Montenegro again urged to probe attacks on journalists

VIENNA The South East Europe Organization (SEEMO) on Wednesday condemned the latest physical attack on a journalist in Montenegro. On the evening of January 3 in the town of Niksic, an unknown assailant attacked daily newspaper Dan correspondent Lidija Nikcevic in the street, repeatedly striking her in the head with a stick causing injuries that required hospitalization. Montenegro again urged to probe attacks on journalists "We demand that authorities including the police, the state prosecutor and the courts immediately open an investigation into this incident," SEEMO Secretary General Oliver Vujovic said. "Further, we call on the prime minister and the president of Montenegro, as well as the president of Parliament, to use all powers available to them to support an investigation in this case and in all other cases of attacks on and threats against journalists and media companies in Montenegro in recent years." "This case is only the latest in a string of numerous incidents. In most cases, the perpetrators or the masterminds of the attacks have not been arrested. High-level officials in Podgorica have promised SEEMO representatives during meetings that the Montenegrin state will use its full power to stop attacks on journalists and to support investigations in unsolved cases. However, we still have no results," he added. SEEMO, an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), noted in a statement that attacks on or threats against journalists in Montenegro in the last year include a stone thrown at the window of commercial TV station Montena in Podgorica, a bomb exploding under windows of the office of daily Vijesti's editor-in-chief, Mihailo Jovovic, a device exploding in front of the home of Montenegrin journalist Tufik Softic in the town of Berane. In 2012, someone attacked Olivera Lakic, an investigative reporter with Vijesti, while in 2011 four clearly marked Vijesti company cars were set ablaze. In 2010, Zeljko Ivanovic, one of Vijesti's founders, and several other journalists received death threats by post. The previous year, the mayor of Podgorica and his son attacked Mihailo Jovovic and Boris Pejovic, a Vijesti daily photojournalist, as they documented the men's improper parking of vehicles in the town. The mayor's son reportedly threatened the journalists with a gun and Jovovic was treated at a hospital for a head injury. In 2008, sports journalist Mladen Stojovic was severely beaten in his apartment in Bar, and suffered numerous fractures and required surgery. Some analysts speculated that the attack might have been connected to his reporting on the alleged fixing of soccer matches. Several assailants physically attacked Vijesti founder Zeljko Ivanovic near a restaurant where the newspaper was celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2007. Ivanovic was injured and received medical treatment. Although the perpetrators of the attack were identified, the masterminds remain at large. In 2006, masked assailants attacked Jevrem Brkovic, a leading novelist in Montenegro. Brkovic's driver, Srdjan Vojcic, was also shot dead in Podgorica. The founder and editor-in-chief of the daily Dan, Dusko Jovanovic, was killed in a drive-by shooting in Podgorica in May 2004, n front of his office building. The masterminds of the killing have not been identified. SEEMO

Montenegro again urged to probe attacks on journalists

"We demand that authorities including the police, the state prosecutor and the courts immediately open an investigation into this incident," SEEMO Secretary General Oliver Vujović said.

"Further, we call on the prime minister and the president of Montenegro, as well as the president of Parliament, to use all powers available to them to support an investigation in this case and in all other cases of attacks on and threats against journalists and media companies in Montenegro in recent years."

"This case is only the latest in a string of numerous incidents. In most cases, the perpetrators or the masterminds of the attacks have not been arrested. High-level officials in Podgorica have promised SEEMO representatives during meetings that the Montenegrin state will use its full power to stop attacks on journalists and to support investigations in unsolved cases. However, we still have no results," he added.

SEEMO, an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), noted in a statement that attacks on or threats against journalists in Montenegro in the last year include a stone thrown at the window of commercial TV station Montena in Podgorica, a bomb exploding under windows of the office of daily Vijesti's editor-in-chief, Mihailo Jovović, a device exploding in front of the home of Montenegrin journalist Tufik Softić in the town of Berane.

In 2012, someone attacked Olivera Lakić, an investigative reporter with Vijesti, while in 2011 four clearly marked Vijesti company cars were set ablaze.

In 2010, Željko Ivanović, one of Vijesti's founders, and several other journalists received death threats by post. The previous year, the mayor of Podgorica and his son attacked Mihailo Jovović and Boris Pejović, a Vijesti daily photojournalist, as they documented the men's improper parking of vehicles in the town. The mayor's son reportedly threatened the journalists with a gun and Jovović was treated at a hospital for a head injury.

In 2008, sports journalist Mladen Stojović was severely beaten in his apartment in Bar, and suffered numerous fractures and required surgery. Some analysts speculated that the attack might have been connected to his reporting on the alleged fixing of soccer matches.

Several assailants physically attacked Vijesti founder Željko Ivanović near a restaurant where the newspaper was celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2007. Ivanović was injured and received medical treatment. Although the perpetrators of the attack were identified, the masterminds remain at large.

In 2006, masked assailants attacked Jevrem Brković, a leading novelist in Montenegro. Brković's driver, Srđan Vojčić, was also shot dead in Podgorica.

The founder and editor-in-chief of the daily Dan, Duško Jovanović, was killed in a drive-by shooting in Podgorica in May 2004, n front of his office building. The masterminds of the killing have not been identified.