Podgorica, (MINA) - A group of NGOs and civil activists welcomed the decision by the Public Institution “Ratkovic’s Poetry Evening” to remove Radovan Karadzic’s name from the list of award winners on the institution’s official website.

In a press release signed by representatives of five NGOs and two civil activists, they recalled that the war criminal Karadzic was sentenced to life imprisonment for genocide, crimes against humanity and violation of the laws and customs of war.

They recalled that on June 26, the group sent an initiative to that institution requesting that Karadzic be stripped of the “Risto Ratkovic” poetry award, which he had received during the wartime year of 1993.

They expressed regret that the institution did not initially recognize the initiative as its responsibility and failed to make a decision to withdraw the award before July 11 – the 30th anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica.

“Only after our second letter, in which we pointed out that Karadzic’s name was still on the list of laureates, was the decision to remove his name made, also without informing the public”, the NGOs explained.

Nevertheless, they consider such a move important, adding that it represents the first symbolic step towards correcting the mistake from 1993, which had damaged the reputation of the award, tarnished Risto Ratkovic’s legacy and the image of Bijelo Polje.