Human rights organizations have raised concerns over an exhibition held in the Parliament of Serbia, which they say promotes war criminals and distorts the historical record of the 1998–1999 Kosovo conflict.
The exhibition is dedicated to the Special Police Units and their commander, Obrad Stevanović, a former Serbian police general linked to the Milošević-era security structures. It was opened in the Serbian National Assembly, with senior officials including Interior Minister Ivica Dačić attending the event.
Allegations of historical revisionism
Human rights groups and activists have described the exhibition as an attempt at historical revisionism and the rehabilitation of individuals associated with wartime crimes during the Kosovo war.
They argue that presenting such figures in a positive institutional setting risks undermining documented findings of international courts and investigative bodies related to wartime atrocities.
Criticism from human rights organizations
Natasa Kandić, director of the Humanitarian Law Center, criticized the exhibition, saying that the parliament should not be used as a platform for rehabilitating narratives about units and commanders convicted or investigated by international tribunals.
She argued that the exhibition selectively omits key events from 1999, including killings of civilians in areas such as Gjakova, as well as mass grave sites discovered in Batajnica.
According to her, this is not an oversight but “institutional denial” of established facts.
Youth rights group reaction
The Youth Initiative for Human Rights also condemned the exhibition, saying it is problematic in the context of dealing with the past.
The organization accused senior officials of misusing state institutions to reshape historical narratives and “cleanse” the biographies of military and police figures linked to wartime operations.
Broader concerns
Rights groups warn that such initiatives reflect a broader reluctance within parts of Serbia’s political establishment to fully confront the legacy of the Kosovo war, calling for stronger institutional accountability and public debate on historical responsibility.
