Prominent political analyst Driton Tali has issued a blistering condemnation of the Serbian government, labeling the state’s financial support for the “Red Berets” (JSO) veterans’ association as “criminal and disgusting.”
The controversy erupted following reports that the administration of President Aleksandar Vučić is providing state funds to former members of the Special Operations Unit—a paramilitary group infamous for its role in war crimes and ethnic cleansing during the 1990s conflicts in Kosovo, Bosnia, and Croatia.
The Ideological Thread
In a statement for Bota Sot, Tali argued that this financial patronage is not merely an isolated social policy, but proof of a deep-seated ideological continuity within the Serbian state.
“This cements the argument that ‘Vučić’s Serbia’ is a direct continuation of the nationalist expansions of the past,” Tali said. “In substance, nothing has changed. The ‘Red Berets’ committed horrific crimes against Albanian civilians, and now they are being treated as state heroes.”
The “Social Aid” Defense: A “Disgusting” Smokescreen
Serbian authorities have defended the payments as “social support” for former state personnel, distancing the funds from the unit’s documented atrocities. Tali rejected this justification in the strongest terms, describing it as a moral affront to the survivors.
- Emotional Violence: Tali stated that for the survivors and families of the missing, this funding is not just “rubbing salt in wounds”—it is experienced as a “second killing” of the victims.
- The Đinđić Connection: Critics also point out the irony of the state funding a unit that was disbanded in 2003 only after its members assassinated Serbia’s own reformist Prime Minister, Zoran Đinđić.
Brussels’ Silence Under the Microscope
Perhaps the most pointed part of Tali’s critique was reserved for the European Union. He expressed “surprise and disappointment” at the lack of a firm diplomatic response from Brussels.
“How can the EU tolerate a candidate country that denies justice to victims while rehabilitating a genocidal apparatus in plain sight?” Tali asked. He warned that the international community’s failure to react only emboldens the narrative that war crimes can be ignored in favor of political stability.
At a Glance: The JSO Controversy
| Issue | The Reality |
| The Unit | JSO (Red Berets) – Disbanded in 2003 for terrorism and war crimes. |
| The Funding | Official state support for the unit’s veterans’ association. |
| The Defense | Belgrade claims it is “social welfare” for former employees. |
| The Outcry | Seen as a direct move toward the state-sponsored rehabilitation of war criminals. |
