Council of Europe (CoE) Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatovic criticized the Serbian Defense Ministry, on Wednesday, over the promotion of a book which she said falsifies the facts about an armed clash in Tuzla during the war in Bosnia.

Mijatovic said that the book Tuzla Gate A Staged Tragedy “falsifies the facts established by both international and local courts”. “Propagating falsehoods and disinformation in a post-war context is a dangerous exercise, one that seriously undermines all efforts towards durable peace and reconciliation,” Mijatovic said and added that political leaders in Serbia have to intensify efforts to counter impunity for war crimes instead of providing platforms to advocate the denial of war crimes.  

The book promotion was held on Tuesday in Belgrade. Human rights groups have also condemned the book and its promotion, claiming that it falsifies the facts about the May 1995 war crime which claimed 71 lives.  

The Serbian Defense Ministry reacted with a statement saying that “Serbia does not ban books.” “The Defense Ministry regrets that the Commissioner failed to speak out when proven killer of Serbs Naser Oric was acquitted just as she saw no need to condemn and demand a statement by Potocari Memorial Center Director Emir Suljagic that Jasenovac (death camp) was a Chetnik (derogatory term for Serbs) fabrication,” the statement on the ministry web site said adding that “it’s a pity that Dunja Mijatovic is not looking to find out who tried to kill Aleksandar Vucic in Srebrenica.”

The ministry said that it was being attacked over a debate in the Army House about a book not published by the ministry.