To representatives of the states and governments of the EU and USA, international organisations and institutions, and the public
Honorable,
We call upon you to react to recent attacks on media in Montenegro, which seriously defy the rule of law.
Since early August, when Podgorica Mayor Miomir Mugoša and Montenegrin diplomat Miljan Mugoša physically attacked a team of the independent daily Vijesti, brutal pressure on this daily and its representatives have not ceased. Mayor Mugoša and his son attacked the Vijesti team while it was trying to videotape his irregularly parked car. The journalists were threatened by a pistol, while Mihajlo Jovović, the editor of Vijesti, incurred a serious ear injury from a fist punch and had to undergo a medical surgery.
Following the street violence, the DPS party machinery, along with a number of state institutions, stood behind the Mayor and engaged in a showdown with Vijesti. Instead of being processed by the judiciary, Miomir Mugoša was amnested. Absurdly, the Supreme State Attorney initiated a court case against Mihajlo Jovović, editor of Vijesti. Thus the victim, through fraudulent misrepresentation of facts, is being turned into an agressor.
In parallel with the inability of the judiciary to deal with this case,
the authorities are conducting a special war against Vijesti and its
journalists and founders, aimed at discrediting them in the public eye.
Physical attacks on journalists, staged court cases and intimidations are not an incident in Montenegro; they represent a continuity of a policy which has hindered the freedom of press over a long period of time. Before the latest attack, Duško Jovanović was killed, while Željko Ivanović, Tufik Softić and Mladen Stojović were physically assaulted. Montenegrin courts have not resolved any of these attacks on journalists.
Vijesti, Dan and Monitor, the media that are not controlled by the ruling circles, are being subjected to numerous court cases initiated by the highest authorities and business structures close to them, with requests for indemnity presently worth over 13 million euro.
Under attack are media which inform the public about the major issues faced by the Montenegrin society, the corruption in government, non-transparent deals, criminal activities and captured institutions, unable to confront these challenges.
The latest events indicate that the authorities, in their showdown with the free media, do not refrain from any means at their disposal. Since in Montenegro the institutions are not capable to defend basic rights and freedoms, we call upon the states of the European Union and the United States of America to request from the officials on highest political and judiciary positions in Montenegro to refrain from further violence over media and journalists and to ensure respect for basic principles on which is based every democratic state.
We call upon the Montenegrin public to contribute to the protection of the freedom of speech and expression.
01. Milan Popović, university professor
02. Anto Baković, NGO activist
03. Vanja Ćalović, NGO activist
04. Ervina Dabižinović, NGO activist
05. Ajša Hadžibegović, NGO activist
06. Jelena Jauković, university lecturer
07. Svetozar Jovićević, university professor
08. Srđa Keković, labour union activist
09. Esad Kočan, journalist
10. Petar Komnenić, journalist
11. Veseljko Koprivica, journalist
12. Filip Kovačević, university professor
13. Ljupka Kovačević, NGO activist
14. Olivera Kujundžić, NGO activist
15. Milka Tadić Mijović, journalist
16. Dejan Milovac, NGO activist
17. Vjera Begović Radović, university professor
18. Zoran Radulović, journalist
19. Maja Raičević, NGO activist
20. Žarko Rakčević, businessman
21. Miodrag Rašović, economist
22. Radmila Stojanović, journalist
23. Stana Šćepanović, NGO activist
24. Ilija Vujošević, university professor
25. Dragoljub Duško Vuković, journalist