Source: "Blic"
“The Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly adopted in 1996 on XXIII session the Resolution on Measures to Dismantle the Heritage of Former Totalitarian Communist Systems. Clause 9 of this document of extreme importance for a breakthrough of the freedom of information to a forbidden area reads as follows: the Parliamentary Assembly welcomes the opening of secret service files for the public in certain former communist countries. It calls on all countries to enable the interested persons to access, on demand, the files kept of them by the former secret services.
Nearly all the former socialist countries responded to this appeal of the Council of Europe. Sadly, Serbia has not. This year marks a whole decade since the adoption of the said Resolution of the CoE Parliamentary Assembly. And also six years since the toppling of the authoritarian regime in Serbia. And three years since the admission of our country to the Council of Europe. We should see each of these “jubilees” as a solemn reminder that it is high time we passed a relevant law governing the treatment of secret service files and thus make an important step both for international reputation of our country and for its further democratic transition.”
The first time I published the text quoted above, it was at this very place to mark the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the CoE Resolution in November 2006. And again in November 2007. And also in November 2008. And yet again in autumn in 2009. And it appeared likely that I would confirm my persistence or stubbornness in autumn 2010, that 14 years after the adoption of the Resolution such text would, unfortunately, still be a current issue.
The good and important news is that it might not be so, that the Serbian Government will soon propose the Law on Opening of Files of Secret Services of Former Regimes. What is more important is that the law should not be “cosmetic” and that it should contribute to finding real solutions to open problems. “Consistent” unwillingness to handle archives of secret services timely and in an appropriate manner has already cost us a lot. Finding real answers to questions relevant for rectification of past wrongdoings, rehabilitation, restitution etc. has been very difficult. Some answers were incomplete, wrong or they gave rise to new wrongdoings. Some of the damage is irreparable, which is one more reason to do what should have been done a long time ago.
