A judgment from the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina describes “Vilina Vlas” as a “rehabilitation center turned into a women’s camp where women and girls were systematically abused.” Despite the weight of this historical context, the center has continued to operate as a spa and rehabilitation facility since the end of the war. Notably, there is no indication on the premises or in its official presentations that it once served as a site of such atrocities. There are also no memorial plaques or markers to inform visitors of the violent history associated with the location.

CGO and UDIK assert that promoting this facility for tourism and rehabilitation, without acknowledging its past, exemplifies the denial and normalization of crimes against humanity. They emphasize that many visitors to “Vilina Vlas” are unaware they are in a location where mass rapes and murders occurred three decades ago.

The regional REKOM network for reconciliation publicly condemned this practice, describing it as a conscious choice to silence the stories of the victims and erase them from public discourse. The Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina has also responded, stressing that sites of suffering should not be marketed as tourist destinations without truthful representation of their histories.

CGO and UDIK urge the Fund for Pension and Disability Insurance, as a public institution, to consider the ethical implications of its decisions and partnerships. They label the practice of directing pensioners—some of whom may be survivors of war trauma or family members of victims—to a facility symbolizing systematic sexual violence and crimes against humanity as unacceptable.

The organizations argue that such actions could be interpreted as indirect consent to revisionism and the denial of these past crimes. They call upon the Fund to act in accordance with principles of social responsibility and respect for victims by initiating the process to terminate its current contract with “Vilina Vlas.” They advocate for future partnerships to adhere to clear criteria that honor the dignity of war crime victims and demonstrate a responsible approach to the legacy of the past.

CGO and UDIK express regret that the leadership of the Fund has not yet taken action, especially following renewed media attention on this issue in Montenegro. Terminating this contract would send a clear message that Montenegro does not accept the normalization of crime sites under the guise of tourism and rehabilitation. Instead, it would show a commitment to building a society that responsibly confronts its past and stands in solidarity with victims.