The Human Rights Action and the Women’s Rights Centre strongly condemn the death threat directed at journalist Jelena Jovanović of Vijesti. In a short period of time since the threat to journalist Duška Pejović’s safety, another journalist is once again being endangered. The state must ensure that Jelena Jovanović, as well as all journalists, can perform their work without fear, in an environment that protects the right to work and personal safety. We expect immediate and effective investigation measures to be taken.

Any verbal violence, especially a death threat against a journalist, is an attempt to suppress media freedom and intimidate those seeking the truth. Such violence endangers the right of every citizen to be informed. Endangering journalists is endangering democracy.

The UN Human Rights Committee recently expressed concern about the increasing frequency of threats and attacks on journalists in Montenegro in recent years, as well as the lack of full accountability in older cases, such as the 2004 murder of journalist Duško Jovanović and the 2018 shooting of Oliviera Lakić.

The Committee has called on the state to ensure swift, independent, and impartial investigations into all threats and attacks on journalists, appropriately punish the perpetrators, and provide reparations to the victims. It also urged that the Commission for Monitoring Attacks on Journalists be granted full access to information and necessary resources, and that an effective national mechanism for protecting journalists be established to act preventively and proactively in cases of attacks.