The Association for Responsible and Sustainable Development (UZOR) and the Society of Professional Journalists of Montenegro (DPNCG) submitted an initiative today to the Supreme State Prosecutor’s Office and the Police Directorate regarding the recommendations of the Commission for Monitoring Investigations of Attacks on Journalists, which these two institutions have so far failed to address, concerning attacks on journalists.
One of the important interim benchmarks for Chapter 23 for Montenegro in the area of fundamental rights is the policy of zero tolerance towards threats and attacks on journalists, with a focus on criminal investigations in such cases. It is precisely based on the interim benchmarks for Chapter 23 that the Commission for Monitoring Investigations of Attacks on Journalists was established, further underscoring the importance of timely and substantive reactions by the competent authorities to advance Montenegro’s European integration.
Given the lack of adequate response from the Supreme State Prosecutor’s Office and the Police Directorate, it is necessary to invest additional efforts towards effectively addressing the unfulfilled recommendations of the Commission for Monitoring Investigations of Attacks on Journalists, with an emphasis on older cases, as well as to provide swift and effective protection to journalists against all forms of violence.
In the case of the Supreme State Prosecutor’s Office, it is essential to include all missing data in the database on attacks, such as the dates of attacks, submission of indictment proposals/requests for initiating misdemeanor proceedings, final statements/notifications from prosecutors, etc. Additionally, the Prosecutor’s Office must collect data on cases of attacks on journalists and media that are not currently in the records and, finally, provide the Commission with all documentation on cases of attacks on journalists that it has previously failed to deliver.
The Police Directorate is required to regularly reassess the security of the most vulnerable journalists and media in collaboration with other relevant state authorities. Furthermore, the Police Directorate should determine the potential responsibility of prosecutors and police officers for procedural delays in the misdemeanor case involving the attack on Vladimir Otašević and in the criminal cases of attacks on Mladen Stojović and Milovan Novović.
The outlined recommendations are crucial for establishing facts in cases of past attacks on journalists, and acting upon them would send a message to journalists and citizens alike that the Supreme State Prosecutor’s Office and the Police Directorate are doing everything within their power to contribute to the protection of journalists in Montenegro.
Part of the submitted initiatives includes a call from UZOR and DPNCG to the Supreme State Prosecutor’s Office and the Police Directorate to enhance transparency in their handling of cases involving attacks on journalists and media property. This would also facilitate the work of the Commission for Monitoring Investigations of Attacks on Journalists by improving their responsiveness to the Commission’s recommendations and inquiries.
The initiatives concerning the recommendations of the Commission for Monitoring Investigations of Attacks on Journalists are part of the efforts by the Association for Responsible and Sustainable Development (UZOR), the Society of Professional Journalists of Montenegro (DPNCG), and the Hanns Seidel Foundation under the project “Effective Prevention and Protection of Journalists in Montenegro.” The project is funded by the European Union through the EU Delegation in Podgorica.
The aim of the project is to support the full and effective protection of journalists and other media workers and to advance the alignment of the legislative framework with the EU acquis.
Željka Ćetković, Project Manager, Association for Responsible and Sustainable Development (UZOR).
