Journalist of the daily Vijesti, Olivera Lakic, author of articles about the possible illegal production of cigarettes in Mojkovac factory Tara, property of Podgorica’s Montenegro Tobaco Company, received yesterday the latest in a series of threats, to which, together with her colleagues, she has been exposed ever since she started writing on this topic.

Human Rights Action strongly condemns threats against journalist of the daily Vijesti Olivera Lakic.

We expect the police to effectively and timely detect the perpetrator of this case and urgently initiate the prosecution, in order for the state to show determination in fighting violence against journalists, considering that the European Commission in its Opinion on Montenegro’s application for membership in the EU noted that the current cases of attacks on journalists in Montenegro have not been effectively investigated.

We are particularly concerned over the information that, prior to the latest attack, the police made a mistake in assessing the security risk journalist Lakic has been exposed to. We underline that all relevant international organizations have many times emphasized that investigative journalists deserve enhanced protection of the state because of the risk of their work in the public interest; thus the police should always start with the assumption that investigative journalists who engage in the disclosure of such cases are under the sword of Damocles, proven to be true not only in Montenegro, but worldwide, as well.

We remind that, in order to strengthen the protection of journalists in performing their duties of general public interest, Human Rights Action has proposed to the Government of Montenegro two new criminal offenses to be introduced to the Criminal Code: Preventing journalists in the performance of professional duties, and Attack on journalists in the performance of professional duties, which would align the level of protection for journalists with that already enjoyed by civil servants. We have also proposed for the Action Plan for implementation of recommendations of the European Commission to include the liability of the Supreme State Prosecutor to prepare a report on the status of investigation in cases of violence against journalists and new measures for effective prosecution of direct offenders, and those who had ordered the crime.