Human Rights Action (HRA) yesterday informed the UN Special Rapporteurs on the right to physical and mental health and on the right to privacy on the Government of Montenegro’s online publication of names and addresses of persons who were ordered into obligatory 14-day self-isolation due to COVID-19 risk.

This measure was carried out, with an aim of suppression of COVID-19 virus, by the National Coordination Body for Communicable diseases, founded by the Government of Montenegro, and with consent of the Montenegrin Agency for Personal Data Protection and Free Access to Information. Thus far, the private information of more than 1800 people has been published on the web site of the Government.

In the letter to the Special rapporteurs HRA emphasized that this excessive measure is against the international minimal standard of the right to privacy. The Government’s measure came after all UN Rapporteurs in a joint statement issued by the UN on 16 March 2020, urged all Member States to avoid exceeding emergency measures in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

HRA urged the Special Rapporteurs on the right to physical and mental health and on the right to privacy to urgently communicate with Montenegrin Government to stop this breach of human rights.

The letter to the Special Rapporteurs is available here.